A Journey to Build an Ethernet Packet Generator with Standard PC Components
Need an 8-port packet generator without spending big money? Build one yourself. In this project, I turned an old PC into an 11-port Ethernet test system using Intel I350 NICs. It required some hardware hacks—modifying PCIe slots and Intel I350 cards — but the result works surprisingly well. The setup can handle around 10 Gbit/s of traffic with multiple iperf3 streams. Full-duplex hits some limits, likely due to PCIe bandwidth, but it’s more than enough for testing Ethernet switches.
May 6, 2026
How to Use Linux Network Namespaces to Benchmark Ethernet Switches with iperf3
The article explains how to use Linux network namespaces (netns) to benchmark Ethernet switches with iperf3 using only a single machine. Normally, accurate testing requires two separate devices, because a single system may route traffic internally instead of sending it over a physical connection. By placing each network interface into its own namespace, the system treats them as independent devices, ensuring that traffic flows through the actual Ethernet link. This approach simplifies benchmarking setups and reduces the need for additional hardware.
May 5, 2026
Starting Again
After years of thinking about it, I’ve finally decided to start this blog. This space will revolve around topics that genuinely interest me: technology, electronics, Linux, artificial intelligence, and computing in general. I won’t be chasing trends or publishing on a strict schedule—instead, I’ll write when I have something meaningful to share. Sometimes that might be a deep dive into a technical problem. Other times it could be notes from experiments, small discoveries, or reflections on tools and systems I use.
May 3, 2026
About
Welcome. I am Albrecht, and this is my personal corner of the internet. I use this site to share notes, ideas, and occasional blog posts about things I build, learn, and find interesting along the way. Connect with me GitHub: github.com/AlbrechtL LinkedIn: albrecht-lohoefener