Getting Started
Everything you need to set up your account, choose the right parameters, and launch your first stress test in minutes.
Overview
RETRO//STRESS is a network stress-testing platform built for developers, server operators, and infrastructure engineers who need to validate the real-world resilience of their systems. Tests run across our distributed infrastructure, routing traffic through multiple nodes to accurately simulate high-volume conditions.
Before launching a test, make sure you have authorization to stress-test the target. Testing infrastructure you do not own or operate is against our Terms of Service and may be illegal.
Account Setup
Getting your account ready takes under two minutes. Follow these steps:
Accounts are accessed exclusively via access keys — there is no username or password. Purchase an access key from the Shop page and use it to log in directly.
Browse available plans on the Pricing page. All purchases are processed exclusively via cryptocurrency. Higher-tier keys unlock longer durations, more concurrent tests, Layer 7 methods, and the Chain Builder.
Navigate to the Panel from the top navigation. This is your main dashboard where you monitor active tests, view history, manage chains, and generate API keys.
If you want to automate tests or integrate with your own tooling, head to the API tab in the panel and generate a key. See the API Reference for full details.
Test Parameters
When launching a test from the panel, you configure the following parameters. Understanding each one helps you get the most accurate and useful results.
Target
The destination host for the test. You can provide:
- IPv4 address — e.g.
1.2.3.4. Most direct and reliable. - Hostname / domain — e.g.
game.example.com. Resolved to an IPv4 address at test start.
Port
The destination TCP or UDP port. Common ports by use case:
| Port | Service | Protocol |
|---|---|---|
80 | HTTP | TCP |
443 | HTTPS / TLS | TCP |
25565 | Minecraft Java | TCP |
19132 | Minecraft Bedrock | UDP |
27015 | Source Engine (CS, TF2, etc.) | UDP / TCP |
7777 | FiveM / SA-MP | UDP |
30000 | FiveM default | TCP / UDP |
2456 | Valheim | UDP |
2302 | Arma / DayZ | UDP |
Duration
How long the test runs in seconds. Your plan determines the maximum allowed duration. For initial validation, shorter durations (30–60s) are recommended so you can observe results quickly without consuming your quota.
Method
The attack method determines the type of traffic generated. Methods are grouped by layer:
| Layer | Method type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| L4 | TCP SYN, UDP flood, ICMP | Bandwidth and connection-rate exhaustion, firewall testing |
| L4 | Custom Chain | Precise packet-level simulation — see Chain Builder Guide |
| L7 | HTTP GET / POST flood | Web server and CDN resilience testing |
| L7 | TLS bypass, browser emulation | Application-layer DDOS simulation with realistic headers |
Layer 7 methods are available on paid plans only. The full list of available methods is visible in the panel's test launch form.
Your First Test
Here's the quickest path to launching your first test:
Use a tool like check-host.net or the game resolvers below to find the IP address of the host you want to test.
Go to Panel → Tests and click New Test. Fill in the target IP or hostname, port, duration, and method.
Click Start Test. The dashboard updates in real time showing active test status, elapsed time, and assigned servers. You can stop the test at any time.
While the test is running, use the tools in the Useful Tools section below to observe the effect on your target from multiple geographic vantage points.
Useful Tools
These free external tools are invaluable for validating targets, monitoring test impact, and diagnosing network conditions from multiple locations worldwide.
Check-host allows you to run ping, traceroute, HTTP, and TCP checks against any host from dozens of nodes spread across Europe, Asia, North America, and beyond — simultaneously.
Use during a test to confirm the target is actually experiencing packet loss or increased latency from the nodes nearest to your test servers.
Ping.pe offers a minimal, fast interface for running ICMP ping and MTR (My Traceroute) measurements from nodes across the globe. Results update live as each probe returns.
Great for observing latency impact in real time during a test. The live view makes it easy to see if RTT spikes as packet loss increases.
itdog.cn is a Chinese network diagnostics platform offering ping maps, traceroutes, HTTP benchmarks, and port checks from nodes primarily across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan — making it uniquely useful for testing Asian routing and latency.
If your target serves Asian users, itdog provides vantage points that western tools like check-host don't cover. The visual ping map gives an at-a-glance geographic view of reachability.
Game IP Resolvers
Many game servers hide behind domain names, load balancers, or dynamic DNS. These tools help you resolve the actual IP address before launching a test.
nslookup game.example.com or dig game.example.com to get A/AAAA records and SRV records directly.nslookup play.hypixel.net dig +short _minecraft._tcp.mc.hypixel.net SRV
# Capture all traffic on port 27015 (Source engine) tcpdump -i eth0 port 27015 -n