This page describes a Wi-Fi bandwidth performance test on a Lime2.

The Lime2 is equiped with the AR9271-based dongle from Olimex: https://www.olimex.com/Products/USB-Modules/MOD-WIFI-AR9271-ANT/

Depending on which firmware is being used, the bandwidth changes drastically.

The following tests were done using iperf3 between a computer and the Lime2 using Wi-Fi.

Source: @HugoPo https://mastodon.xyz/web/statuses/104104780325391464

• Firmware used: /lib/firmware/htc_9271.fw
• Kernel module used : ath9k_htc

• AR9271 as sender 14.9 Mbits/sec
• AR9271 as receiver 21.4 Mbits/sec

Now with the other firmware, the non-free one provided my firmware-atheros package in Debian Stretch.

Huge impact on performance.

• Firmware used: firmware-atheros package (/lib/firmware/ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.4.0.fw)
• Kernel module used : ath9k_htc

• AR9271 as sender 36.9 Mbits/sec
• AR9271 as receiver 28.8 Mbits/sec

30% improvement but still poor performance for 2020.