[Cerowrt-devel] Announcing the LibreQoS Bufferbloat Test Platform

[Frantisek Borsik]

Hello to all,

We're excited to announce the release of the *LibreQoS Bufferbloat Test* –
an open-source bufferbloat testing solution designed specifically for ISPs
and network operators to deploy for their customers.

*Link*
https://test.libreqos.com

*What Makes This Different*

While there are several bufferbloat testing tools available, this platform
addresses a critical gap: ISP-deployable infrastructure that provides both
traditional testing and realistic household simulation.

As Dave Täht highlighted in his influential article "What's Wrong with
Speed Tests" <https://blog.cerowrt.org/post/speedtests/>, traditional speed
tests fail to measure what users actually experience. We tried to address
Dave's points to make a better speed test that focuses on the metric that
matters: latency under load in realistic usage scenarios.

*Two Complementary Test Modes*

*Single User Test Mode*

   - Traditional sequential load testing (baseline → download → upload →
   bidirectional)
   - Measures working latency and jitter during each phase
   - Familiar A+ to F grading based on latency under load increases
   - Comparable to existing tools like DSLReports Speed Test and Waveform
   Bufferbloat Test


*Virtual Household Mode (The Innovation)*

Process-isolated simulation of 4 concurrent users with authentic traffic
patterns:

   - Alex (Gaming): 1.5 Mbps constant, jitter-sensitive for competitive
   gaming
   - Sarah (Video Conference): 2.5 Mbps bidirectional, Teams simulation
   with working latency monitoring
   - Jake (Netflix HD): 25 Mbps bursts (1s on, 4s off), realistic streaming
   patterns
   - Computer (Background): Up to 200 Mbps continuous download, system
   updates


Real-world relevance: Tests latency under load when multiple family members
are online simultaneously

Advanced grading: Network fairness, jitter measurement, and per-user
working latency analysis

*Why (not only) ISPs Need This*

*The traditional approach of sending customers to third-party speed test
sites has limitations:*

   - No control over test methodology or server placement
   - Limited correlation with customer support tickets
   - Generic results that don't reflect real-world usage patterns
   - No integration with ISP operational systems

*This platform enables (not only) ISPs to:*

   - Host their own testing infrastructure with full control
   - Integrate with support systems via telemetry APIs
   - Provide customers with realistic household testing scenarios
   - Correlate test results with network performance and customer complaints


*Open Source & Community*

The entire platform is open source and available here:
https://github.com/LibreQoE/bufferbloat_test

We've designed this to be:

   - Easy to deploy for (not only) ISPs of any size
   - Scientifically meaningful in its measurement methodology
   - Realistic in its simulation of actual household usage
   - Integrable with existing ISP operational workflows



*Community Feedback Requested*
We'd love feedback from the bufferbloat.net community on:

   - Test methodology: Are we measuring the right metrics?
   - Grading thresholds: Do our A+ to F grades align with real-world impact?
   - Virtual household scenarios: What other realistic usage patterns
   should we simulate?
   - ISP adoption: What barriers exist for ISP deployment?



*Technical Discussion*
We'd welcome discussion about:

   - Measurement accuracy for working latency and jitter in virtual
   household mode
   - Traffic pattern authenticity (gaming, video conferencing, streaming)
   - Grading methodology for latency under load in complex multi-user
   scenarios
   - Integration approaches for ISP operational systems


The platform represents our attempt to bridge the gap between academic
bufferbloat research and practical ISP operations, building on the
foundational work of researchers like Dave Täht and the broader bufferbloat
community. We believe that widespread ISP deployment of proper bufferbloat
testing infrastructure will ultimately benefit the entire internet
ecosystem.


*Looking forward to the community's thoughts and feedback!*
Best regards,

The LibreQoS Team


*In loving memory of Dave Täht: *1965-2025

https://libreqos.io/2025/04/01/in-loving-memory-of-dave/


https://www.linkedin.com/in/frantisekborsik

Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp: +421919416714

iMessage, mobile: +420775230885

Skype: casioa5302ca

frantisek.borsik at gmail.com
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