wiperf

Wi-Fi performance probe for RPi & WLANPi

Pre-requisites

Package Updates

Update existing Linux packages:

        sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
        sudo reboot

Install required Linux packages:

        sudo apt-get update
        # WLANPi only: re-install python3 and python3-pip (not req on RPi)
        sudo apt-get --reinstall install python3
        sudo apt-get --reinstall install python3-pip
        sudo apt-get install python3-pip iperf3 git -y
        sudo reboot

Install required python3 modules

        sudo pip3 install iperf3 speedtest-cli configparser
        sudo pip3 install git+git://github.com/georgestarcher/Splunk-Class-httpevent.git

User Account

Create the wlanpi user (only required on the RPi):

        sudo adduser wlanpi

RPi Only: Edit the sudoers file to enable the wlanpi user to run some commands that require elevated privilege:

        sudo visudo

• Add following line to bottom of file:

        wlanpi  ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

WLANPi Only: Edit the sudoers file to enable the wlanpi user to run some commands that require elevated privilege:

        cd /etc/sudoers.d/
        sudo nano ./wlanpidump

change:

        wlanpi ALL = (root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/iwconfig, /usr/sbin/iw

to:

        wlanpi ALL = (root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/iwconfig, /usr/sbin/iw, /bin/date, /sbin/dhclient, /sbin/ifconfig

Both platforms: Reboot and log back in with the wlanpi user:

        sudo reboot

Wireless Configuration

Configure WLANPi/RPi to join a wireless network. Edit files 'sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf' and 'sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces'. The eth0 port is configured as static IP below, but can be left as dhcp if wlan0 & eth0 are on different networks (otherwise Speedtest traffic goes out of eth0 port) (note: wpa_supplicant.conf must have root:root ownership - 'chown root:root /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf' if required)

*** Sample '/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf':

    ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
    update_config=1
    ap_scan=1

    network={
            ssid="My_SSID"
            psk="My_SSID_Key"
    }

*** Sample '/etc/network/interfaces':

    # interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)

    # Please note that this file is written to be used with dhcpcd
    # For static IP, consult /etc/dhcpcd.conf and 'man dhcpcd.conf'

    auto wlan0
    allow-hotplug wlan0
    iface wlan0 inet dhcp
    wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

    # Note eth0 has been set to a static address to avoid routing issues 
    # when both eth0 and wlan0 are on same network (traffic goes out of 
    # eth0 rather than wlan0). If they are on different networks, it's
    # OK to set eth0 to DHCP, but may still need a static route to force
    # Internet-bound traffic to use wlan0 rather than eth0
    auto eth0
    allow-hotplug eth0 
    # iface eth0 inet dhcp 
    iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.254.1
    netmask 255.255.255.0

    # Local loopback
    auto lo
    iface lo inet loopback

    # Include files from /etc/network/interfaces.d:
    source-directory /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

Reboot WLANPi/RPi & verify the it has joined the wireless network with iwconfig/ifconfig

Installation

With the WLANPi/RPi connected to the Internet, login using the wlanpi user and clone this project:

        cd ~
        git clone https://github.com/wifinigel/wiperf.git

Edit the config file to customize the operation of the script:

        cd /home/wlanpi/wiperf
        cp ./config.default.ini ./config.ini
        nano ./config.ini

Testing

Test the script by running the following command as the wlanpi user (takes around 2 minutes to complete, depending on tests enabled):

        /usr/bin/python3 /home/wlanpi/wiperf/wi-perf.py

If no errors are observed when running it then check the following files to check for no errors & that data is generated:

        cat /home/wlanpi/wiperf/logs/agent.log
        # (Note: none of the files below are created when using the HEC forwarder )
        cat /home/wlanpi/wiperf/data/wiperf-speedtest-splunk.json
        cat /home/wlanpi/wiperf/data/wiperf-ping-splunk.json
        cat /home/wlanpi/wiperf/data/wiperf-iperf3-udp-splunk.json
        cat /home/wlanpi/wiperf/data/wiperf-iperf3-tcp-splunk.json
        .
        .
        etc...

Running: Schedule Regular Job

Create a cronjob to run the script very 5 mins:

        crontab -e

• add line:

        */5 * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/wlanpi/wiperf/wi-perf.py > /home/wlanpi/wiperf/wiperf.log 2>&1

Account Tidy-up

If this has been built using a new RPI image, remember to either update the default 'pi' username with a new password, or remove the account. Make sure you have successfully logged in with the 'wlanpi' user and are using it to perform the operations shown below.

• Change password : sudo passwd pi
• Remove account: sudo userdel pi

Updating

To get the latest updates from the GitHub repo , use the following commands when logged in as the wlanpi user:

        cd ~/wiperf
        git pull https://github.com/wifinigel/wiperf.git

(note that this will update config.default.ini but not config.ini, or remember to re-edit it after a pull if the format changes)

Troubleshooting:

If things seem to be going wrong, try the following:

• Run the script from the command line and watch for errors (/usr/bin/python3 /home/wlanpi/wiperf/wi-perf.py)
• SSH to the device & tail the log files in real-time: tail -f /home/wlanpi/wiperf/logs/agent.log
• Try disabling tests & see if one specific test is causing an issue
• Make sure all pre-reqs have definitely been fulfilled

Known Issue: There seems to be an issue with the Comfast CF-912 adapter when using it with the WLANPi and associating as a client to SSIDs that use 80MHz width channels. If you hit an issue where the WLANPi seems to lock up or does not boot correctly, try a different adapter or a network that does not use 8Mhz channels.