Networking tests

[lbedogni]

Problem
Network capabilities vary significantly across deployment environments (WiFi, cellular, mixed). The system needs comprehensive testing of different networking scenarios to understand real-world performance and edge cases.

Impact

• Cannot predict performance in different network conditions
• Missing understanding of offloading behavior under congestion
• No data on client connection resilience

Current State
"Test the different networking opportunities we have"

Proposed Implementation

Network Scenarios

1. WiFi Testing

• Local network (2.4GHz and 5GHz)
• Range/signal strength variations
• Multi-client congestion (many devices)
• WiFi roaming (AP transitions)
• Interference (microwave, Bluetooth)

2. Cellular Testing

• 4G/LTE (if available)
• 5G (if available)
• Coverage transitions (LTE→WiFi→LTE)
• Signal degradation (weak signal)
• Network handover effects

3. Mixed Scenarios

• Hybrid WiFi + cellular fallback
• Connection switching behavior
• Reconnection timing after outage
• Load balancing across networks

4. Edge Cases

• High latency (satellite-like: 500ms+)
• High jitter (variable 50-500ms)
• Packet loss (1-5%)
• Bandwidth throttling
• Intermittent outages

Test Methodology

Tools

• Network emulation (tc/netem on Linux, clumsy on Windows)
• Iperf3 for bandwidth measurement
• Mtr/traceroute for latency analysis
• Tcpdump for packet capture and analysis

Metrics

• End-to-end latency (median, p95, p99)
• Throughput (Mbps)
• Packet loss and retransmissions
• Connection recovery time
• Offloading decision accuracy per network type

Test Harness

• Automated network condition simulation
• Long-running stability tests (24h+)
• Concurrent client testing
• Data logging and analysis

Deliverables

• Network test harness
• Test scenarios for each network type
• Automated test runner
• Network performance report
• Recommendations for network selection

Dependencies

• Related to Time breakdown #16 (Time breakdown), Tests #17 (Hardware tests), Simulated delays #18 (Simulation)

Files: tests/networking/, tests/integration/
Labels: testing, networking, validation