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    VLANs Multicast Isolation

    L2/Switching/VLANs
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    • johnpozJ
      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
      last edited by johnpoz

      What is your specific reason? Curious.. While I agree in a corp environment I could see a few reasons - pushing images to multiple machines, while the server is in a different vlan - this would be very controlled setup. And the client could join the multicast group when it ready to receive the image, etc.

      Streaming multiple audio to speakers or something ok - yup that is great for multicast use.. Why does the streamer and the streamies have to be in different L2s?

      I don't think I ever said NEVER... But if your thinking passing multicast from vlan x into vlan y you should really be clear on what your doing..

      Say user machines in a corp setup, viewing a muticasted video stream - again would be valid.. But again should be controlled where the client joins the specific multicast group to view the stream.

      avahi being used to send mdns from one vlan into another - seems like a hack from just doing it correctly.

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      • M
        mikekoke
        last edited by

        I have analyzed the requests of Chrome and the sony speaker with wireshark and it seems that only the speaker continues to report its presence, while Chrome sends requests only when necessary. The sony speaker is on the vlan iot because it connects to the internet for updates.
        Even if there is multicast traffic between the LAN and the IOT I think that the IOT devices cannot connect to the LAN because of the denial rules, am I wrong?

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        • JKnottJ
          JKnott @chpalmer
          last edited by JKnott

          @chpalmer said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

          Broadcasting audio streams seems to be a quite common need for such.

          This is one of those specifically enabled situations I mentioned. In this situation, the client would contact the server, to be put on the multicast list. IGMP would then be used to enable passing the multicast traffic down to the client. Don't forget, multicasts use addresses that are not normally routeable. The router, through IGMP, has to be enabled to pass the mulitcast destination address towards the client. This is something that a router otherwise would not do.

          Typically, on a LAN, multicasts are local network only. In fact, on IPv6, multicasts can use the hop count to ensure the packet didn't come from beyond the router.

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          • johnpozJ
            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
            last edited by johnpoz

            If you forward multicast traffic from 1 L2 into a different L2... In "theory" that could be used for bad things..

            Are you sending it in such a way that all devices on the dest L2 are seeing this traffic, even if they don't need too? Ie didn't join the group. Or have you limited this on your switches acls to only allow the multicast to the device that needs to see this and act upon this traffic?

            When you create a boundary, you need to be aware of what can cross that boundary is all.. You would be the only one that can determine if crossing that boundary with traffic X is acceptable to you. A vlan is a boundary, where you can limit what passes between from who to whom..

            What I find troublesome in the whole thing is just passing everything to everyone on the other L2.. If that is the case - they might as well just be on the same L2, ie no boundaries. Even if only a discovery method, a compromised system could use it to discover stuff that is different network than itself, and then direct attack to that IP which may or may not be open, etc. etc. I could be used for discovery, that if boundary was in place would not be possible.

            This might be an interesting read for you?
            https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/security-center/multicast-toolkit.html

            Could this be considered over the top for home network - more than likely yes ;) But good security practices are good no matter what the network.

            An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
            If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
            Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
            SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.7.2, 24.11

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            • chpalmerC
              chpalmer
              last edited by chpalmer

              @johnpoz said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

              While I agree in a corp environment I could see a few reasons

              Then "never" is the wrong word to use.

              We use mulicast for simulcast audio in multi site radio systems. The system is designed to use multicast addresses. We deal in microseconds. .000001 of a second.

              Again.. My only issue is the word "Never!" Sometimes it is needed.

              Triggering snowflakes one by one..
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              • johnpozJ
                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                last edited by johnpoz

                @chpalmer said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

                never

                Ah your comments are directed at @JKnott but they seem directed at me.. Sorry. I never stated never ;)

                An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.7.2, 24.11

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                • chpalmerC
                  chpalmer @johnpoz
                  last edited by

                  @johnpoz said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

                  @chpalmer said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

                  never

                  Ah your comments are directed at @JKnott but they seem directed at me.. Sorry.

                  Still trying to get ahead of this forum software.. 😀

                  Triggering snowflakes one by one..
                  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4590T CPU @ 2.00GHz on an M400 WG box.

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                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by johnpoz

                    So your doing multicast over a wan? I don't see multi sites being over a lan ;) Are you using a tunnel sort of method to connect these sites?

                    Really don't see how you could be multiple sites, and be worried about microseconds ;)

                    While sure you can have extended L2s -- this is really a whole different ball of wax when what someone does in their home or even most enterprises.. If you worried about timing at a high level, your going to want minimal "hops" in the wire, etc.. So I would assume where your sending the data would be in some sort of extended L2 where the devices you sending the audio to is in the same L2, you sure and the F are not using avahi ;)

                    An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                    If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                    Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                    SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.7.2, 24.11

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                    • chpalmerC
                      chpalmer
                      last edited by

                      No..noooooo No passing the WAN. Im not sure I saw that idea presented here.

                      "but I would like to know if on the other two vlan that I have I should block the multicast traffic" I do not see that in the OP's input either..

                      This is a question as I see it about Multicast between local subnets.

                      I do it between routers. But no WAN involved.. Totally private networks. But at this point on Cisco routers.

                      Triggering snowflakes one by one..
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                      • johnpozJ
                        johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                        last edited by

                        So you have multiple sites radio systems all on the same campus? Just because its some private line doesn't mean its not a wan circuit. How far apart are they sites?

                        An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                        If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                        Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                        SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.7.2, 24.11

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                        • chpalmerC
                          chpalmer
                          last edited by chpalmer

                          Western part of the state all connected by microwave. Different subnet at all sites. Not my design. but necessary. One of the largest private VOIP networks in the world.

                          Triggering snowflakes one by one..
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                          • JKnottJ
                            JKnott @johnpoz
                            last edited by

                            @johnpoz said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

                            @chpalmer said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

                            never

                            Ah your comments are directed at @JKnott but they seem directed at me.. Sorry. I never stated never ;)

                            I used "never" when talking about how traffic shouldn't pass between VLANs. I don't recall using it elsewhere, so I'm also not sure what he's referring to.

                            PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                            i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                            UniFi AC-Lite access point

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                            • JKnottJ
                              JKnott @chpalmer
                              last edited by

                              @chpalmer said in VLANs Multicast Isolation:

                              Western part of the state all connected by microwave. Different subnet at all sites. Not my design. but necessary. One of the largest private VOIP networks in the world.

                              This is getting confusing. I thought you were talking about a single network where VLANs are used, now it's multiple sites. Also, it's entirely normal to have different subnets between sites. Otherwise you'd need a bridge between sites. It's doable, but that means everything, broadcasts included, can pass over the link. That's generally avoided.

                              PfSense running on Qotom mini PC
                              i5 CPU, 4 GB memory, 32 GB SSD & 4 Intel Gb Ethernet ports.
                              UniFi AC-Lite access point

                              I haven't lost my mind. It's around here...somewhere...

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                              • johnpozJ
                                johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                                last edited by

                                Yeah what he is talking about is this

                                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicast_routing

                                Completely different ball game to be honest ;) This is NOT what the OP was talking about.. not at all!!

                                An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.7.2, 24.11

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