Test TCP (TTCP) is a command-line sockets-based benchmarking tool for measuring TCP and UDP performance between two systems. It was originally developed for the BSD operating system starting in 1984. The original TTCP and sources are in the public domain, and copies are available from many anonymous FTP sites.
The Microsoft version of Test TCP is provided with Windows Server 2003 in the Valueadd\Msft\Net\Tools folder of the Windows Server 2003 product CD-ROM. The Test TCP tool is called Ttcp.exe and you can use it to listen for and send TCP segment data or UDP messages between two nodes. With Test TCP, you can configure for example a computer to listen on a specific TCP or UDP port without having to install the application or service on the computer. This allows you to test network connectivity for specific traffic before the services are in place. Another good use of TTCP is to test for speed & duplex mismatch between adapters, switches and routers.
The basic syntax for Ttcp.exe on the listening node (the receiver) is the following:
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ttcp -r -pPort (to listen on a TCP port)
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ttcp -r -pPort-u (to listen on a UDP port)
The basic syntax for Ttcp.exe on the sending node (the transmitter) is the following:
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ttcp -t -pPort (to send to a TCP port)
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ttcp -t -pPort-u (to send to a UDP port)
For additional command line options, type ttcp at the command prompt as shown in the figure below:
Take note that Ttcp.exe can only listen on or send to a single port. To configure a computer to listen on multiple ports, run Ttcp.exe in separate command prompt windows.
Another port of Test TCP to Windows Sockets can be found at http://www.pcausa.com/Utilities/pcattcp.htm. It has some enhanced features such as an option to send continuously, instead of stopping after sending a specified number of buffers, and a receiver that would automatically restart after each test. Similar benchmark tools are IPerf and NetIO.
HTH,
Stefaan