This article will help you learn how to measure internet speed on a Linux server. In this case, we recommend using the speedtest-cli utility. You can directly install the Python speedtest package on your Linux distribution and then run the test using a command in the terminal.
We will guide you on how to do this step by step, following the instructions provided below.
What is speedtest-cli?
The utility speedtest-cli is a script written in Python. It measures internet traffic speed in two directions (Upload/Download) using the speedtest.net infrastructure for speed measurement. This program requires Python 2.4-3.4 or higher to be installed.
This service program allows you to find out the server’s speed (upload and download) from different parts of the world.
Installing EPEL
EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) is a community-based open-source and free project repository provided by the Fedora team, which contains high-quality additional software packages for Linux distributions.
Installing Python and python-pip
A module in Python refers to a file with the .py extension. Modules are designed to store frequently used functions, classes, constants, and so on. Modules and programs can be roughly divided: programs are intended for direct execution, and modules are intended for import into other programs. It is worth noting that modules can be written not only in the Python language but also in other languages.
Pip is a package management system used for installing and managing software packages written in Python. Most Python distributions already contain pip. If pip is missing, it can be installed using a package management system.
Examples of Linux Systems
Installing the utility on different operating systems
CentOS:
Installing EPEL release:
yum install epel-release -y
Installing Python and python-pip:
yum install python python-pip -y
Installing the Speedtest-cli package using pip:
pip install –upgrade pip
Debian/Ubuntu:
First, update all packages:
apt-get update
Installing Python and python-pip:
apt install python python-pip -y
pip install –upgrade pip
Installing the Speedtest-cli package using pip:
apt-get install speedtest-cli
FreeBSD:
Installing Python:
pkg install python
Download the speedtest-cli.py file:
wget –no-check-certificate -O speedtest-cli
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sivel/speedtest-cli/master/speedtest.py
Assign the necessary permissions to the downloaded file:
chmod 777 speedtest-cli
Run the internet speed testing script:
./speedtest-cli
Installing and Using the Speedtest-cli Utility
To install, use the pip command:
pip install speedtest-cli
To choose a server location for testing, use the command:
speedtest-cli –list
For detailed instructions on using this utility, you can find by entering the following command:
speedtest-cli –help
Each testing server has its own unique ID, for example:
2113) Gatchina-Online (Gatchina, Russian Federation) [305.32 km]
To use this server for testing, use the command:
speedtest-cli –server 2113
Of course, you should execute these commands in the server console or using SSH.
Conclusion
Regardless of the type of server you use – Cloud KVM or Dedicated Server, testing internet speed can help determine how quickly the server can handle requests and what level of performance to expect. Choosing the right tools and technologies can help you achieve your business goals and increase your infrastructure’s performance.
