do: make # (ignore the random error warnings, its due to libnet lameness) ./readtest & and as root: ./7350somefoo -i lo -t 127.0.0.1 -p 2000 or ./7350somefoo -t -p 2000 it should show that 8192 bytes are read at once try this with an external ip too, it should work 1:1 there, too.