Whether you’re troubleshooting connectivity issues or measuring the performance of your internet service, the following command-line tools offer robust solutions for testing download and upload speeds across networks. Each tool offers different options to tailor your tests for various requirements, from quick checks to detailed output and custom servers.
Tool Overviews
speedtest-clispeedtest-cli
connects to speedtest.net servers to measure your internet connection speed, offering options for customized output.
Available Options
- Basic Speed Test: Runs a test with default parameters.
- –no-pre-allocate (-n): Disables pre-allocation of disk space for faster test setup.
- –json (-j) : Outputs results in JSON format for easy integration with scripts or external applications.
- –verbose (-v): Provides more detailed output, useful for debugging or in-depth analysis.
- -s <server_id> (-s): Specifies a server ID for the test, enabling you to target a specific server based on location.
Examples of speedtest-cli
Commands
- Basic speed test
> speedtest-cli
- Test with JSON output
> speedtest-cli --json
- Run a test using a specific server
> speedtest-cli -s <server_id>
- Verbose test with no pre-allocation
> speedtest-cli --no-pre-allocate --verbose
iPerf3iperf3
measures network bandwidth performance with configurable options for client-server testing.
Available Options
- -c (Client Mode): Initiates a test as a client, connecting to a specified server.
- -s (Server Mode): Starts
iperf3
in server mode, waiting for incoming test requests. - -i (Interval): Sets the time interval (in seconds) for displaying periodic bandwidth reports, useful for tracking performance over time.
- -t (Target Server): Specifies the IP address or hostname of the target server for the test.
Examples of iperf3
Commands
- Start
iperf3
as a server> iperf3 -s
- Connect as a client to a specific target
> iperf3 -c <target_server>
- Run with custom intervals
> iperf3 -i <interval>
Fast CLIfast
provides quick download and upload speed tests with minimal configuration.
Available Options
- –upload (-u): Includes an upload speed test in addition to the default download test.
- –download (-d): Performs a download speed test, which is the default action when no switch is provided.
Examples of fast
Commands
- Run a download speed test
> fast
- Run both download and upload tests
> fast --upload