Quick NAS Topics: Create your own iperf3 Docker Container

Posted on November 21, 2021 Updated on February 11, 2023

In this Quick NAS Topic video and the steps further below, I use docker to create a ubuntu container with Linux tools and iperf3.

This video is a supplement for the 10Gbe Home NAS Lab Part 7. In Part 7 I show how to use these containers to network performance test the 3 NAS devices I have.  

Notes:

• Create your own Docker Account – https://hub.docker.com/signup
• My Docker Repository – https://hub.docker.com/u/vmexplorer
• A Blog around using a Docker Image that has Iperf3 but limits you to server mode only.

Docker Ubuntu/iperf3 Basic Steps:  Items in-between [ ] and the brackets should be removed

• On the NAS:
  1. Ensure devices can access the inet OR not covered in this blog, you’ll need to manually import and export images, etc. 
  2. Ensure Docker-ce and if needed Shell-in-a-box and portainer are installed and basic configuration is done.  The Synology didn’t need shell in a box or portainter
  3. Test Docker Install
     • docker -v << Shows the version
     • docker images << Show the images that are available
     • docker ps  << Shows the running containers
  4. Elevate local privileges to run docker commands
     • It may be necessary to use ‘sudo’ in front of docker commands to get them to execute, followed by the admin/root password.  Example:  sudo docker ps
  5. Download and run Ubuntu
     • docker pull ubuntu   << Image is located here https://hub.docker.com/_/ubuntu
     • docker run -it ubuntu bash  << Creates an instance of this image for us to modify and opens up the terminal
  6. Update the Ubuntu running container
     • apt-get -y update
     • apt-get install iproute2
     • apt-get install net-tools
     • apt-get install iputils
     • apt-get install iputils-ping
     • apt-get install -y iperf3
     • Test with ping and iperf3 -v
     • Do not exit
  7. Commit and push the new image
     • docker ps -l  << Check for the latest running container, and note the Container ID of the container that was just updated with these steps
     • docker commit  [Container ID]  [repository name]/[insert-container-name] 
     • docker images  << will validate that the image is now there
     • docker push [repository name]/[Container you want to push] 
• Testing Steps
  • Check basic ping between all devices
  • Put one device in server mode iperf3 -s
  • On the other device start the test iperf3 -c [Target IP]