Broadcast Logger

A system to help debug Ethernet broadcast packet delivery in a Layer 2 network.

Overview

This application consists of two components:

1. Broadcast Sender (Server)

   • Sends broadcast packets with unique identifiers
   • Runs an HTTP server for client registration
   • Tracks connected clients
   • Monitors broadcast packet delivery
   • Reports delivery statistics

2. Broadcast Receiver (Client)

   • Registers with the server via HTTP
   • Listens for broadcast packets
   • Reports received packets back to the server

Building

To build both the server and client:

make build

This will create two binaries in the bin directory:

• bin/server - The broadcast sender
• bin/client - The broadcast receiver

Running

1. Start the Server

./bin/server

By default, the server:

• Listens on HTTP port 8080
• Sends broadcasts on UDP port 9999
• Waits 5 seconds for client reports

You can customize these settings:

./bin/server -port 8080 -broadcast-port 9999 -timeout 5s

2. Start One or More Clients

./bin/client -server http://localhost:8080

By default, the client:

• Connects to the server at http://localhost:8080
• Listens for broadcasts on UDP port 9999
• Generates a random client ID

You can customize these settings:

./bin/client -server http://server-ip:8080 -broadcast-port 9999 -id custom-client-id

3. Testing Broadcast Delivery

To send a broadcast packet, make a POST request to the server's broadcast endpoint:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/broadcast

The server will:

1. Send a broadcast packet
2. Wait for client reports
3. Log which clients received the packet

You can check the current status of all clients and the last broadcast at:

curl http://localhost:8080/status

Troubleshooting

1. Firewall Issues

   • Ensure UDP port 9999 is open for both sending and receiving
   • Ensure HTTP port 8080 is open for client-server communication

2. Network Configuration

   • Verify that broadcast packets are allowed on your network
   • Check that clients are on the same Layer 2 network segment

3. Client Connection

   • Verify the server URL is correct when starting clients
   • Check that clients can reach the server's HTTP endpoint

Development

To clean build artifacts:

make clean

To run tests:

make test