Iperf network test with VMware vSphere

At VMware systems, there is the possibility to run a iperf network test directly on the host. The integrated iperf is normally used for the VMware vSAN bandwidth test, but can also be run directly by the user on the console. This article shows how to use iperf to check the throughput of a single network interface without an additional VM.

Perform iperf network test

For the iperf test the vSphere Firewall must be temporarily deactivated. After that iperf will be started on both hosts, one as a server and the other as a client. On the server side a port binding can be configured with the option -B, thus a certain VMkernel can be addressed, in this example the Management IP address of the host. On the client side the program must be started with the IP address of the port binding.

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  Directory with iperf3.copy

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  Deactivate the firewall and start the server mode on the server side

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  Deactivate the firewall and start the client mode on the client side

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Author: Sebastian Köbke