MT7620A vs QCA9533-AL3A performance tests:
Overview
List of performance tests executed against a reference device, the TP-Link TL-WR841N, and the Youku YK L1. The first has an Atheros QCA9533-AL3A chipset, while the later is based on the Ralink/MediaTek MT7620A. The goal is to understand the performance of the Youku compared to the reference device which is known to peform according to its hardware specifications using OpenWrt.
Description of the setup
For performing the tests, a main router was used as AP or STA depending on the test. The particular unit was a UniElec U7621-06 featuring a MediaTek MT7621 chip and two PCIe wifi cards installed - a MT7603E and a MT7612E. This router was running OpenWrt 19.07.5 and one of the wifi cards was dedicated to the performance tests.
A regular PC running Ubuntu linux was attached to one of its 1 Gbps Ethernet ports, and was used for running the iperf3 client instance.
The main router and the two routers under test where separated by approximately 3 meters, in a triangular pattern.
The TP-Link router was running OpenWRT release 15.05.1, whereas the Youku was running a OpenWRT snapshot build (r15345-077c16fa05) manually compiled from the following separate branch:
https://git.openwrt.org/openwrt/staging/dangole.git
Tests
Tests were executed by running the iperf3 tool in the two test routers and in the Ubuntu PC. The routers had iperf3 running as server (iperf -s), whereas the PC had iperf3 running as client with traffic set to flow in either forward or reverse direction depending on the test.
- Main Router is WDS AP, Youku and tplink are WDS STA
1.1. HT20:
tplink:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 49.1 MBytes 41.2 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 49.0 MBytes 41.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 44.1 MBytes 37.0 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 43.9 MBytes 36.8 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 52.2 MBytes 43.8 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.7 MBytes 43.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 47.6 MBytes 40.0 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 47.1 MBytes 39.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.1 MBytes 42.0 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.0 MBytes 41.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 71.1 MBytes 59.6 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 70.6 MBytes 59.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 65.4 MBytes 54.9 Mbits/sec 5 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 65.0 MBytes 54.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 73.9 MBytes 62.0 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 73.4 MBytes 61.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 69.3 MBytes 58.2 Mbits/sec 3 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 68.7 MBytes 57.7 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 67.9 MBytes 57.0 Mbits/sec 26 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 67.3 MBytes 56.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Youku:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.15 sec 26.2 MBytes 21.7 Mbits/sec 40 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 25.6 MBytes 21.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.12 sec 26.1 MBytes 21.6 Mbits/sec 24 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 25.4 MBytes 21.3 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.05 sec 27.0 MBytes 22.5 Mbits/sec 9 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 26.2 MBytes 21.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 22.1 MBytes 18.5 Mbits/sec 33 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 21.7 MBytes 18.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 23.9 MBytes 20.0 Mbits/sec 61 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 23.2 MBytes 19.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 23.3 MBytes 19.5 Mbits/sec 25 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 22.5 MBytes 18.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 20.1 MBytes 16.9 Mbits/sec 18 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 19.0 MBytes 15.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 22.7 MBytes 19.0 Mbits/sec 8 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 21.9 MBytes 18.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 23.7 MBytes 19.9 Mbits/sec 13 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 22.7 MBytes 19.0 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 22.6 MBytes 18.9 Mbits/sec 14 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.11 sec 21.7 MBytes 18.0 Mbits/sec receiver
1.2. HT40 forced:
tplink:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 47.8 MBytes 40.1 Mbits/sec 6 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 47.7 MBytes 40.0 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 52.1 MBytes 43.7 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.4 MBytes 43.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.0 MBytes 42.8 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.0 MBytes 42.8 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 52.0 MBytes 43.6 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.5 MBytes 43.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.4 MBytes 42.3 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 49.8 MBytes 41.8 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 98.1 MBytes 82.3 Mbits/sec 64 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.7 MBytes 81.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.8 MBytes 82.0 Mbits/sec 27 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.3 MBytes 81.7 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.7 MBytes 81.9 Mbits/sec 58 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.3 MBytes 81.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 101 MBytes 85.0 Mbits/sec 61 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 101 MBytes 84.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 100 MBytes 83.9 Mbits/sec 45 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 99.7 MBytes 83.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Youku:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 62.8 MBytes 52.6 Mbits/sec 18 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 62.3 MBytes 52.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.03 sec 73.9 MBytes 61.8 Mbits/sec 6 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 72.9 MBytes 61.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.02 sec 62.8 MBytes 52.6 Mbits/sec 9 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 61.9 MBytes 51.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 69.0 MBytes 57.9 Mbits/sec 11 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 68.4 MBytes 57.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 65.7 MBytes 55.1 Mbits/sec 12 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 65.0 MBytes 54.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 83.6 MBytes 70.1 Mbits/sec 4 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.03 sec 81.1 MBytes 67.8 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 81.6 MBytes 68.4 Mbits/sec 70 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 80.5 MBytes 67.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 94.1 MBytes 78.9 Mbits/sec 8 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.06 sec 91.5 MBytes 76.3 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 99.2 MBytes 83.2 Mbits/sec 81 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.02 sec 97.3 MBytes 81.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 85.9 MBytes 72.0 Mbits/sec 8 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.03 sec 84.8 MBytes 70.9 Mbits/sec receiver
- Main Router is WDS STA, Youku and tplink are WDS AP
2.1. HT20:
tplink:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 48.2 MBytes 40.5 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 48.2 MBytes 40.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.3 MBytes 43.0 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.2 MBytes 42.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 49.3 MBytes 41.4 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 48.4 MBytes 40.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 51.4 MBytes 43.1 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.9 MBytes 42.7 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 50.0 MBytes 42.0 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 49.4 MBytes 41.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.2 MBytes 81.5 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 96.8 MBytes 81.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 88.6 MBytes 74.3 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 88.2 MBytes 74.0 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 93.7 MBytes 78.6 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 93.3 MBytes 78.3 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 88.3 MBytes 74.1 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 87.8 MBytes 73.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 84.4 MBytes 70.8 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 83.9 MBytes 70.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Youku:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 20.0 MBytes 16.8 Mbits/sec 161 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 19.3 MBytes 16.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 17.2 MBytes 14.4 Mbits/sec 106 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 16.8 MBytes 14.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 30.7 MBytes 25.8 Mbits/sec 17 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 30.2 MBytes 25.3 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.04 sec 24.4 MBytes 20.4 Mbits/sec 55 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 24.1 MBytes 20.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.02 sec 12.5 MBytes 10.4 Mbits/sec 88 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 12.3 MBytes 10.3 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 18.0 MBytes 15.1 Mbits/sec 21 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.02 sec 17.3 MBytes 14.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 13.9 MBytes 11.6 Mbits/sec 11 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.10 sec 13.2 MBytes 11.0 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 19.2 MBytes 16.1 Mbits/sec 30 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 18.5 MBytes 15.5 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 18.3 MBytes 15.3 Mbits/sec 13 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 17.8 MBytes 14.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 17.3 MBytes 14.5 Mbits/sec 13 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.03 sec 16.3 MBytes 13.7 Mbits/sec receiver
2.2. HT40 forced:
tplink:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 46.1 MBytes 38.7 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 45.5 MBytes 38.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 44.4 MBytes 37.2 Mbits/sec 2 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 44.0 MBytes 36.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 46.1 MBytes 38.7 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 46.1 MBytes 38.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 46.8 MBytes 39.3 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 46.4 MBytes 38.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 45.9 MBytes 38.5 Mbits/sec 0 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 45.8 MBytes 38.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 103 MBytes 86.4 Mbits/sec 41 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 102 MBytes 85.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 97.2 MBytes 81.6 Mbits/sec 19 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 96.6 MBytes 81.0 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 105 MBytes 87.8 Mbits/sec 50 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 104 MBytes 87.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 103 MBytes 86.6 Mbits/sec 24 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 103 MBytes 86.0 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 101 MBytes 84.6 Mbits/sec 23 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 100 MBytes 84.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Youku:
Reverse direction (iperf3 -R -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.03 sec 95.4 MBytes 79.8 Mbits/sec 106 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 95.0 MBytes 79.7 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.06 sec 66.2 MBytes 55.3 Mbits/sec 45 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 65.7 MBytes 55.1 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.07 sec 83.1 MBytes 69.2 Mbits/sec 90 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 82.5 MBytes 69.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.02 sec 88.1 MBytes 73.8 Mbits/sec 46 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 87.2 MBytes 73.2 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.04 sec 89.1 MBytes 74.4 Mbits/sec 47 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 88.0 MBytes 73.8 Mbits/sec receiver
Forward direction (iperf3 -c ...)
Test 1:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 82.8 MBytes 69.4 Mbits/sec 29 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.06 sec 81.2 MBytes 67.7 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 2:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 87.3 MBytes 73.2 Mbits/sec 11 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 85.3 MBytes 71.4 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 3:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 96.8 MBytes 81.2 Mbits/sec 21 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 95.0 MBytes 79.6 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 4:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 114 MBytes 95.9 Mbits/sec 1 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 112 MBytes 93.9 Mbits/sec receiver
Test 5:
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr
[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 105 MBytes 87.7 Mbits/sec 4 sender
[ 5] 0.00-10.03 sec 102 MBytes 85.6 Mbits/sec receiver