multicasting setup

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hellhound

41 posts

Geek

#82386 28-Apr-2011 11:11

Hi guys,

I have been asked to set up a multicast network for work and have no idea where to begin. I have looked online but all I seem to be able to find is setting it up for multimedia.

What we are trying to do:

We have a few terminals that are scatted around a building and currently they all talk back to a server. We now have to add a stand along computer to the mix and it needs to listen in on all of the information that is coming from the terminals. For unexplainable reasons we cannot set up the server to forward communications to the stand along computer so we have to use multicasting. There is apparently no problems in setting up the terminals to multicast as that will be done before they turn up but what I am needing to work out is how to set up the router/switch to work with multicast and to forward it onto the stand alone computer as well as the server. I also need to know if there is anything I need to set up on the computer itself. the computer is running XP.

We only need information going to the the server from the terminals. we do not need to listen into any replies.

thanks for any help you can give.

jpollock

600 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#463498 28-Apr-2011 20:24

hellhound: Hi guys,

I have been asked to set up a multicast network for work and have no idea where to begin. I have looked online but all I seem to be able to find is setting it up for multimedia.

What we are trying to do:

We have a few terminals that are scatted around a building and currently they all talk back to a server. We now have to add a stand along computer to the mix and it needs to listen in on all of the information that is coming from the terminals. For unexplainable reasons we cannot set up the server to forward communications to the stand along computer so we have to use multicasting. There is apparently no problems in setting up the terminals to multicast as that will be done before they turn up but what I am needing to work out is how to set up the router/switch to work with multicast and to forward it onto the stand alone computer as well as the server. I also need to know if there is anything I need to set up on the computer itself. the computer is running XP.

We only need information going to the the server from the terminals. we do not need to listen into any replies.

thanks for any help you can give.

You might not need to use multicast. It might be easier to have the router echo the traffic on one port onto a second port and then putting the new machine into promiscuous mode so that it can see all of the traffic.

At least that's what I would do before I looked into multicast!

---
http://blog.jason.pollock.ca

LennonNZ

2459 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#463519 28-Apr-2011 21:37

Multicast is pretty simple..

instead of sending to an ip address you send to a multicast group ip address and everything that is listening to that group/port can get the information .

Without know what application and even if the application supports etc you are using its impossible to say if it will work.

Also if they are in different layer 3 networks whatever router you have been the l3 networks has to support forwarding the multicast addresses.

Fraktul

836 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#463552 28-Apr-2011 23:41

jpollock:
hellhound: Hi guys,

I have been asked to set up a multicast network for work and have no idea where to begin. I have looked online but all I seem to be able to find is setting it up for multimedia.

What we are trying to do:

We have a few terminals that are scatted around a building and currently they all talk back to a server. We now have to add a stand along computer to the mix and it needs to listen in on all of the information that is coming from the terminals. For unexplainable reasons we cannot set up the server to forward communications to the stand along computer so we have to use multicasting. There is apparently no problems in setting up the terminals to multicast as that will be done before they turn up but what I am needing to work out is how to set up the router/switch to work with multicast and to forward it onto the stand alone computer as well as the server. I also need to know if there is anything I need to set up on the computer itself. the computer is running XP.

We only need information going to the the server from the terminals. we do not need to listen into any replies.

thanks for any help you can give.

You might not need to use multicast. It might be easier to have the router echo the traffic on one port onto a second port and then putting the new machine into promiscuous mode so that it can see all of the traffic.

At least that's what I would do before I looked into multicast!

This, but in a switch via port mirroring.