A Look Into the Performance of mmWave 5G, 3G, 4G/LTE using PC Application, iPerf3 and DASH

Abstract

With the fast-paced growth and expansion of cellular networks, the high bandwidth mmWave 5G is intensely sought after by businesses, medical centers and civilians. However, this relatively new network has already encountered various obstacles, such as instability, weakness and inconsistency. The nature of mmWave 5G consists of high frequency resulting in shorter wavelengths. This causes the current issues with upper layer management, which is seen with various applications such as video streaming. My research focuses on the performance and user quality of mmWave 5G, 3G, and 4G/LTE (4th Generation Long Term Evolution, which is standard wireless data transmission today) with PC application. While 5G and other cellular networks have been studied with mobile based applications, my research uses PC applications to see how PCs work with various networks. To analyze the performance of these cellular networks, I used iPerf3, a network tool, and DASH, a video streaming software. With iPerf3, I was able to understand the network via a client and server side that the test provided. With DASH, I was able to further my knowledge around the networks with new data around user experience (UE). I also analyzed how mmWaves react to different variables, such as signal blockage, and how that affects the user experience and overall performance. My findings reveal critical insights to how mmWaves perform with PCs by measuring various metrics to get Quality of Experience (QoE) and on user experience of mmWaves.