Bandwidth Test

Bandwidth Test

Version Info

RouterOS 7.16 | Min: v6.0+ | ⏱️ 5 minutes | 🟢 Beginner

Tested on: 7.16 7.14

Version-specific notes

• v7.0: Same functionality as v6; menu paths unchanged
• v6.44: Random data option for more realistic testing

TL;DR (Quick Start)

For the impatient: test bandwidth between two MikroTik routers.

On the server router:

/tool/bandwidth-server/set enabled=yes authenticate=yes

On the client router:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 user=admin password=yourpass direction=both duration=10s

Overview

What this does: The Bandwidth Test tool measures TCP and UDP throughput between a MikroTik router and another Bandwidth Test server (another MikroTik or compatible software). It’s useful for verifying link capacity, testing network performance, and troubleshooting throughput issues.

When to use this:

• Verify actual throughput on a link
• Test performance between two sites
• Troubleshoot slow connections
• Baseline network performance
• Validate QoS configurations

Prerequisites:

• Bandwidth Test server enabled on target router
• Network connectivity between client and server
• Authentication credentials (if server requires authentication)
• Firewall allowing TCP port 2000 (control) and test ports

CPU Impact

Bandwidth Test is CPU-intensive. Running tests at high speeds can impact router performance and affect other traffic. Test during maintenance windows on production networks.

Bandwidth Test Server Configuration

Enable the Server

/tool/bandwidth-server/set enabled=yes

View Current Settings

/tool/bandwidth-server/print

Default output:

              enabled: yes
         authenticate: yes
allocate-udp-ports-from: 2000
         max-sessions: 100

Require Authentication

Force users to authenticate before testing:

/tool/bandwidth-server/set authenticate=yes

When enabled, clients must provide valid RouterOS user credentials.

Configure UDP Port Range

Set the starting port for UDP tests:

/tool/bandwidth-server/set allocate-udp-ports-from=2000

UDP tests use ports starting from this number.

Limit Concurrent Sessions

Restrict how many simultaneous tests can run:

/tool/bandwidth-server/set max-sessions=10

Prevents resource exhaustion from too many concurrent tests.

Bandwidth Test Client Usage

Basic Test

Test to another MikroTik router:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 user=admin password=secret

Specify Direction

Test upload, download, or both:

# Download only (receive)
/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 direction=receive user=admin password=secret

# Upload only (transmit)
/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 direction=transmit user=admin password=secret

# Both directions simultaneously
/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 direction=both user=admin password=secret

Set Test Duration

Run test for specific time:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 duration=30s user=admin password=secret

Choose Protocol

Test with TCP or UDP:

# TCP test (default)
/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 protocol=tcp user=admin password=secret

# UDP test
/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 protocol=udp user=admin password=secret

Protocol differences:

• TCP: More reliable results; reflects real-world TCP performance; affected by latency
• UDP: Tests raw throughput capacity; not affected by TCP windowing; may show higher speeds

Use Random Data

Send random data instead of zeros (more realistic):

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 random-data=yes user=admin password=secret

Random data tests compression performance on links with hardware compression.

Common Scenarios

Scenario: Test WAN Link Capacity

Verify your ISP connection speed:

/tool/bandwidth-test isp-router.example.com protocol=tcp direction=both duration=20s \
    user=admin password=secret

Scenario: Test VPN Tunnel Throughput

Measure throughput through a VPN tunnel:

/tool/bandwidth-test 10.0.0.1 protocol=tcp direction=both duration=30s \
    user=admin password=secret

Run from one end of the tunnel to the other end’s internal IP.

Scenario: Test Without Authentication

If server allows unauthenticated tests:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 protocol=tcp direction=both

Disabling authentication on the bandwidth server allows anyone to run tests, potentially impacting router performance. Only disable on trusted networks.

Scenario: UDP Test with Custom Packet Size

Test with specific UDP packet size:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 protocol=udp direction=transmit \
    local-udp-tx-size=1500 user=admin password=secret

Useful for testing MTU issues or specific application behavior.

Scenario: Limit Test Bandwidth

Cap the test at a specific rate:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 protocol=tcp direction=transmit \
    local-tx-speed=50M user=admin password=secret

Prevents the test from consuming all available bandwidth.

Scenario: Multiple Connection Test

Use multiple TCP connections for higher throughput:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 protocol=tcp direction=both \
    connection-count=5 user=admin password=secret

Multiple connections can overcome single-connection TCP limitations on high-latency links.

Scenario: Test from Winbox/WebFig

The graphical tools provide real-time graphs:

1. Open Tools > Bandwidth Test
2. Enter server address and credentials
3. Select direction and protocol
4. Click Start

Results display as a live graph showing throughput over time.

Understanding Results

Test output shows:

          status: running
        duration: 10s
       tx-current: 94.5Mbps
    tx-10-second-average: 93.8Mbps
      tx-total-average: 93.2Mbps
       rx-current: 94.1Mbps
    rx-10-second-average: 93.5Mbps
      rx-total-average: 93.0Mbps
      lost-packets: 0
       random-data: no
        direction: both

Field	Description
tx-current	Current transmit rate
rx-current	Current receive rate
tx-10-second-average	Rolling 10-second average (transmit)
rx-10-second-average	Rolling 10-second average (receive)
tx-total-average	Average over entire test (transmit)
rx-total-average	Average over entire test (receive)
lost-packets	UDP packets lost (UDP only)

Firewall Configuration

If bandwidth test isn’t working, allow the required ports:

/ip/firewall/filter/add chain=input protocol=tcp dst-port=2000 action=accept \
    comment="Bandwidth Test control"
/ip/firewall/filter/add chain=input protocol=udp dst-port=2000-2100 action=accept \
    comment="Bandwidth Test UDP"

Place these rules before any drop rules.

Verification

Confirm Bandwidth Test is working:

Check 1: Verify Server Status

/tool/bandwidth-server/print

Expected: enabled: yes

Check 2: Check Active Sessions

/tool/bandwidth-server/session/print

Shows currently running tests.

Check 3: Test Locally

From the router itself:

/tool/bandwidth-test 127.0.0.1 user=admin password=secret duration=5s

Tests local loopback (useful for verifying server is running).

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Solution
”connection refused”	Server disabled or firewalled	Enable server; check firewall rules
”login failure”	Wrong credentials	Verify username/password; check authenticate setting
Low throughput	CPU bottleneck	Check CPU usage; test with lower connection-count
CHR capped at ~400Mbps	License level or VM config	Check CHR license tier; verify VM network settings (virtio)
UDP packet loss	Network congestion or MTU issues	Check for congestion; verify MTU settings
Test hangs	Firewall blocking	Allow TCP 2000 and UDP ports
Inconsistent results	Other traffic on link	Test during low-usage periods
”no route to host”	Routing issue	Verify connectivity with ping

Debug: Check CPU During Test

/system/resource/print

High CPU usage (>80%) limits throughput results.

Debug: Monitor Active Sessions

/tool/bandwidth-server/session/print

Shows client IP and current throughput.

Common Mistakes

• Testing through NAT - Bandwidth test requires direct IP connectivity or port forwarding
• Forgetting authentication - Default requires credentials; provide user/password
• Testing during production hours - Can saturate links and affect users
• Comparing TCP vs UDP - Different protocols give different results; compare consistently
• Ignoring CPU limits - Router CPU may be the bottleneck, not the link

Community Tips

Realistic Results: Use random-data=yes for more realistic throughput numbers, especially on links with compression.

Multiple Connections for High Latency: On high-latency links (satellite, long VPNs), use connection-count=5 or higher. Single TCP connections are limited by bandwidth-delay product.

Third-Party Compatibility: Bandwidth Test protocol works with:

• Other MikroTik routers
• The Dude server
• Some third-party implementations

Quick Baseline: Before troubleshooting slow speeds, establish a baseline by testing to the next-hop router first, then progressively further.

Automated Testing: Use scripts for regular monitoring:

/tool/bandwidth-test 192.168.88.1 user=admin password=secret duration=10s \
    once=yes

The once=yes parameter returns results without interactive mode.

Related Topics

Traffic Analysis

• Torch - real-time traffic analysis
• Graphing - historical bandwidth graphs
• Speed Test - internet speed testing

Bandwidth Management

• Simple Queues - bandwidth limiting
• Queue Tree - advanced QoS

Related Topics

• Firewall Basics - allow bandwidth test traffic
• User Management - authentication for tests

Reference

• MikroTik Bandwidth Test Documentation

Server Properties (/tool/bandwidth-server)

Property	Type	Default	Description
enabled	yes/no	yes	Enable bandwidth test server
authenticate	yes/no	yes	Require user authentication
allocate-udp-ports-from	integer	2000	Starting port for UDP tests
max-sessions	integer	100	Maximum concurrent sessions

Client Parameters (/tool/bandwidth-test)

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
address	IP/hostname	-	Server address (required)
protocol	tcp/udp	tcp	Test protocol
direction	receive/transmit/both	receive	Traffic direction
duration	time	unlimited	Test duration
interval	time	1s	Result update interval
user	string	-	Authentication username
password	string	-	Authentication password
local-tx-speed	rate	unlimited	Limit transmit rate
remote-tx-speed	rate	unlimited	Limit remote transmit rate
local-udp-tx-size	integer	1500	UDP packet size
remote-udp-tx-size	integer	1500	Remote UDP packet size
connection-count	integer	1	Number of TCP connections
random-data	yes/no	no	Use random data

Ports Used

Port	Protocol	Purpose
2000	TCP	Control connection
2000+	UDP	UDP test traffic