We strongly recommend that IGMP snooping is enabled if multicast is used. Even in that case, be careful to use a minimum amount of multicast. Dante configures routing with unicast by default, and multicast will not be required for most of small-to-mid scale Dante systems.
Full Answer
When should IGMP snooping be considered for Dante Multicast management?
Dante multicast can be managed with IGMP Snooping v2 or v3. When should IGMP snooping (or other multicast management) be considered for a Dante network? When the estimated multicast bandwidth may approach a network port's saturation point, impacting performance.
How does IGMP snooping work?
Each device transmits IGMP messages to report which multicast addresses they need. The switch then remembers which ports are connected to devices that have registered for a specific multicast address and filters the multicast traffic accordingly. This function is referred to as IGMP snooping.
How do I enable IGMP snooping on multicast?
Next, in the following page, select the “Enable” check box next to IGMP Snooping Status, and click “Apply”. To edit the IGMP snooping settings, select the VLAN ID for the network within which multicast will be used (in this example, we are assuming that VLAN 2 is for Dante), and click “Edit”.
Is multicast required for Dante switches?
Dante configures routing with unicast by default, and multicast will not be required for most of small-to-mid scale Dante systems. To understand when the multicast settings of a switch need to be configured, it’s first necessary to understand multicast and "flows".
What to do if you have intermittent audio?
What is IGMP snooping?
How to configure IGMP Snooping?
What is Dante traffic?
Does Dante require IGMP?
Does Fast Leave harm Dante?
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About this website
Does Dante need IGMP Snooping?
IGMP Snooping is required when: Multicast Dante or AES67 flows are in use. Dante traffic is mixed with other Multicast traffic, such as Multicast video systems. Critical control systems are on the same network as Dante devices, such as Crestron/AMX/Extron control devices.
Does Dante use IGMP?
Dante supports both IGMP V2 and V3, but all switches in the network should be running the same version. So if the network includes switches which support only IGMP V2, be sure to select "IGMP V2" as the IGMP querier version.
How does Dante Controller inform you that multicast is recommended?
different Tx channels of audio from the same device. How does Dante Controller inform you that multicast is recommended? With a "Fan out' warning.
What is needed for a Dante network?
While Gigabit switches are recommended, 100Mbps switches may be used in limited scenarios. For low channel count (<32) applications, a 100Mbps switch may be used as long as it supports proper QoS, and QoS is active.
What is IGMP Snooping used for?
IGMP snooping is a method that network switches use to identify multicast groups, which are groups of computers or devices that all receive the same network traffic. It enables switches to forward packets to the correct devices in their network.
Why do we need IGMP Snooping?
IGMP snooping allows us to constrain our multicast traffic. As the name implies, this is done by listening to IGMP traffic between the router and hosts: When the host sends a membership report for a multicast group then the switch adds an entry in the CAM table for the interface that is connected to the host.
Is Dante multicast by default?
Dante configures routing with unicast by default, and multicast will not be required for most of small-to-mid scale Dante systems. To understand when the multicast settings of a switch need to be configured, it's first necessary to understand multicast and "flows".
Are Dante flows multicast by default?
By default, Dante receivers will connect to a multicast flow if one exists that contains the required channel(s), rather than creating a new unicast flow.
What happens if you mix switches with and without IGMP filter?
1. Switches without IGMP will forward Multicast to all their ports. 2. Switches with IGMP will not forward unrequested Multicast.
Does Dante require QoS?
QoS is required when using Dante in networks that have 100Mbps devices and is optional in networks with Gigabit devices. We recommend that QoS be enabled in all Dante networks in order to ensure proper operation under all possible conditions. See this FAQ for information about DSCP/Diffserv values.
How many multicast flows can Dante carry?
These devices are capable of up to 32 receive flows.
What network switch should I use with Dante?
managed Gigabit switchesFor best performance you should use managed Gigabit switches with Quality of Service (QoS) functionality.
Is Dante multicast by default?
Dante configures routing with unicast by default, and multicast will not be required for most of small-to-mid scale Dante systems. To understand when the multicast settings of a switch need to be configured, it's first necessary to understand multicast and "flows".
Is Dante unicast or multicast?
unicastBy default, Dante flows are unicast, which means that a given transmit flow can only be received by one Dante device. If a second device needs to receive a copy of that same audio channel, then a second transmit flow would need to be used from the sending device.
Who uses IGMP?
The Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is a communications protocol used by hosts and adjacent routers on IPv4 networks to establish multicast group memberships.
Are Dante flows multicast by default?
By default, Dante receivers will connect to a multicast flow if one exists that contains the required channel(s), rather than creating a new unicast flow.
I have an unstable device clock on my Dante network - Audinate
There are a range of network conditions that can interfere with a device’s clock stability. These include: A switch on the network is configured to use Energy Efficient Ethernet (‘Green Ethernet’) functionality
How is the Leader Clock for the Dante network generated?
There are two choices. The source of the Leader Clock can be. The internal VCXO clock generated within a piece of Dante enabled equipment, or. An external clock source (e.g. AES3 or word clock in a console) that is internally connected to the Dante device.
How does Dante work?
There are two audio signal transmission methods that can be used in a Dante network. One method is unicast, in which signals are transferred directly from one device to another specific device. The other method is multicast, in which signals are transferred to multiple devices within the network. By default, all audio transmission within ...
How to register a multicast IP address?
You can register a multicast address in the following page. Click “Add” to open a dialog box. Select the appropriate VLAN ID (in this example, we are assuming that VLAN 2 is for Dante), set IP Multicast Group Address to “22 4.0.0.251”, and click “Apply”.
How to multicast over multiple switches?
If you intend to multicast over multiple switches, you will need to configure multicast router ports. Multicasts and IGMP messages will be sent through these ports. When multicast router ports are not configured, unnecessary multicast packets may be sent between switches, and some necessary multicast packets may fail to be delivered. For example, the preset recall of different MTX/MRX systems will not be linked. With the above settings, auto learning has been enabled, so no special multicast router port settings are required. If you are using another switch, you will need to identify the port that connects the switches as a multicast router port.
Why is my IGMP not detected?
In that case, devices will not be detected through the access point because IGMP snooping will not be working properly.
What is multicasting on a switch?
On the other hand, with multicast, a single packet (audio signal) is split by the switch and delivered to multiple devices. At first glance, multicast may appear to be the all-around best method, but because the switch has to duplicate the packets for each port and transmit them to each device, multicast results in increased switch loads. Another drawback to multicast is that it results in the transmission of packets to ports that don’t need them. This transmission can be prevented through the use of the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). Each device transmits IGMP messages to report which multicast addresses they need. The switch then remembers which ports are connected to devices that have registered for a specific multicast address and filters the multicast traffic accordingly. This function is referred to as IGMP snooping. Thus, when multicasting audio, you need to be sure to enable IGMP snooping on the switch (if you don’t, multicast packets will be duplicated and transferred to each port). Please remember that the switch may need time (tens of seconds) to determine which ports on the switch are connected to the devices that require multicast data, before IGMP snooping will form the intended multicast groups. You should also remember that multicast is a special setting that can only be configured from the Dante Controller software and that multicast increases the workload of the switch.
How many flows can a Dante receiver send?
There are limits to the number of flows that can be assigned to a transmitter or receiver. For example, CL/QL Series consoles and R Series I/O racks can all send and receive 32 flows. For the Rio3224-D, which has 32 analog inputs, to send all 32 channels to a single Dante device, 32/4 = 8 flows are sufficient. However, using unicast flows to send the channels to 4 devices (CL/QL series consoles, for example) requires the use of all 8 × 4 = 32 flows.
What are the drawbacks of multicast?
Another drawback to multicast is that it results in the transmission of packets to ports that don’t need them. This transmission can be prevented through the use of the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). Each device transmits IGMP messages to report which multicast addresses they need.
How Does IGMP Snooping Work?
In a LAN, multicast packets must pass through Layer 2 switches between the router and multicast users. However, multicast packets may be broadcast to all the hosts in the broadcast domain including non multicast group members, as the Layer 2 switch cannot learn multicast MAC addresses. This wastes network bandwidth and threatens network information security.
What Are Functions and Applications of IGMP Snooping?
As previously mentioned, two main benefits of IGMP Snooping switch are preventing bandwidth waste and network information leakage.
Why is IGMP snooping important?
When it is enabled, the bandwidth consumption will be reduced in a multi-access LAN environment so as to avoid flooding the entire VLAN, and network information security can also be improved at the same time.
What is IGMPv1?
Generally, IGMPv1 identifies the queried router based on the multicast routing protocol. IGMPv2 adds the capability of group-queries, allowing the querier to send messages to the hosts in a multicast group. IGMPv3 brings more improvements to support specific source filtering.
What is IGMP Snooping?
IGMP, an important feature of network multicast, is used to establish and manage memberships of hosts and routing devices in a multi cast group. And IGMP Snooping controls these multicast groups by snooping and analyzing the multicast packets exchanged between the upstream Layer 3 multicast device and downstream hosts, ...
Does a downstream host receive multicast packets?
All downstream hosts only receive multicast pack ets for which they have previously registered via group requests. Using network switch supporting IGMP Snooping is therefore worthwhile wherever a great deal of bandwidth is required. Examples include IPTV and other streaming services as well as web conference solutions.
What is the range of Dante multicast ports?
Dante devices support sending and receiving Dante multicast. Dante multicast uses the 239.255/16 address range and port 4321.
What port does Dante use?
Most Dante devices also support sending and receiving RTP (SMPTE 2110-30 or AES67) multicast. RTP multicast usually uses port 5004. AES67 usually uses the 239.69/16 address range. A Dante device can send RTP multicast to any address. A Dante device can receive RTP multicast in one 239.*/16 address range.
What is EEE in Dante?
EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) is a technology that reduces switch power consumption during periods of low network traffic. It is also sometimes known as Green Ethernet and IEEE802.3az. Although power management should be negotiated automatically in switches that support EEE, it is a relatively new technology, and some switches do not perform the negotiation properly. This may cause EEE to be enabled in Dante networks when it is not appropriate, resulting in poor synchronization performance and occasional dropouts.
What address range does Dante use?
A Dante device can receive RTP multicast in one 239.*/16 address range. This defaults to 239.69/16, but can be configured per-device.
How many channels are in a flow?
Flows are pre-allocated a capacity of 4 channels. The samples-per-channel can vary between 4 and 64, depending on the latency setting of the device. For multicast flows, channels-per-flow can be varied from 1 to 8 channels per flow.
Can you disable EEE on unmanaged switches?
If you use unmanaged switches, do not use Ethernet switches that support the EEE function, because you cannot disable EEE operation in these switches.
Does Dante use DHCP?
Dante uses DHCP for addressing when available, and will auto-assign an IP address if it is not , exactly like a PC or Mac. Dante devices will continue to ‘look’ for DHCP even after auto-assigning an IP address. Some (but not all) Dante devices allow the setting of static IPaddresses. Dante implements IGMPv3/v2 to assist with multicast management.
What to do if you have intermittent audio?
If you experience intermittent audio, then run a Wireshark trace on a PC connected to the Dante network. It may show IGMP Query messages from multiple sources. Contact Shure Applications Engineering for help interpreting Wireshark traces.
What is IGMP snooping?
IGMP Snooping helps prevent transmission of Multicast traffic to ports that don't need them. On larger, shared networks with Dante or AES67 multicast flows, IGMP Snooping greatly reduces the amount of Multicast traffic on the network by only forwarding Multicast data to the devices that request it.
How to configure IGMP Snooping?
When to Configure IGMP Snooping#N#IGMP Snooping is required when: 1 Multicast Dante or AES67 flows are in use. 2 Dante traffic is mixed with other Multicast traffic, such as Multicast video systems. 3 Critical control systems are on the same network as Dante devices, such as Crestron/AMX/Extron control devices. 4 Using Dante in 100M (Fast Ethernet) networks, as bandwidth is limited (we do not recommend using 100Mbps switches). 5 Using a Wi-Fi access point on the same network as Dante devices (Dante multicast data can flood the Wi-Fi, and therefore we generally do not recommend using Wi-Fi access points on Dante networks).
What is Dante traffic?
Dante traffic is mixed with other Multicast traffic, such as Multicast video systems. Critical control systems are on the same network as Dante devices, such as Crestron/AMX/Extron control devices. Using Dante in 100M (Fast Ethernet) networks, as bandwidth is limited (we do not recommend using 100Mbps switches).
Does Dante require IGMP?
Small, isolated networks with a single switch that have only Shure or other Dante- enabled devices generally do not require IGMP snooping, as the amount of Multicast generated will be very low (Multicast traffic is used only for clocking, discovery, and control in these cases—not audio). In these cases, disable all Multicast filtering or use an unmanaged, gigabit switch that does not support EEE (ensure it is not listed under Disqualified Network Switches for Shure Dante Devices ).
Does Fast Leave harm Dante?
It may show IGMP Query messages from multiple sources. Contact Shure Applications Engineering for help interpreting Wireshark traces. Fast Leave will not har m a Dante network and is generally required for Multicast video traffic. Avoid IGMP proxies, unless you are CERTAIN you know how it behaves.