PacketForge™ – Scalable IP Traffic Generator for High-Speed Network Validation
Generate realistic Ethernet/IP traffic at line rates up to 100 Gbps. Emulate millions of TCP/UDP flows, validate network performance in real time, and automate testing through a powerful browser-based platform.
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Overview
GL’s PacketForge™ is a high-performance Ethernet/IP traffic generation and testing platform designed to validate the performance, scalability, and reliability of modern networks and network devices. Leveraging SmartNIC acceleration, PacketForge™ generates realistic TCP, UDP, video, voice, and data traffic at line rates of up to 100 Gbps, making it ideal for testing routers, switches, firewalls, data center infrastructure, and 5G networks.
PacketForge™ transforms captured or user-defined traffic into thousands to millions of concurrent flows, enabling realistic emulation of network and application behavior. Engineers can customize traffic rates, frame sizes, Inter-Frame Gaps (IFG), addressing schemes, and protocol parameters to create repeatable test scenarios for functional, performance, stress, and interoperability testing.
With a browser-based interface, real-time statistics, detailed reporting, and REST API automation, PacketForge™ simplifies large-scale network validation and performance benchmarking. Available as rack-mount systems, portable platforms, PCIe NIC cards, and software-based deployments, it provides a flexible solution for service providers, enterprises, equipment vendors, government organizations, and research laboratories.
Key Features
- High-Performance Appliance – Generates realistic IP traffic at 1G, 10G, 40G, and 100G line rates using SmartNIC acceleration
- Flexible Software Deployment - Supports deployment on standard laptops and PCs for portable and field-based network testing
- 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
- Realistic TCP Emulation – Supports TCP retransmission handling and window management for accurate application traffic simulation and congestion behavior testing
- 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 CSV 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
Applications
- Router and Switch Validation
- Firewall and Security Appliance Testing
- Data Center Network Validation
- 5G Network Testing
- QoS and Traffic Engineering Verification
- Capacity Planning and Benchmarking
- Stress and Scalability Testing
- Interoperability and Regression Testing
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is PacketForge™?
- PacketForge™ is GL’s high-performance Ethernet/IP traffic generation and testing platform designed to validate the performance, scalability, and reliability of network devices, applications, and infrastructure. It generates realistic TCP, UDP, and application traffic for performance, interoperability, and stress testing.
- What is Port?
- A Port represents a physical Ethernet interface available to a PacketForge™ Agent. Each network interface card (NIC) installed in a system is recognized as a separate port and can be used for traffic generation, reception, and analysis. PacketForge™ supports multiple ports per system, enabling flexible and scalable test configurations.
- What is Test?
- A Test defines the communication path between two PacketForge™ ports. Users assign one port as the client and the other as the server, creating the foundation for traffic generation and performance validation. Multiple traffic profiles can be executed simultaneously within a single test.
- What is Profile?
- A Profile defines the type of traffic generated during a test. PacketForge™ supports TCP, UDP, BERT, and application-based traffic profiles, allowing users to emulate realistic network and application behavior. Multiple profiles can be configured and executed concurrently within the same test.
- What is Session?
- A Session represents an individual communication flow within a profile. Each session is uniquely identified by source and destination IP addresses and port numbers. PacketForge™ can generate and manage thousands to millions of concurrent sessions, enabling realistic large-scale traffic emulation and scalability testing.
- How is PacketForge™ different from other traffic generators?
- PacketForge™ combines PCAP-based traffic modeling, realistic TCP behavior, SmartNIC-accelerated traffic generation, real-time analytics, and browser-based management in a single platform. It can scale traffic from thousands to millions of concurrent flows while supporting centralized and distributed testing architectures.
- What traffic types and protocols does it support?
- PacketForge™ supports Ethernet, IPv4, TCP, UDP, RTP, VoIP, HTTP, DNS, video, 5G, and custom traffic profiles. It can generate both stateful and stateless traffic for realistic network validation.
- Can PacketForge™ generate traffic from PCAP files?
- Yes. PacketForge™ can import PCAP files and use them as traffic templates to generate realistic and scalable network traffic while preserving the characteristics of the original capture.
- Does PacketForge™ support custom traffic profiles?
- Yes. Users can create custom traffic profiles by configuring packet sizes, transmission rates, Inter-Frame Gaps (IFG), addressing schemes, ports, and protocol parameters to match specific test requirements.
- Can PacketForge™ simulate millions of traffic flows?
- Yes. PacketForge™ can emulate thousands to millions of concurrent TCP, UDP, or mixed traffic flows, enabling large-scale network and application testing.
- What traffic generation speeds does PacketForge™ support?
- PacketForge™ supports line-rate traffic generation at 1G, 10G, 40G, and 100G depending on the selected hardware platform and network interface configuration.
- How does PacketForge™ generate realistic traffic?
- PacketForge™ uses PCAP-based traffic templates and advanced traffic modeling techniques to emulate real-world application and network behavior. It supports realistic TCP session establishment, retransmissions, and window management for accurate traffic emulation.
- Can PacketForge™ generate TCP and UDP traffic simultaneously?
- Yes. Multiple traffic profiles can be configured within a single test, allowing TCP, UDP, and other supported traffic types to run simultaneously.
- How does PacketForge™ measure performance?
- PacketForge™ continuously collects traffic statistics and performance metrics during test execution, providing real-time visibility into throughput, latency, packet loss, jitter, and session behavior.
- Can PacketForge™ measure latency, jitter, and packet loss?
- Yes. PacketForge™ provides detailed measurements of latency, jitter, packet loss, throughput, and other key performance indicators required for network validation.
- What statistics and analytics are available?
- PacketForge™ provides Aggregate, Profile, Session, Throughput, and Advanced statistics views. Users can analyze traffic rates, packet counts, latency, jitter, packet loss, retransmissions, and protocol-specific metrics through tabular and graphical displays.
- Can I automate tests or run PacketForge™ remotely?
- Yes. PacketForge™ provides REST APIs that enable remote control, test automation, integration with CI/CD pipelines, and interaction with third-party management systems.
- Does PacketForge™ support distributed testing?
- Yes. PacketForge™ utilizes a centralized Web Server and distributed Agent architecture that enables traffic generation and analysis across multiple systems and locations.
- Can multiple users access PacketForge™ simultaneously?
- Yes. PacketForge™ supports multi-user operation with centralized management, allowing multiple users to access the system and reserve resources for independent testing activities.
- What hardware options are available?
- PacketForge™ is available as rack-mount appliances, portable Lunchbox systems, PCIe NIC cards, and software-based deployments on standard PCs and laptops.
- Does PacketForge™ support laptop-based deployment?
- Yes. PacketForge™ can be deployed on standard laptop and desktop systems for portable and field-based testing applications. Traffic generation performance depends on the capabilities of the host hardware
- What are common telecom and networking use cases?
- PacketForge™ is commonly used for router and switch validation, firewall benchmarking, QoS verification, data center testing, 5G network validation, scalability testing, interoperability testing, and network performance benchmarking.
- How does PacketForge™ work with other GL tools?
- PacketForge™ complements GL’s network testing and analysis solutions by providing realistic traffic generation that can be used alongside packet capture, protocol analysis, and network monitoring applications.
- What reporting options are available?
- PacketForge™ provides real-time dashboards, graphical statistics, and detailed test reports that can be exported for documentation, troubleshooting, and performance analysis purposes.
- Which operating systems does it support?
- PacketForge™ supports Windows®-based deployments and can be accessed through standard web browsers using its browser-based management interface.
- Is PacketForge™ scalable for future upgrades?
- Yes. PacketForge™ is designed with a scalable architecture that supports additional ports, higher traffic volumes, distributed deployments, and future software enhancements as testing requirements evolve.
Software Specifications
PacketForge™ can also be deployed on a standard notebook PC equipped with supported NICs. In this configuration, one network interface is used as the Management NIC for Web Server access, REST API communication, and system administration, while a second network interface is used as the Test NIC for traffic generation and reception.
- Notebook PC (Intel Core Ultra 7, 32 GB RAM, 512 SSD, Win 11 Pro, 16 in display. Includes one built-in Ethernet port and one USB-Ethernet adapter)
Notebook PC PacketForge™
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™ Distributed Traffic Testing Architecture
PacketForge™ Distributed Traffic Testing Architecture
PacketForge™ employs a centralized control and distributed execution architecture. A centralized Web Server manages test configuration, monitoring, and reporting, while distributed PacketForge™ Agents perform traffic generation, reception, and analysis across one or more test systems.
Agents communicate with the Web Server through REST APIs over a dedicated management network, while test traffic traverses the Network Under Test (NUT) through dedicated test ports. This architecture enables scalable, multi-system traffic generation and centralized management of distributed testing resources.
PacketForge™ Agent Architecture
PacketForge™ Agents are the distributed execution engines responsible for traffic generation, reception, and analysis. Each Agent operates as an independent traffic endpoint and can emulate clients, servers, applications, and network devices within realistic test environments.
The centralized PacketForge™ Web Interface communicates with Agents through REST APIs to configure traffic profiles, control traffic generation, and collect real-time statistics.
PacketForge™ Agent Architecture
PacketForge™ Traffic Generation Architecture
PacketForge™ Traffic Generation Architecture
PacketForge™ uses PCAP files or user-defined traffic templates to generate realistic TCP, UDP, and mixed traffic streams. Traffic can be scaled from a single session to thousands or millions of concurrent flows while preserving protocol behavior and application characteristics.
Engineers can customize packet sizes, transmission rates, Inter-Frame Gaps (IFG), addressing schemes, and port assignments to create repeatable test scenarios. SmartNIC acceleration enables line-rate traffic generation up to 100G while providing real-time visibility into traffic performance.
Traffic Generation
PacketForge™ delivers realistic, scalable, and high-performance traffic generation for validating network devices, applications, and infrastructure under real-world operating conditions. Through an intuitive browser-based interface, users can create and manage TCP, UDP, Mixed, and BERT traffic profiles using PCAP-based templates or custom traffic definitions.
The platform enables precise control over packet size, transmission rate, session count, addressing schemes, and traffic patterns. By scaling traffic from a single session to thousands or millions of concurrent flows, PacketForge™ accurately emulates real-world user, application, and network behavior.
Powered by SmartNIC acceleration, PacketForge™ generates traffic at line rates of up to 100G while maintaining protocol accuracy and providing real-time visibility into traffic performance.
Profile Configuration Interface – Configure TCP, UDP, Mixed, and BERT traffic profiles with customizable packet sizes, rates, session counts, and traffic parameters.
Profile Configuration Interface
One-Way Delay Measurement
PacketForge™ supports accurate One-Way Delay (OWD) measurement by inserting timestamped OWD packets within the traffic stream and calculating the delay between the transmit and receive timestamps. OWD measurements can be performed over both TCP and UDP traffic profiles, enabling users to evaluate network latency and application performance under real-world conditions.
For precise measurements between geographically separated endpoints, PacketForge™ supports GNSS-synchronized timing, enabling accurate calculation of One-Way Delay (OWD = Rx Timestamp – Tx Timestamp). Real-time OWD statistics provide visibility into network latency, delay variation, and overall network performance across WAN, telecom, data center, 5G, and high-speed Ethernet/IP networks. PacketForge™ supports both UDP-based and TCP-based One-Way Delay measurements.
PacketForge™ One-Way Delay Measurement using GNSS-Synchronized Endpoints
GNSS Timing Module
The optional GNSS Timing Module provides a highly accurate timing reference for PacketForge™ One-Way Delay (OWD) measurements. Using GNSS satellite timing, PPS, and NMEA data, the module synchronizes the transmitting and receiving PacketForge™ systems to a common time source, enabling precise latency measurements between geographically separated endpoints.
The module supports GPS Sync, Holdover, and Extended Holdover operating modes. GPS Sync provides active satellite-based time synchronization, while Holdover maintains timing accuracy for up to 1 hour after GNSS signal loss. Extended Holdover further extends timing stability for up to 24 hours with microsecond-level accuracy. These capabilities make the module ideal for indoor, field, and remote testing environments where continuous GNSS reception may not always be available. Status indicators provide clear visibility into synchronization, holdover status, and overall operational health.
Key Features
- GNSS-based timing synchronization for accurate OWD measurements
- USB connectivity for communication and power
- PPS and NMEA timing reference support
- GPS Sync mode for active satellite synchronization
- Holdover mode for short-term operation during GNSS signal loss
- Extended Holdover mode supporting long-duration timing stability
- Suitable for WAN, telecom, data center, and geographically distributed testing
GNSS Timing Module Front View
GNSS Timing Module Rear View
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
Provides real-time throughput measurements, packet counts, trial progress, and Layer 1/Layer 2 performance metrics to validate network bandwidth and DUT performance.
Aggregate Statistics
Provides a consolidated view of throughput, latency, jitter, packet loss, and overall traffic performance across all configured profiles and sessions.
Profile Statistics
Provides a consolidated view of throughput, latency, jitter, packet loss, and overall traffic performance across all configured profiles and sessions.
Session Statistics
Provides detailed visibility into individual traffic sessions, including session status, traffic direction, throughput, packet counts, byte counts, and latency measurements. This view enables users to monitor active TCP, UDP, and BERT sessions, compare session behavior, and quickly identify session-level performance issues during testing.
Advanced Statistics
Provides protocol-level performance metrics for TCP and BERT traffic profiles, including TCP retransmissions, duplicate ACKs, out-of-order packets, Bit Error Rate (BER), and synchronization status, enabling quick identification of protocol-specific performance and link quality issues during testing.
Throughput Graph
Provides real-time visualization of transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) throughput over time, enabling users to monitor bandwidth utilization, traffic trends, and overall network performance during test execution. Users can select the port, measurement unit, and observation duration for detailed analysis.
Latency Graph
Provides real-time visualization of network latency over time for selected ports, enabling users to monitor delay characteristics, identify performance fluctuations, and quickly troubleshoot latency-related issues during testing. Users can configure the display duration and measurement units for analysis.
Resources
| Item No. | Item Description |
| PKS178 | PacketForge™ Software |