A performance model of a PC based IP software router

We can define a software router as a general-purpose computer that executes a computer program capable of forwarding IP datagrams among network interface cards attached to its I/O bus. This paper presents a parametrical model of a PC based IP software router. Validation results clearly show that the model accurately estimates the performance of the modeled system at different levels of detail. On the other hand, the paper presents experimental results that provide insights about the detailed functioning of such a system and demonstrate the model is valid not only for the characterized systems but for a reasonably range of CPU, memory and I/O bus operation speeds.