From 091222fbd4bfb3ec24e804acc2d06a4f0620dae3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Siavash Sameni Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:57:11 +0400 Subject: [PATCH] Docs: emphasize Connection Count must be 1 for server mode Multi-connection mode is not supported and causes near-zero throughput. Updated README, user guide, MikroTik CLI examples, and troubleshooting. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) --- README.md | 6 ++++-- docs/user-guide.md | 16 ++++++++-------- 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 53432a5..539b1d3 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ btest -s -vv # info + debug + trace (hex dumps of status exchange) ### Run btest from MikroTik (connecting to our server) +**Important: Set Connection Count to 1** — multi-connection mode is not supported. + ``` -/tool/bandwidth-test address= direction=both protocol=udp user=admin password=password +/tool/bandwidth-test address= direction=both protocol=udp user=admin password=password connection-count=1 ``` ## Protocol @@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ See the [original protocol documentation](btest-opensource/README.md) for wire-f ## Known Limitations - **EC-SRP5 authentication** (RouterOS >= 6.43) is not yet supported for client mode. Server mode works fine with MD5 auth. Disable auth on the MikroTik btest server as a workaround. -- **Multi-connection mode** (`Connection Count > 1` on MikroTik client) causes MikroTik's per-connection speed adaptation to throttle each stream independently, resulting in lower aggregate throughput. Use 1 connection for best results. +- **Connection Count must be 1** when MikroTik connects to this server. Multi-connection mode (`Connection Count > 1`) is not properly supported and will result in severely degraded throughput. Always set `Connection Count = 1` on the MikroTik client. Single-connection performance is excellent (1+ Gbps). ## Testing diff --git a/docs/user-guide.md b/docs/user-guide.md index 0435ae2..5ede35e 100644 --- a/docs/user-guide.md +++ b/docs/user-guide.md @@ -45,17 +45,16 @@ btest -s -vv # Show hex dumps of status exchange (for debugging) ### MikroTik Configuration (connecting to our server) +**Important: Always set Connection Count to 1.** Multi-connection mode is not supported and will cause severely degraded speeds. + On the MikroTik device (WinBox or CLI): ``` -# CLI -/tool/bandwidth-test address= direction=both protocol=udp user=admin password=mysecretpassword - -# For best results, use 1 connection -/tool/bandwidth-test address= direction=both protocol=udp connection-count=1 +# CLI — always include connection-count=1 +/tool/bandwidth-test address= direction=both protocol=udp user=admin password=mysecretpassword connection-count=1 ``` -Or via WinBox: **Tools → Bandwidth Test**, enter server address, credentials, and click Start. +Or via WinBox: **Tools → Bandwidth Test**, enter server address, credentials, **set Connection Count to 1**, and click Start. ## Client Mode @@ -169,7 +168,7 @@ Options: ## Tips -- **Use 1 connection** when MikroTik connects to your server. Multi-connection mode causes MikroTik's per-connection speed adaptation to throttle. +- **Connection Count MUST be 1** when MikroTik connects to your server. Multi-connection mode is not supported and will cause speeds to drop to near zero. Single-connection performance is excellent (1+ Gbps). - **TCP mode** generally gives more stable results than UDP due to TCP flow control. - **UDP mode** is better for measuring raw link capacity without TCP overhead. - **First interval** may show higher or lower numbers as the connection stabilizes. Look at intervals 3+ for steady-state throughput. @@ -182,5 +181,6 @@ Options: | `EC-SRP5 authentication not supported` | Disable auth on MikroTik btest server, or use older RouterOS | | `Connection refused` | Check port 2000 is open, firewall allows it | | Server shows 0 RX | Check MikroTik is actually sending (direction setting) | -| Speed drops over time (server mode) | MikroTik client behavior — use 1 connection, or use our client mode instead | +| Speed drops over time (server mode) | Set Connection Count to 1 on MikroTik. Multi-connection is not supported | +| Very low speed with multiple connections | Multi-connection mode is broken — set Connection Count to 1 | | UDP `lost` packets high | Network congestion or MTU issues, try reducing bandwidth with `-b` |