NTA3000 Performance

Overview

This document provides information on the expected wired and wireless performance for different traffic profiles on the NTA3000. Users should expect to achieve performance numbers no worse than what is published here when testing devices with the NTA3000 in similar environments with the same configuration options. All performance numbers are presented in Megabits per Second (Mbps) and were generated using the following versions of QA Cafe software:

  • CDRouter version: 15.11
  • NTA3000 golden image version: 9.6

Wired

The wired performance numbers were measured using a Category 6 Ethernet cable connected between CDRouter’s LAN and WAN interfaces with the following test configuration options:

Measured performance

WAN Mode TCP Download TCP Upload UDP Download UDP Upload
Static IPv4 or IPv6 9000 9000 9000 9000
Static IPv4 or IPv6 w/VLAN 9000 9000 9000 9000
Static IPv4 or IPv6 w/QinQ 8000 8000 8000 8000
DHCP or DHCPv6 9000 9000 9000 9000
DHCP or DHCPv6 w/VLAN 9000 9000 9000 9000
DHCP or DHCPv6 w/QinQ 8000 8000 8000 8000
PPPoE IPv4 or IPv6 6500 6500 6500 6500
PPPoE IPv4 or IPv6 w/VLAN 5000 5000 5000 5000
PPPoE IPv4 or IPv6 w/QinQ 6000 6000 6000 6000

Caveats

  • Running high-speed (10 Gbps) performance tests in parallel may cause temporary reductions in the performance of other running packages during startup.

Wireless

Detailed hardware specifications for the NTA3000 and its wireless interfaces can be found here:

Expected performance

Maximum physical layer data rates for each card and band, along with the expected throughput (goodput) based on 65% efficiency, are provided in the table below.

Interface Band Max Capabilities Max Phy Rates Expected Goodput
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 2.4 2x2, EHT40, MCS13 585 - 688.2 380 - 447
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 5 2x2, EHT160, MCS13 2450 - 2882.4 1593 - 1874
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 6 2x2, EHT320, MCS13 4900 - 5764.7 3185 - 3747
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 2.4 2x2, HE40, MCS11 390 - 573.5 254 - 373
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 5 2x2, HE80, MCS11 1020.8 - 1201 664 - 781
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 6 2x2, HE80, MCS11 1020.8 - 1201 664 - 781

The wireless performance of two off-the-shelf Wi-Fi gateways was measured using the following test configuration options:

  • Number of streams: 4, testvar perfStreams
  • UDP length: auto, testvar perfUdpLen
  • Omitted TCP seconds: 3, testvar perfOmit
  • Wi-Fi settings: Optimized for maximum performance on the DUT; MU-MIMO and OFDMA enabled
  • Environment: All testing performed inside a shielded RF test chamber
  • Security mode: WPA3-Personal
  • VLANs: None
  • WAN mode: DHCP, DHCPv6
  • Attenuation: Optimized for target signal levels of -30 to -35 dBm per config using the NTA3000 RF Attenuator Kit (RAK)
  • DUT radio power level: Auto
  • Efficiency percentage: 65%
  • LAN clients: 1

The performance of these two gateways is provided in the tables below. These numbers represent the range of measured performance (min - max) values across 10 CDRouter test runs.

Measured performance for DUT 1

Interface Band TCP Download TCP Upload UDP Download UDP Upload
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 2.4 486 - 494 396 - 416 496 - 496 405 - 494
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 5 1941 - 1978 1630 - 1639 2064 - 2064 1855 - 1869
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 6 2884 - 3087 1452 - 1494 4086 - 4107 1714 - 1757
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 2.4 411 - 412 366 - 370 412 - 412 268 - 282
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 5 756 - 841 861 - 863 843 - 849 668 - 688
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 6 594 - 596 860 - 862 625 - 626 698 - 720

Measured performance for DUT 2

Interface Band TCP Download TCP Upload UDP Download UDP Upload
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 2.4 411 - 413 434 - 437 476 - 476 453 - 457
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 5 1505 - 1551 1646 - 1658 1832 - 1848 1783 - 1808
Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 6 2312 - 2319 2112 - 2123 2358 - 2359 2303 - 2314
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 2.4 412 - 412 411 - 412 412 - 412 412 - 412
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 5 537 - 650 864 - 865 618 - 741 854 - 859
AsiaRF AW7916-NPD 6 860 - 860 862 - 862 860 - 860 860 - 860

Caveats

  • The Intel Wi-Fi 7 card currently has lower than expected measured performance for TCP in all bands against DUTs 1 and 2 using the settings and environment listed above. QA Cafe is actively investigating this issue and monitoring developments in the Linux kernel, firmware, and drivers for this card. As new kernels, firmware, and drivers improve the performance of this card, QA Cafe will periodically update CDRouter and the NTA3000 golden image to take advantage of these improvements.
  • Running high-speed (10 Gbps) performance tests in parallel may cause temporary reductions in the performance of other running packages during start up.
  • DUT 1 has a 10G WAN port and is not Wi-Fi 7 certified.
  • DUT 2 has a 2.5G WAN port which limits the maximum performance numbers for certain bands. DUT 2 is Wi-Fi 7 certified.
  • All testing targets the maximum capabilities of the DUTs and Wi-Fi cards in the NTA3000.