Install iperf with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• iperf

Project history

The iperf family began as an NLANR/DAST tool for measuring maximum TCP and UDP bandwidth. The SourceForge iperf2 project preserves that lineage while making clear that version 2 is maintained separately from the original developers and from ESnet's iperf3 rewrite.

The iperf2 documentation emphasizes continued divergence from iperf3: both tools measure network performance, but they do not interoperate and have different feature sets. Iperf 2 retained the traditional `iperf` command name, the classic client/server model, and a broad set of traffic-shaping and reporting options.

Adoption history

Iperf 2 became a standard Unix package because it gives operators a small, scriptable way to create repeatable traffic between two hosts. Its availability in Homebrew and common Linux package managers reflects that role as a baseline troubleshooting tool rather than an application framework.

After iperf3 appeared, iperf2 kept a distinct user base around features such as multicast, CSV-style output, TCP and UDP latency measurements, full-duplex traffic, port ranges, and large parallel tests.

How it is used

Typical use is split between a receiver started with `iperf -s` and a sender started with `iperf -c host`, with options selecting TCP or UDP, target bandwidth, test duration, reporting interval, parallelism, and enhanced measurements.

Package users tend to reach for iperf2 when they need the traditional `iperf` executable, compatibility with existing scripts, or iperf2-only features documented in the comparison table.

Why package nerds care

For package maintainers, `iperf` is the old-name counterpart to `iperf3`: both are useful, both are active, and the executable names intentionally differ so they can coexist. That split is why Homebrew's `iperf` formula maps to Iperf 2 rather than ESnet iperf3.

The package is a good example of a long-lived networking utility whose version line matters more than the generic project name. Choosing `iperf` versus `iperf3` changes protocol compatibility, output format, and feature coverage.

Timeline

• NLANR/DAST era: Original iperf created as a modern TCP and UDP bandwidth measurement tool.
• SourceForge era: Iperf 2 continued as the maintained version of the original iperf line.
• 2026: Iperf 2 documentation describes the 2.2.2 comparison point with iperf3 and lists both projects as active but independent.

Related projects

• iperf3 is ESnet's separate rewrite and does not interoperate with Iperf 2.
• nuttcp and netperf occupy nearby network benchmarking territory and are referenced by iperf3 documentation as related tools.

Sources

• https://iperf2.sourceforge.io/IperfCompare.html
• https://iperf2.sourceforge.io/iperf-manpage.html
• https://sourceforge.net/projects/iperf2/