How to setup a webserver for TR-143 Performance Tests

TR-143 defines the standard framework for running performance tests from a CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) through the TR-069 protocol. Specifically for the Download and Upload tests, the CPE requires a functional HTTP server to either download or upload files to compute current throughput and measure network performance.

This guide explains how to configure a web server that supports both download and upload functionality for TR-143 performance testing when using CONTROL.

Requirements

• Linux server (this guide uses Ubuntu 24.04 LTS)
• Root or sudo access
• Network connectivity between the CPE and the server

Installation Steps

Install Nginx

Update the package list and install Nginx:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

Create Directory Structure

Create the necessary directories for downloads, uploads, and temporary files:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files/download
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files/upload
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/files/tmp

Set the correct ownership for the web server:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/files

Configure Nginx

Edit the Nginx configuration file located at `/etc/nginx/sites-available/default` with the following content:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name noname;
    root /var/www/files/download;

    location / {
        autoindex off;
    }

    client_max_body_size 100M;

    location /upload {
        client_body_temp_path /tmp;
        alias /var/www/files/upload;
        dav_methods PUT;
        dav_access user:rw group:rw all:r;
    }
}

Configuration notes:

• listen 80 — Server listens on HTTP port 80
• root /var/www/files/download — Root directory for download files
• client_max_body_size 100M — Maximum upload file size set to 100MB
• dav_methods PUT — Enables HTTP PUT method for file uploads
• location /upload — Dedicated endpoint for upload operations

Apply Configuration

Verify the configuration syntax:

sudo nginx -t

If the configuration is valid, restart Nginx to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Testing the Setup

Download Test

To test download functionality, first create a test file in the download directory (e.g., `100MB.bin`), then download it from a client machine:

wget http://<server_ip_address>/100MB.bin

Upload Test

To test upload functionality, upload a file from your local machine to the server (uploading a file named **`test-upload.bin`** from your local host to the server):

curl -X PUT --data-binary @test-upload.bin http://<server_ip_address>/upload/test-upload.bin

Replace `` with your server's actual IP address and ensure the test file exists locally before running the upload command.

Troubleshooting

• Verify Nginx is running: `sudo systemctl status nginx`
• Check Nginx error logs: `sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log`
• Ensure firewall allows HTTP traffic on port 80
• Verify file permissions in `/var/www/files` directories