# Iperf3 and ethtool usage
**URL:** https://forum.networklessons.com/t/iperf3-and-ethtool-usage/9928
**Category:** CCNP TSHOOT
**Created:** [February 21, 2020, 10:30am UTC](https://forum.networklessons.com/t/iperf3-and-ethtool-usage/9928 "2020-02-21T10:30:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Giovanni](https://forum.networklessons.com/u/Giovanni)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2020, 10:30am UTC](https://forum.networklessons.com/t/iperf3-and-ethtool-usage/9928/1 "2020-02-21T10:30:47Z")
Hi,
Can you give me some advices about the usage of these two commands to troubleshoot a network?
In wich case shoud I consider to use them?
Can you give me some output and explain how to read it?
Thank you very much.
---
### Author:  [@lagapidis](https://forum.networklessons.com/u/lagapidis)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2020, 11:58am UTC](https://forum.networklessons.com/t/iperf3-and-ethtool-usage/9928/2 "2020-02-21T11:58:30Z")
Hello Giovanni
Iperf and ethtool are two different tools used for different purposes.
Iperf is a tool used to measure network performance. It has a client and server functionality and creates data streams to measure the throughput between the client and server in one or both directions. Typical output of the tool contains a report which is time stamped and include information about the amount of data transferred and the measured throughput. An example of how it is used to examine bandwidth delay product, and traffic shaping can be found in these lessons:
> **[Bandwidth Delay Product](https://networklessons.com/quality-of-service/bandwidth-delay-product)**
>
> This lesson explains what the bandwidth delay product is, how to calculate it and how to test it with iPerf.
> **[Traffic Shaping on Cisco IOS](https://networklessons.com/quality-of-service/traffic-shaping-on-cisco-ios)**
>
> This lesson explains how to configure traffic shaping on Cisco IOS routers. This allows you to buffer traffic instead of dropping it.
> **[Peak Traffic Shaping on Cisco IOS](https://networklessons.com/quality-of-service/peak-traffic-shaping-on-cisco-ios)**
>
> This lesson explains what peak shaping is, the difference between average and peak shaping, and how to configure this on Cisco IOS routers.
Ethtool on the other hand is a Linux based tool that can be used to display and modify some parameters of network interface cards (NICs). Ethtool is used only locally on the specific server it is run on and examines NICs on the server itself. It can use commands to change various parameters including speed, duplex, autonegotiation, and flow control. Ethtool is not a network troubleshooting tool, but more of a network parameter configuration tool for servers.
I hope this has been helpful!
Laz