Wireless Routers supporting multicast?

[Hugo]

Hi

I run a small software business and recently have a need to test and develop software that leverages multicasting (in my case Reliable Multicast/PGM).

However testing here showed that my current wireless router does not seem to allow this protocol and blocks or ignores the packets (wirless and direct connect).

The current device is a Netgear WNDR3700 - none of the documentation or configuration settings appear to refer in any way to multicast.

I also am having immense difficulty searching for such devices as no manufacturer seems to make much noise about the feature and the local tech stores are useless.

I mainly want this over direct wired connections but having it over wireless too would be very helpful.

Testing with the Netgear over direct connected systems seemed to suggest that no such traffic is being allowed to flow, so I suspect that router simply has no support.

Does anyone, anywhere have an answer?

Thanks

PS: I can run and test using the loopback address on a single machine and this works, but clearly is not ideal for serious testing of multicast!

The Netgear WNDR3700 is connected to the Comcast box, that interfaces to the outside cable system. All devices are connected only as nodes off the Netgear device.

 

[thiggins]

Some routers (right now I am looking at a Cisco Linksys EA4500) have Multicast pass through enable/disable. Have you looked for a control like this on the NETGEAR?

 

[Hugo]

Some routers (right now I am looking at a Cisco Linksys EA4500) have Multicast pass through enable/disable. Have you looked for a control like this on the NETGEAR?

Hello Tim, yes I have scrutinized the WNDR3700's settings and options, nothing refers to "multicast" so far as I can see, not a hint that the device offers any kind of support for this.

Of course my testing may be wrong and the unit may well support multicast but does not mention this explicity in its settings, however my same test software does work when both test progs run on same computer, so I'm interpreting this as a router issue - but I could be wrong I suppose...

Hugo

 

[StratmanX]

Multicasting is briefly mentioned in the v1.3 October 2009 User Manual I just browsed on the internet. Multicasting is dealt with in the LAN Setup RIP Version setting.

Get your User Manual.

 

[sfx2000]

Oddly enough, some Linksys devices have the switch in the UI inverted - uncheck to allow multicast... try it both ways to see...

 

[Hugo]

Multicasting is briefly mentioned in the v1.3 October 2009 User Manual I just browsed on the internet. Multicasting is dealt with in the LAN Setup RIP Version setting.

Get your User Manual.

It does indeed hav that and it's set to RIP_2M and has no effect on my ability to get multicasting to run across two machines. Anyway this section seems more to do with multiple networks than enabling/disabling multicasting per-se.

The web interface actually says this "RIP-2M uses multicasting. (See note below.)" - but sadly there is no "note below"...


Thanks

 

[Hugo]

Oddly enough, some Linksys devices have the switch in the UI inverted - uncheck to allow multicast... try it both ways to see...

Multicasting - as an option - is not present anywhere in any of the settings, the term is only used with respect to the RIP_2M setting which itself is not about multicasting but something else.

I cannot find any more info tha this.

Thanks