TR-398 Issue 2 & Issue 3 & Issue 4 WiFi Testing with LANforge

Broadband forum的TR-398 WiFi效能測試計劃提供了一套全面的測試方法，以評估部署在住宅和小型辦公室室內環境中的WiFi無線存取點（AP）的效能，包含網路效能、吞吐量、連線穩定度、公平時間排程（Airtime Fairness）和長期穩定性，綜合性的測試專案涵蓋絕大部分的測試領域。

TR-398 Issue 2 增加了新測試專案，包含雙頻吞吐量（Dual Band Throughput）、雙向吞吐量（Bi-directional Throughput）、802.11ax高峰效能表現（Peak Performance）和頻道自動選擇測試（Automatic Channel Selection）。這些測試適用於所有802.11ax以及舊有的802.11n/ac模式。

相較於TR-398 Issue 2，TR-398 Issue 3 引入了新的測試應用，包含負載下的延遲（Latency-under-Load）、服務品質（QoS）、多頻段吞吐量（Multi-Band Throughput）、Mesh測試、支援WiFi 6E以及測試平台的自動校準。此自動化程式可讓使用者自訂測試內容，包含執行和通過/不通過指標。Broadband forum 的TR-398 Issue 3檔案仍在進行中，通過/失敗的門檻以及測試程式中的一些其他小變更仍在解決中。

TR-398 Issue 4 則包括了TR-398 Issue 3 的所有功能以及WiFi-7的支援。Candela的TR398測試案例允許自訂測試執行和通過/失敗標準，以便有興趣的使用者運行TR398未規定的進階測試。

這些測試解決方案可以幫助裝置供應商在部署WiFi AP前，對實驗室中的AP進行確認，以確保在AP的開發過程中進行充分的測試。Candela Technologies提供自動化的TR-398測試系統，以彈性化的解決方案提供所有必需的測試硬體，包括多個無線終端類比器、流量產生器、RF外箱、控轉盤、可編程設計衰減器和全自動測試軟體以及PASS/FAIL結果報告，簡單的操作即可滿足測試需求，並可取得完整的測試報告。

TR398解決方案提供以下配件

硬體

• LANforge CT523c Multi station Emulation and Traffic Generation Hardware – minimum 6 dual-band radios, 32-11ax radios, 6-eth ports (optional 10gE Ports).
• CT521b systems for auto-calibration and for interferer devices needed for some tests.
• CT820a-Medium RF Chambers.
• CT822a-Medium RF Chambers with internal antenna supports.
• CT840a or CT840b Large RF Chamber with Programmable Turntable.
• CT714 4 Port Programmable Attenuators.
• RF Splitters/Combiners.
• Directional Antennas.
• RF Cables.

軟體

• TR-398 Issue 2/3 Automation Software
• Normal LANforge WiFi testing features are included at no additional charge.

Key Tests from TR-398 Issue 2 Document

• 6.1 RF capability
  • 6.1.1 Receiver Sensitivity Test
• 6.2 Baseline performance
  • 6.2.1 Maximum Connection Test
  • 6.2.2 Maximum Throughput Test
  • 6.2.3 Airtime Fairness Test
  • 6.2.4 Dual-band Throughput Test
  • 6.2.5 Bidirectional Throughput Test
  • 6.2.6 Airtime Fairness Test
• 6.3 Coverage
  • 6.3.1 Range Versus Rate Test
  • 6.3.2 Spatial Consistency Test
  • 6.3.3 802.11ax Peak Performance Test
• 6.4 Multiple Stations Performance
  • 6.4.1 Multiple Stations Performance Test.
  • 6.4.2 Multiple Association/Disassociation Stability Test.
  • 6.4.3 Downlink MU-MIMO Performance Test.
• 6.5 Stability/Robustness
  • 6.5.1 Long Term Stability Test
  • 6.5.2 AP Coexistence Test
  • 6.5.3 Automatic Channel Selection Test
• 8 Mesh test cases (TR398 issue-3) Requires additional testbed components
  • 8.1.1 Mesh Roaming Test
  • 8.2.1 Mesh Backhaul Rate vs Range Test
  • 8.2.2 2-hop Mesh Backhaul Rate vs Range Test

Key Tests from TR-398 Issue 3 Document

• 6.1 RF capability
  • 6.1.1 Receiver Sensitivity Test (6E not supported at this time)
• 6.2 Baseline performance
  • 6.2.1 Maximum Connection Test
  • 6.2.2 Maximum Throughput Test
  • 6.2.3 Airtime Fairness Test
  • 6.2.4 Dual-band Throughput Test
  • 6.2.5 Bidirectional Throughput Test
  • 6.2.6 Latency under Load Test
  • 6.2.7 Quality of Service Test
  • 6.2.8 Multi-band Throughput Test
• 6.3 Coverage
  • 6.3.1 Range Versus Rate Test
  • 6.3.2 Spatial Consistency Test
  • 6.3.3 802.11ax Peak Performance Test (4x4 160Mhz and higher not supported at this time)
• 6.4 Multiple Stations Performance
  • 6.4.1 Multiple Stations Performance Test.
  • 6.4.2 Multiple Association/Disassociation Stability Test.
  • 6.4.3 Downlink MU-MIMO Performance Test (6E not currently supported, not required by TR398i3).
  • 6.4.4 Multicast Performance Test (not officially part of TR398 Issue3).
• 6.5 Stability/Robustness
  • 6.5.1 Long Term Stability Test
  • 6.5.2 AP Coexistence Test (6E not currently supported.)
  • 6.5.3 Automatic Channel Selection Test (6E not supported at this time)
• 6.6 Mesh test cases (TR398 issue-3)
  • 6.6.1 Mesh Backhaul Rate vs Range
  • 6.6.2 2-hop Mesh Backhaul Rate vs Range
  • 6.6.3 Mesh Roaming Test
• 7 AP Stability/Robustness
  • 7.1.1 RSSI Accuracy (Not supported at this time)
  • 7.1.2 Channel Utilization Accuracy (Not supported at this time)
  • 7.1.3 Noise Accuracy (Not supported at this time)

Key Tests from TR-398 Issue 4

• Calibration and Testbed Setup
  • Automatic calibration of station attenuators
  • Automatic calibration of mesh backhaul attenuators
  • Automatic verification of basic testbed correctness
• 6.1 RF capability
  • 6.1.1 Receiver Sensitivity Test
• 6.2 Baseline performance
  • 6.2.1 Maximum Connection Test
  • 6.2.2 Maximum Throughput Test
  • 6.2.3 Airtime Fairness Test
  • 6.2.4 Dual-band Throughput Test
  • 6.2.5 Bidirectional Throughput Test
  • 6.2.6 Latency under Load Test
  • 6.2.7 Quality of Service Test
  • 6.2.8 Multi-band Throughput Test
• 6.3 Coverage
  • 6.3.1 Range Versus Rate Test
  • 6.3.2 Spatial Consistency Test
  • 6.3.3 802.11ax Peak Performance Test (4x4 160Mhz and higher not supported at this time)
• 6.4 Multiple Stations Performance
  • 6.4.1 Multiple Stations Performance Test.
  • 6.4.2 Multiple Association/Disassociation Stability Test.
  • 6.4.3 Downlink MU-MIMO Performance Test (6E not currently supported, not required by TR398i3).
  • 6.4.4 Multicast Performance Test (not officially part of TR398 Issue3).
  • 6.4.5 OFDMA Performance Test (pending for TR398 Issue4).
  • 6.4.6 Preamble Puncturing (requires wifi-7 capable testbed).
• 6.5 Stability/Robustness
  • 6.5.1 Long Term Stability Test
  • 6.5.2 AP Coexistence Test
  • 6.5.3 Automatic Channel Selection Test
• 6.6 Mesh test cases (TR398 issue-3)
  • 6.6.1 Mesh Backhaul Rate vs Range
  • 6.6.2 2-hop Mesh Backhaul Rate vs Range
  • 6.6.3 Mesh Roaming Test
• 7 AP Stability/Robustness
  • 7.1.1 RSSI Accuracy
  • 7.1.2 Channel Utilization Accuracy
  • 7.1.3 Noise Accuracy (Not supported at this time)

Key Measurements

PASS/FAIL results table for each test per the TR-398 Issue 2 document.

Detailed per test measurements.

See an example report