network-interface

The network-interface driver hands one of the bench's own network ports to your tests. Depending on the mode, the bench serves addresses to the DUT, joins the DUT's network, runs a WiFi access point, or takes the port down.

Property	Value
`kind`	`network-interface`
Interfaces	`ethernet`, `wifi`
`location`	A bench port name: `wired0`, `wifi0`, and so on

Example

This example gives one Ethernet port and one WiFi radio several configs each, and groups them into setups. See configs and setups for the syntax.

setups:
  default: lab
  lab:
    - lan.dhcp_server
    - radio.ap
  field:
    - lan.dhcp_client
    - radio.sta
  quiet:
    - lan.off
    - radio.off

lan:
  kind: network-interface
  name: "DUT LAN port"
  location: wired0
  configs:
    dhcp_server:
      name: "LAN DHCP server"
      interfaces:
        - type: ethernet
          config:
            mode: dhcp-server
            address: 192.168.100.1/24
            dhcp_range_start: 192.168.100.100
            dhcp_range_end: 192.168.100.200
            lease_time: 12h
            dns: ["1.1.1.1", "8.8.8.8"]
            nat_masq: true
    dhcp_client:
      name: "LAN DHCP client"
      interfaces:
        - type: ethernet
          config:
            mode: dhcp-client
    static_addr:
      name: "LAN static address"
      interfaces:
        - type: ethernet
          config:
            mode: static
            address: 192.168.50.1/24
            gateway: 192.168.50.254
    off:
      name: "LAN disabled"
      interfaces:
        - type: ethernet
          config:
            mode: disabled

radio:
  kind: network-interface
  name: "DUT WiFi radio"
  location: wifi0
  configs:
    ap:
      name: "WiFi access point"
      interfaces:
        - type: wifi
          config:
            mode: wifi-ap
            ssid: mimick-dut
            psk: "change-me-please"
            wifi_channel: 6
            address: 192.168.200.1/24
            dhcp_range_start: 192.168.200.100
            dhcp_range_end: 192.168.200.200
            nat_masq: true
    sta:
      name: "WiFi station"
      interfaces:
        - type: wifi
          config:
            mode: wifi-sta
            ssid: lab-network
            psk: "lab-password"
    off:
      name: "WiFi disabled"
      interfaces:
        - type: wifi
          config:
            mode: disabled

Location

The bench names its Ethernet ports when it boots and its WiFi radios as they appear:

Name	Port
`upstream`	The bench's own connection to the Cloud. Reserved.
`wired0`, `wired1`, ...	The other Ethernet ports.
`wifi0`, `wifi1`, ...	WiFi radios.

mimick peripheral list shows every port that no entry claims. You can't use upstream as a location. To put a DUT on the bench's own network, use a network-bridge instead.

A port can't be both a network-interface entry and a member of a network-bridge.

Interface

Each peripheral, or each of its configs, declares exactly one interface: ethernet for a wired port or wifi for a radio. Its mode decides everything else.

Mode	Type	What the bench does
`disabled`	Either	Takes the port's link down.
`dhcp-server`	`ethernet`	Takes a fixed address and serves DHCP and DNS to devices on the port.
`dhcp-client`	`ethernet`	Takes an address from a DHCP server on the DUT's network.
`static`	`ethernet`	Takes a fixed address you set.
`wifi-ap`	`wifi`	Runs a WiFi access point and serves DHCP and DNS to devices that join it.
`wifi-sta`	`wifi`	Joins an existing WiFi network.

Use each mode only with its listed type. The bench doesn't check the pairing for you.

Settings by mode

Key	Modes	Required	Default	Description
`mode`	All	Yes		One of the modes above.
`address`	`dhcp-server`, `wifi-ap`, `static`	Yes		The bench's own address on the port, in CIDR form: `192.168.100.1/24`.
`dhcp_range_start`	`dhcp-server`, `wifi-ap`	Yes		The first address to hand out.
`dhcp_range_end`	`dhcp-server`, `wifi-ap`	Yes		The last address to hand out.
`lease_time`	`dhcp-server`, `wifi-ap`	No	`12h`	How long a lease lasts, such as `30m` or `12h`.
`dns`	`dhcp-server`, `wifi-ap`	No	`["1.1.1.1", "8.8.8.8"]`	The DNS servers the bench forwards DUT lookups to.
`nat_masq`	`dhcp-server`, `wifi-ap`	No	`true`	Share the bench's own connection with the DUT, so the DUT can reach the internet.
`gateway`	`static`	No		Adds a default route through this address.
`route_table`	`dhcp-client`	No	Assigned by the bench	The routing table number for routes learned on this port. Set it only if you need a fixed number.
`ssid`	`wifi-ap`, `wifi-sta`	Yes		The network name to serve or join.
`psk`	`wifi-ap`, `wifi-sta`	Yes		The passphrase, 8 to 63 characters. A `wifi-sta` joins WPA2 and WPA3 (SAE) networks with it.
`wifi_channel`	`wifi-ap`	No	`6`	The 2.4 GHz channel to serve on.

The bench checks address when the port opens, not when you deploy, so a malformed address leaves the peripheral missing. It doesn't check that the DHCP range falls inside the subnet, or the passphrase length. A passphrase outside 8 to 63 characters stops the access point from starting.

The access point serves 2.4 GHz WPA2-PSK only.

caution

psk values sit in the file as plain text, and the Cloud keeps a copy of the file. Don't reuse a passphrase that protects anything beyond the test network.

Routing

A dhcp-client or wifi-sta port doesn't replace the bench's default route, so the bench keeps its own connection to the Cloud through upstream. The routes it learns on the port stay separate from the bench's main routes.

Use it

Check a port's link, mode, addresses, and DHCP leases:

mimick peripheral info lan.dhcp_server.ethernet0

Reach a service on the DUT through the bench with mimick tunnel. For a DUT network the bench joined in dhcp-client mode, pass the port's address with --via:

mimick tunnel 192.168.100.50:22 2222
mimick tunnel 10.0.0.5:443 8443 --via lan.dhcp_client.ethernet0

Switch between configs from the Inventory tab of the bench page in the web UI.

Example​

Location​

Interface​

Settings by mode​

Routing​

Use it​