Network Switch

NDI is designed to work within any existing network as seamlessly as possible, but we understand that there are still cases where a network administrator wants specific settings to get the best possible video performance on the network.

The following settings are ones we generally recommend for a managed network and therefore must be accessible on a certified device. For ease of use, these settings can be applied as a profile per network port or per VLAN.

1

Network Switch Specifications

• Gigabit Ethernet: Ensure all network switch ports support at least Gigabit Ethernet. High Bandwidth NDI can easily use up to 250 Mbps for a single 4K60 stream, and even HX3 can be around 100 Mbps at the same resolution and frame rate.

• Full Duplex: All ports should support full-duplex communication, so 2 Gbps aggregate throughput is preferred at a minimum.

• Backplane Capacity: Ensure the switch backplane supports the full required throughput. Capacity = number of ports x speed x 2.

2

Managed Switch Settings

• Quality of Service (QoS): Disable QoS to prevent potential delays.

• Jumbo Frames: Disable Jumbo Frames to avoid fragmentation issues.

• Flow Control: Enable Flow Control (Asymmetrical or On) for TCP data transfer.

• IGMP Snooping: Enable IGMP Snooping if using multicast.

• IGMP Querier: Configure an IGMP Querier and query interval for each switch in multi-switch networks when using multicast.

3

Firewalls & Ports

• mDNS/Bonjour: Ensure mDNS/Bonjour is accessible for automatic discovery of NDI devices.

• NDI Messaging Server: Manual discovery requires access to port 5960 for the NDI messaging server, plus subsequent ports starting at 5961 for NDI video streams.

4

Cabling

• Cabling Grade: Use at least CAT5e cabling for GigE performance.

• Cabling Length: Ensure cabling length requirements are met. Network cable can run up to about 100 m before the signal starts to degrade.

5

DHCP Configuration

• DHCP: Enable DHCP to simplify setup and network configuration.

• Power over Ethernet (PoE): Ensure the switch supports PoE if required by devices. Typically, smaller converter boxes use PoE, or about 15 W of power, whereas a camera can use PoE+ (~25-30 W) or even PoE++ (up to 100 W). A switch may state that it is PoE-capable, but only deliver a certain total wattage shared across all ports.

Additional Tips

• Network Latency: Minimize network latency by optimizing the network layout. Additional hops can add a small amount of delay.

• Bandwidth Requirements: Ensure sufficient bandwidth for NDI video streams. When using unicast/TCP, the NDI stream is multiplied by the number of concurrent receivers. For example, if a single camera NDI HX stream is 100 Mbps and is requested by three instances of Studio Monitor, that is 300 Mbps total.

There are some known network protocols and applications that directly interfere with NDI. The most notable one is Audinate’s popular AVoIP protocol, Dante. When Dante and NDI are used on the same network, it is generally recommended that they operate on separate VLANs.

Wi-Fi Considerations

While NDI works across a network in general and does not depend on a specific network type, the nature of Wi-Fi can impact video performance. While not always recommended, if a device will be on Wi-Fi, consider at least a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 capable device and infrastructure to get the best possible results with higher bitrates and resolutions. Follow typical best practices for radio interference.

These settings will help optimize your network switch for NDI, ensuring smooth and reliable video transport. Always test performance with a network analyzer before and after making any changes. Using a network analyzer to test NDI settings can help you optimize network performance. We offer a tool called NDI Analysis, which is free to download and use, and we have a separate page for it in the docs. When using NDI Analysis, the key metric to look for is consistency across the SEND, RECV, and MIN/MAX results. If video is present but those numbers vary greatly, there is most likely some network delay occurring that could impact performance.

Testing for a network switch will consist of testing various devices and workflows that have already been certified. We compare the results to ensure that they fall within an acceptable range and that all required NDI interoperability features of the devices are present. For example, if a device supports multicast sending, we confirm that the switch facilitates multicast as expected. If there is a specific NDI profile that is addressable per port, we enable and test that profile specifically.