Simulating multiple IP access

Question

Is there any way to simulate multiple IP access for a particular app (my app) from one machine? I do create some interesting facts/reports based on client IP, which is not related in anyway to app functionality, so I need to test from a good number of clients/IPs (say 500ish). Appreciate any help/suggestions

Answer 1

I would need more information, but will try to make a guess (assuming you can work with a Linux distribution):

If ("multiple IP access" doesn't mean different IPs)
{
    If (your application doesn't need interaction, but only an http request)
    {
        I would try several wget in parallel launched from a shell script
    }
    else // == your application needs interaction
    {
        Can you program a light client (let's say python, java...) to simulate one client and launch several simultaneously?
    }
}
else // == you need different IPs
{
    If (the IPs need to be public)
    {
        I would try to work on wget/light client accesing different proxy servers on the Internet.
    }
    else // == they can be private
    {
        I would first try to create about 500 subinterfaces (eth0:n). This means 2 /24, and some work on address space on your private site. Once you have the subinterfaces, I would try the wget/light client over different subinterfaces.
    }
}

Answer 2

Just one advice. In the IPv6 (better to say Dual Stack) evolution path, it will be really common to have IPv4 users behind a CGNAT44; this means several users will be visible behind the same public IPv4 address. So it will be possible that several users access your application on the same public IPv4 address. Because of this, you should develop your applications not relying on the belief that "one IP means one user".