Mininet vs Tessabyte

Mininet is a free network emulator that creates virtual hosts, switches, controllers and links on one machine. Its hosts run standard Linux network software on the real Linux kernel and network stack, while switches support OpenFlow. The project describes uses including research, development, learning, prototyping, testing and debugging, including experiments with SDN systems using OpenFlow and P4. A topology-aware and OpenFlow-aware command-line interface supports debugging and network-wide tests. Users can select parameterized topologies or create custom ones, and an extensible Python API supports network creation and experimentation. Mininet networks can connect to real networks, and code developed in Mininet can move to real systems with minimal changes. Installation options include a pre-packaged virtual machine, native installation from source and packages for recent Ubuntu or Debian 11 and later; Fedora support is experimental. Mininet depends on the Linux kernel, while its VM can run through VMware or VirtualBox on Mac, Windows and Linux. Its networks are constrained by a single server's CPU and bandwidth, and it cannot currently run non-Linux-compatible OpenFlow switches or applications. Mininet is released under a permissive BSD open source license.

Tessabyte measures performance on wired and wireless networks, including speed, packet loss, and jitter. Listed uses include Wi-Fi speed tests, network capacity tests, link quality analysis, stress tests, QoS assessment, and SLA verification. It tests across LAN and Wi-Fi using IPv4, IPv6, TCP, and UDP. Results can chart uplink and downlink speeds, packet loss, and jitter; users can customize payloads and generate reports. The software has client and server components, and multiple clients can connect to one server. The server component is free and can be installed on unlimited Windows, macOS, or Linux machines. Its evaluation version is fully functional for 30 days from first execution. Client licenses are one-time purchases: the 1-user license is $39 as a one-time purchase, and licenses are also listed for three, five, ten, and 25 users. Each Windows or macOS client user license allows installation on up to three personal machines, and one license is required per user. Purchases include technical support and software updates for one year; the license remains usable afterward, with upgrades available separately. Tessabyte is self-hosted, and its maker describes it as intended for professionals who have outgrown iPerf.