I was so hopeful that buying a single high quality switch would solve some of my occasional network worries on set, and it appears as if that hope has been fulfilled. Welcome to the first of two tutorials that will show you how easy it is to set up an Obsidian Systems NS8 switch to work either on its own or to work with the low cost Zyxel Switches I’ve been using in my film stages and locations for over a year. Since it’s the new shiny device, let’s start with the NS8.
First step is to sign into the default IP, which is 2.0.0.254. It’s never stated in the Manual, but the subnet is 255.0.0.0. Adjust your computer IP address to suit and then simply type 2.0.0.254 into your browser to sign in.
It’s worth mentioning here that this default setup could work right out of the box for many users if you use a 2.x.x.x IP scheme. But that’s not me, so let’s change a couple things to support a fairly typical Eos IP range.
Click on the IP Setting tab on the left, since the first thing is to change the IP address. All you need to do is click within the current IP address and start typing to enter your new one. One new-to-me thing is you must enter the address with three digits in each octet. I wanted a 10.x.x.x IP, so I needed to type 010, then NS8 automatically put in the decimal, then I could keep typing that way. The subnet I changed from 255.0.0.0 to 255.255.0.0. Then click save.
Next, you need to change your computer IP address to fit with the IP range you just changed your NS8 to and sign back in with the new IP address.
Next, we want to go to Switch>IGMP Configuration. All the defaults work, except perhaps the Querier IP address, which defaults to a 2.x.x.x scheme. I’m not actually sure if this needs to be changed, but I’m going to, since I figure the cross-switch query traffic will require it. I kept it simple and changed it to 10.101.000.254. Click Save.
A quick test using Multicaster II shows a solid result- 248 universes.
Awesome. Now, let’s go to the GS1200-5HP setup.
Sign into your unit using the default IP address and password. You will be prompted to make your own password.
IP Configuration
Go to the Management tab. Make sure DHCP Client is disabled (assuming you prefer a manually-set IP scheme for your network). Set your IP address, Subnet and Gateway to suit your IP plan. Though it is off by default, make sure the EEE is set to Disable. This is the horrid power savings “feature” that will sometimes turn off universes you are actually using because the network doesn’t detect “enough” traffic. Maddening. When finished, click apply to assert your settings, the you’ll most likely need to reconfigure your computer IP address to sign back in.
IGMP Snooping
Go to the IGMP Snooping tab and turn on IGMP Snooping. Keep Unknown Multicast Drop set to OFF.
Click Apply and you are done.
A quick test in Multicaster II shows 128 universes supported. Considering the $50 price point of the Zyxels, that’s pretty great and will support many productions.
*Important Note: If you were choosing to use more than one NS8 switch, you would need to choose which one should have the Query function turned on, and then turn Query off for all subsequent units.*
This setup is incredibly easy, cost efficient and powerful. For those who need better multicast support and have $600 to spare (as opposed to the $1k-3k other entertainment specific switches cost), this is a no brainer. As mentioned in my previous article, the unit is solid, has lighting industry tech support (no more explaining what sACN is to someone who will likely never understand you), ethercon ports, color coding per port, and a built in power supply. If you are already in the Netron ecosystem, it’s a compelling offering.
What switches have you all been using for your systems? Especially interested in hearing about switches that have Query and support multicast protocols. Hit me in the comments. See you next week, when we dive into setting up a Netgear M4250.