User guide

4
Implementing IGMP snooping on a low end switch with a slow processor can
cause severe performance problems when data is transmitted at high data rates
and/or there are multiple IGMP groups to be monitored. If a switch cannot keep
pace, it will cause backlogs where large numbers of data packets are arbitrarily
discarded and/or it resorts to sending all multicasts to all ports - causing multicast
ooding. Either way, this results in slow video updates and a poor user experience.
A quick note about Layer 3 switches and mulcast roung
A key component of subnets used for multicast distribution is the multicast
router. This device plays a vital coordinating role in ensuring that network trafc
is delivered to the correct Layer 2 switches and the hosts connected to them.
Increasingly, the role of router is being fullled by Layer 3 switches, particularly
for private networks that do not require links to wider external networks. When
selecting a Layer 3 switch for your network, ensure that it can operate as an
IGMP Querier and also has sufcient capacity for the size of your subnet.
Specic switches known to work well with AdderLink Innity
The following models have been tested and found to produce favourable results:
Layer 2 switches
• Cisco 2960
• Cisco 3750
• Cisco 4500
• Cisco 6500
• Extreme Networks X480
• HP Procurve 2810
• HP Procurve 2910
• H3C 5120
Layer 3 switch
• HuaWei Quidway s5328c-EI
For specic details on conguring each of these switches for efcient operation
with AdderLink Innity, please refer to the Switch setups section.