"echoping" is a small program to test (approximatively) performances of a 
remote host by sending it TCP "echo" (or other protocol) packets.

To install it, see the INSTALL file. Or type "make" if you're in a
hurry :-)

To use it, simply:

% echoping machine.somewhere.org

or use the options before the machine name (see the man page).

See the DETAILS file for various traps when benchmarking networks,
specially with this program

In any case, be polite: don't bother the remote host with many repeated 
requests, especially with large size. Ask for permission if you often
test hosts which aren't yours.

Current features:

- uses the protocols echo, discard, chargen or HTTP, 
- uses UDP instead of TCP for the protocols which accept it (like echo),
- can repeat the test and display various measures about it,
- can use T/TCP on systems which support it.

Examples of output:

(Simple test with 1000 bytes echo TCP packets)
% echoping -v -s 1000 mycisco
This is echoping, version 2.0.
Trying to connect to internet address 10.99.64.1 to transmit 256 bytes...
Connected...
Sent (1000 bytes)...
Checked
Elapsed time: 0.059597 seconds
%

(Repeated tests with average and median displayed.)
% echoping -n 10 mymachine
[...]
Minimum time: 0.170719 seconds (1500 bytes per sec.)
Maximum time: 0.211176 seconds (1212 bytes per sec.)
Average time: 0.184577 seconds (1387 bytes per sec.)
Median time: 0.181332 seconds (1412 bytes per sec.)

(Testing a Web server with an HTTP request for its home page.)
%  echoping -h / mywww
Elapsed time: 0.686792 seconds

(The exit status is set if there is any problem, so you can use echoping
to test repeatedly a Web server, to be sure it runs fine.)


To do for a future version:

- display other calculations such as standard deviation
- timeouts even on TCP connections

-------------
The reference site for echoping is:

ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/Network/echoping

Stephane Bortzmeyer <bortzmeyer@pasteur.fr>. October 1995 for the
first version. November 1996 for this one.

