All the flags

Everything the wizard can set, it can set. wireblast --help prints the same list.

Interface and pattern

Flag	Default	Description
`-i`, `--interface`		Network interface to transmit from. The physical NIC, not a VLAN sub-interface.
`-m`, `--mode`	`udp`	Traffic pattern: `udp`, `tcp-syn`, `imix`, `raw`, `pcap`, `receive`.
`--queues`	`0`	Number of NIC queues to use. `0` means all of them.

Addressing

Flag	Default	Description
`--src-ip`	an interface address	Source IPv4 or IPv6 address.
`--dst-ip`		Destination IPv4 or IPv6 address or CIDR. A CIDR cycles destinations across flows.
`--src-mac`	the interface’s MAC	Source MAC address.
`--dst-mac`	resolved	Next-hop MAC. Resolved from the neighbour and routing tables if omitted. Required for `--mode raw`.
`--vlan`	`0`	802.1Q VLAN ID, 1 to 4094. `0` is untagged.

Flows

Flag	Default	Description
`--flows`	`1`	Number of distinct flows.
`--flow-order`	`sequential`	Order flows are walked in: `sequential` or `random`.
`--src-port`	`1024`	First source port; increments per flow.
`--dst-port`	`9000`	Destination port. Fixed unless `--vary-dst-port`.
`--vary-dst-port`	`false`	Also increment the destination port per flow.

Packet contents

Flag	Default	Description
`-s`, `--packet-size`	`64`	Total Ethernet frame size in bytes, including the 4-byte FCS. Minimum 68 when `--vlan` is set. Ignored by `imix` and `pcap`.
`--ethertype`	`0x88b5`	EtherType for `--mode raw`. Must be `0x0600` or above.
`--payload-byte`	`90`	Repeating payload byte value for `--mode raw`.

Rate and duration

Flag	Default	Description
`--pps`	`100000`	Packet rate limit, aggregate across queues. `1M`, `500k`, `unlimited`.
`--bps`	unlimited	Bit rate limit in L1 bits, aggregate. `10G`, `2.5Gbps`, `unlimited`.
`-d`, `--duration`	`30s`	How long to transmit. `0` runs until stopped.

Both limits can be set together, and the slower one binds. Setting --bps without --pps lifts the default packet cap. Rate suffixes are decimal SI, not powers of two: k is 1,000, M is 1,000,000, G is 1,000,000,000. Units are optional and flexible: 1M, 1Mpps, 100Mbit/s, 2.5Gbps all parse. “Unlimited” can be written as 0, unlimited, none, line-rate, max or off.

Receiving

Flag	Default	Description
`--rx-mode`	`none`	What to receive: `none`, `generated-flow`, `udp-port`, `tcp-port`, `cidr`, `keep-management`, `all`.
`--rx-port`		Destination port(s) for `udp-port`/`tcp-port`. Repeatable or comma-separated.
`--rx-cidr`		Source CIDR for `--rx-mode cidr`.
`--allow-match-all`	`false`	Required acknowledgement for `--rx-mode all`, which takes every packet from the kernel.

See transmit and receive before using anything but none.

PCAP replay

Flag	Default	Description
`--pcap`		Ethernet PCAP/PCAPNG file to replay. Implies `--mode pcap`.
`--pcap-timing`	`rate`	`rate` uses `--pps`/`--bps`; `original` preserves the capture’s own gaps.
`--pcap-loop`	`true`	Loop the capture until the duration expires.
`--pcap-memory`	`1G`	Memory budget for loading the capture, e.g. `512M` or `4G`.

The whole capture is held in RAM while it replays, so the budget has to fit. Unlike the rate suffixes, sizes are binary: 1G is 1024³ bytes. See big captures.

Interface and behaviour

Flag	Default	Description
`--no-tui`	`false`	Skip the wizard and dashboard. Validate, run, print statistics.
`--start`	`false`	Skip the wizard, but keep the live dashboard.
`-y`, `--yes`	`false`	Skip ordinary confirmations. Does not bypass the `--rx-mode all` guard.
`--forget`	`false`	Discard remembered settings and start from defaults.
`-h`, `--help`		Show the flag list.
`-v`, `--version`		Print the version.

Notes worth knowing

--packet-size includes the FCS

--packet-size 64 is the classic 64-byte frame. Wireblast writes 60 bytes and the NIC appends the 4-byte FCS. This is the single definition that trips people up most.

--bps is L1

L1 is the frame plus its 20 bytes of preamble, start-frame delimiter and interframe gap. So --bps 10G means 10G line rate. See reading the numbers.

Rates are aggregate

--pps 1M is a million packets per second in total, not per queue. Measured across 1, 4 and 12 queues on the same NIC: 999.34, 999.35, 999.44 kpps.

Flags beat remembered settings

In the TUI, saved settings prefill the wizard, but any flag you actually pass wins. A value that merely equals its default doesn’t count as a choice, only flags you typed. --no-tui ignores saved settings entirely.

--start does not skip safety confirmations

It skips the wizard and the review screen. Anything needing a typed yes still stops and asks.

Examples

# The wizard
sudo wireblast

# A million 64-byte packets a second for a minute
sudo wireblast -i eno2 --dst-ip 192.0.2.10 --pps 1M -d 60s

# 10G line rate, IMIX, ten thousand flows
sudo wireblast -i eno2 --dst-ip 192.0.2.10 --mode imix \
  --flows 10000 --bps 10G -d 60s

# Tagged, scripted, unattended
sudo wireblast --no-tui -i eno2 --vlan 100 --dst-ip 192.168.0.2 \
  --dst-mac 3c:ec:ef:b4:c2:dc --packet-size 512 --pps 200k -d 30s -y

# A receiver
sudo wireblast -i eno2 --mode receive --rx-mode udp-port --rx-port 9000 -d 60s

# Replay a capture at its original timing, once
sudo wireblast -i eno2 --pcap capture.pcap \
  --pcap-timing original --pcap-loop=false

Runnable versions of most of these are in the examples directory.

Getting started

Concepts

Traffic patterns

Guides

Reference

Interface and pattern

Addressing

Flows

Packet contents

Rate and duration

Receiving

PCAP replay

Interface and behaviour

Notes worth knowing

Examples

​Interface and pattern

​Addressing

​Flows

​Packet contents

​Rate and duration

​Receiving

​PCAP replay

​Interface and behaviour

​Notes worth knowing

​Examples

Interface and pattern

Addressing

Flows

Packet contents

Rate and duration

Receiving

PCAP replay

Interface and behaviour

Notes worth knowing

Examples