Wireblast is a high‑speed packet generator written in Go that uses the Linux AF_XDP socket API to achieve line‑rate throughput. In a recent post, Andree Toonk explains how the tool hooks directly into the kernel’s XDP datapath, bypassing the classic net. Dial path and eliminating the overhead of user‑space syscalls. By building a lightweight Go wrapper around the AF_XDP interface, Wireblast can send 100 Gbps of traffic from a single interface with minimal CPU usage.

The author benchmarks the generator against traditional methods such as AF_PACKET and raw sockets, showing a dramatic drop in latency and an increase in packets per second. The article also covers practical setup steps: loading the XDP program, configuring the Go runtime, and tuning kernel parameters to keep the NIC in user‑space mode. For readers new to AF_XDP, the post offers a concise primer on the key concepts and a clear comparison of performance gains.

The tool is open‑source on GitHub, inviting contributors to expand support for multi‑interface setups and integrate with Prometheus for real‑time metrics. Future iterations may explore eBPF filters to shape traffic and support IPv6 workloads. Developers interested in high‑performance Go networking will find Wireblast a valuable reference point for building production‑grade packet generators.