1. A computing device to test a communication network, the computing device comprising: a processor a memory coupled with the processor, said memory divided into kernel space and user space a hardware interface to the communication network a storage medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed cause the computing device to perform actions comprising: operating an application program within user space operating a TCP/IP protocol stack within kernel space, said stack comprising a plurality of interfaced layers in which data units are exchanged between and processed by adjacent layers operating an HTTP program within kernel space the HTTP program receiving a test request generated by the application program.