Multicast - efficient network management
Multicast is a smart feature that offloads your network by sending only one signal to many devices. It is mainly intended for larger surveillance systems where bandwidth savings are of great importance.
What is Multicast used for?
The multicast feature is best suited for large surveillance systems with multiple video storage devices and terminals to save bandwidth. It allows multiple terminals to receive information via the same signal from an NVR, for example.
How does it work?
Multicast means that data only needs to be sent once and then received by several different terminals. This differs from Unicast (as it normally works) where a completely separate connection is established for each client/receiver even though two clients/receivers may have almost identical "itineraries" except for the very last bit. Multicast allows a data packet to be sent from an NVR and then copied into a switch or router and received by the terminals within the network that want the information. This means that there does not need to be a specific recipient for the packet, but the devices that want it can receive it. Multicast is thus primarily a bandwidth-saving function where a device does not need to send several identical packets.
Which devices support multicast?
Multicast is available on AVTECH's IP-based video storage devices. These are easy to integrate into large systems consisting of several devices such as switches thanks to the fact that they are fully digital and designed for large-scale camera surveillance.
Products with support for Multicast
