Multicasting

Multicasting is a method of transmitting a stream of data (e.g. an IP video feed) from a single source (e.g. thermal camera) to multiple destinations (e.g. video displays) on a network, eliminating the need for the stream to be transmitted individually from the source to each destination device.

MulticastMulticasting is effective at optimizing bandwidth in systems where multiple users on the same network require access to the same live IP video stream. With multicasting, the network bandwidth remains the same between the camera and the core of the network, even as the number of destination devices increases. This reduces the traffic strain on network infrastructure, and makes it easier to plan and manage predictable bandwidth requirements.

However, multicasting is not suitable for all systems, and there are a number of important considerations to make before implementing multicasting in your network:

• Multicasting is often only required in large systems featuring multiple receivers of the IP video stream(s). For smaller networks consisting of up to 2 or 3 displays receiving the IP video stream, unicast may be the preferred option, due to the added complexity of configuring and managing multicast networks.

• Multicasting is only possible when ALL network devices receiving the multicast stream (switches, routers, displays, etc) are also multicast compatible and enabled. Refer to the documentation which accompanies your network devices for multicast compatibility information and additional configuration instructions.

• When using multicasting, your network must be capable of managing multiple transmission methods within the same network (i.e. multicast and unicast). This is because IP video sources may not always transmit identically, and certain devices in a network may not necessarily support multicasting.