PacketForge™ – Scalable IP Traffic Generator for High-Speed Network Validation
High-performance, scalable IP traffic generation at line rate—ideal for realistic testing of routers, firewalls, 5G, and more. Simulate millions of flows, analyze in real time, and automate via REST API—all from a browser.
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Overview
GL’s PacketForge™ is a high-performance IP traffic generator and receiver that enables realistic, large-scale network testing. It can emulate thousands to millions of concurrent flows across TCP, UDP, IPv4, video, voice, and data applications, all at line rate. By importing PCAP templates or defining custom streams, users can create repeatable test scenarios with precise control over rates, addressing, and traffic profiles.
With real-time statistics, detailed reporting, and full automation support via REST APIs, PacketForge™ is built for service providers, equipment vendors, enterprises, and research labs. Whether validating routers, benchmarking firewalls, testing QoS policies, or studying new protocols, PacketForge™ delivers scalability, accuracy, and simplicity in one platform.
The system features a web-based user interface for easy access via any standard browser, with convenient multi-user control from PCs, laptops, and tablets. It is available in rack-mount and portable configurations and is equipped with specialized network interface cards, large RAM and storage, optimized processing with advanced cooling.
Key Features
- High-Performance Appliance – High-Performance Appliance – Generates realistic IP traffic at 10G, 40G, and 100G line rates using SmartNIC acceleration
- Scalable Traffic Generation – Simulates thousands to millions of unique TCP/UDP flows for large-scale testing
- PCAP and Custom Streams – Create traffic from PCAP templates or design your own streams with full control
- Flexible Traffic Control – Adjust frame size, transmission rate, inter-frame gap (IFG), and burst patterns
- Protocol and Application Support – Covers Ethernet, IPv4, TCP, UDP, RTP, VoIP, HTTP, DNS, video, 5G, and more
- Traffic Shaping and Scheduling – Model real-world conditions with ramp-up/ramp-down, bursts, or sustained loads
- Real-Time Monitoring – Track packet loss, latency, and throughput with interactive dashboards
- Detailed Reporting – Export results in PDF, CSV, or JSON for documentation and compliance
- Automation and Integration – REST API support for CI/CD pipelines and automated test environments
- Multi-Chassis Management – Centrally manage distributed setups with port reservations and resource sharing
- Web-Based Interface – Simple, browser-based GUI accessible from desktops and tablets—no installation required
- Secure Multi-User Access – Role-based permissions for labs, enterprises, and shared environments
- Future-Ready Design – Continuous updates with expanding application-layer traffic libraries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is PacketForge™?
- PacketForge™ generates and analyzes high-speed IP traffic at 10G, 40G, and 100G line rates. It helps validate routers, switches, firewalls, and 5G Core networks by simulating realistic TCP/UDP/IP traffic flows.
- How is PacketForge™ different from other traffic generators?
- PacketForge™ uses SmartNIC hardware acceleration to create millions of dynamic, unique flows instead of replaying static packets. It supports real-time configuration, automation, and REST API control for scalable network testing.
- What traffic types and protocols does it support?
- It supports Ethernet, IPv4, TCP, UDP, RTP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, VoIP, and video. You can replay traffic from PCAP files or create custom stream profiles at Layers 2–7.
- What hardware options are available?
- PacketForge™ comes in rack-mount (2U/1U) and portable models with up to 6 ports per chassis. Each card supports 2×10G, and 2×40G interfaces and runs at full line rate.
- Can PacketForge™ simulate large-scale traffic?
- Yes. It emulates thousands to millions of TCP/UDP flows, configurable by IP, MAC, VLAN, port, rate, IFG, or burst size. You can generate realistic 5G, EPC, or SDN traffic patterns.
- How does PacketForge™ measure performance?
- It tracks throughput, latency, jitter, and packet loss in real time. Results appear in graphs and tables and can be exported as CSV, JSON, or PDF reports.
- Can I automate tests or run PacketForge™ remotely?
- Yes. Its REST API allows automation through CI/CD pipelines or remote scripts. You can configure, execute, and monitor tests from any web browser.
- What are common telecom use-cases?
- Use PacketForge™ for router/firewall performance tests, QoS validation, 5G Core UPF benchmarking, R&D regression, and enterprise capacity testing.
- How does PacketForge™ work with other GL tools?
- PacketForge™ integrates with MAPS™ for signaling simulation and PacketScan™ for live packet analysis—creating a complete end-to-end network test setup.
- What reporting options are available?
- View live dashboards, export CSV/JSON/PDF reports, or compare historical results for detailed performance analysis.
- Can PacketForge™ replay PCAP files?
- Yes. You can replay or modify PCAP/NGPCAP files with custom headers, payloads, and rates to recreate real-world traffic.
- Which operating systems does it support?
- PacketForge™ runs on a Linux-based appliance and supports web and API access from any operating system.
- Can I control multiple units together?
- Yes. You can centrally manage multiple PacketForge™ chassis, reserve ports, and combine results for distributed test setups.
- Is PacketForge™ scalable for future upgrades?
- Yes. It supports upgrades to higher-speed interfaces, new protocols like HTTP/3 and QUIC, and expanding traffic libraries through software updates.
PacketForge™ Rack-mount Platforms
- Ideal for Lab environments that require centralized management of multiple servers and network devices
- Rack-mount units offer flexibility for scaling up or down as needed by adding or removing individual units
PacketForge™ 2U Rack-mount
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 3.5” H x 17.2” W x 17.7” D |
| Weight | 30 lbs. |
| Number of supported Cards/Ports | Up to 2 Cards x (2x100G Ports), Maximum of 4 Ports |
| Power supply | 800W |
PacketForge™ Portable Platforms
- Ideal for field engineers, military personnel, or researchers who need a powerful and portable computing solution in remote or rugged locations
- Suitable for environments where traditional desktops or laptops may be too fragile or lack necessary durability
Portable PacketForge™
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 13.62” H x 16.50” W x 7.25” D |
| Display | 17.3” 1920x1080 |
| Weight | ~23 lbs. (10.4kg) |
| Number of supported Cards/Ports | Up to 3 Cards x (2x100G Ports), Maximum of 6 Ports |
| Power supply | 680W 100/240VAC |
PacketForge™ Architecture
PacketForge™ operates by utilizing a PCAP file as the foundational template, reading its inherent packet characteristics to generate thousands of unique traffic streams. The platform is designed to replicate TCP, UDP, or a mix of both streams from the template, creating thousands of concurrent flows at line rate. For the TCP streams, PacketForge™ includes an inbuilt retransmission mechanism and accurate windowing. The benefit of this feature is that it guarantees superior testing accuracy, enabling realistic emulation of network congestion and packet loss effects, thus validating the Device Under Test (DUT) against true real-world application behavior, not just simple packet replay. While the system uses the template's characteristics by default, engineers have comprehensive control to customize the scaled traffic: they can configure a specific transmission rate, set a user-defined Inter-Frame Gap (IFG), and explicitly define the frame size. To ensure each stream is unique, the system employs flexible addressing modes—including incremental and random—to systematically modify IPv4 addresses and source/destination ports. This entire process is accelerated by SmartNIC hardware, achieving throughput up to 40G, and all performance indicators are monitored via real-time, session-wise and stream-wise statistics on the receiver side.
The Statistics section in PacketForge™ provides real-time and post-test visibility into traffic performance across all configured tests. It enables users to monitor throughput, packet transmission and reception, latency, jitter, packet loss, and protocol-specific behavior at Aggregate, Profile, Session, Throughput, and Advanced levels. The statistics help users analyze traffic flow, validate network performance, identify congestion or packet loss issues, and perform detailed performance analysis for TCP, UDP, and BERT traffic using both tabular and graphical views.
Throughput Statistics
The Throughput Statistics section provides detailed visibility into the execution and performance of throughput tests in PacketForge™. It displays real-time trial progress, packet transmission and reception statistics, packet loss information, and final throughput test results for different packet sizes and traffic directions. The section also provides Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) throughput measurements, helping users validate bandwidth performance, analyze traffic flow behavior, identify packet loss conditions, and verify whether the network or device under test meets the required throughput performance criteria.
Aggregate Statistics
The Aggregate Statistics section provides a consolidated view of overall traffic performance across all configured profiles and sessions. It displays real-time transmission and reception statistics, throughput rates, packet counts, latency, and jitter measurements at the port level, enabling users to quickly analyze traffic behavior, bandwidth utilization, and overall network performance during active testing.
Profile Statistics
The Profile Statistics section provides detailed visibility into traffic performance for each configured profile. It displays profile-level transmission and reception statistics, throughput rates, latency measurements, and traffic direction details, enabling users to compare profile behavior, monitor individual traffic streams, and identify profile-specific performance issues during active testing.
Session Statistics
The Session Statistics section provides detailed visibility into individual traffic sessions generated within each configured profile. As shown in the screenshot, the table displays session-specific information such as Profile Id, Profile Name, Template, Session Id, Profile Type, Connection Id, Active status, and traffic direction between transmitting and receiving ports. It also provides real-time transmission and reception statistics including Tx/Rx Packets, Tx/Rx Bytes, Tx/Rx Current Rate, and latency measurements for each session. This view enables users to monitor active TCP, UDP, and BERT sessions individually, compare traffic behavior between sessions, analyze bandwidth utilization, and quickly identify session-level performance issues during active traffic testing.
Advanced Statistics
The Advanced Statistics section provides protocol-level performance metrics for TCP and BERT traffic profiles. It displays TCP statistics such as retransmissions, duplicate ACKs, and out-of-order packets to help analyze TCP reliability and network behavior. For BERT profiles, it provides metrics such as BERT Status, Bit Error Rate, and Sync Loss Count to evaluate link quality and transmission accuracy. These statistics help users quickly identify protocol-specific performance issues during active traffic testing.
Throughput
The Graph section of the PacketForge™ GUI features real-time throughput visualization, displaying Tx and Rx rates over time on a clear, customizable line graph. Users can select measurement units (such as Gbps), adjust the duration window, pick specific ports for analysis, and toggle between throughput and latency views, enabling quick trend analysis and detailed monitoring of network performance throughout the test session.
Latency
The Latency Graph in PacketForge™ offers real-time visualization of network latency for selected ports, plotted over time in either milliseconds or microseconds. Users can set the observation duration, navigate through time intervals, and easily distinguish latency trends with an intuitive, clear chart layout for rapid monitoring and troubleshooting.
Resources
| Item No. | Item Description |
| PKS178 | PacketForge™ Software |