How does Milestone Multicast work and how can it be configured in parallel with another VMS?

Question

Answer

The Multicast for Milestone applies to both listed options and is set up via RTSP.

RTP/UDP multicast
SRTP/RTSPS/UDP multicast

How does Milestone Multicast work and how can it be configured in parallel with another VMS1.png

The only thing included is the media that is multicasted on IGMP groups through the switches.

When you request multicast from the camera via Milestone, you are asking to start an RTSP. Then the camera establishes an RTSP session with Milestone Recording Server and Recording Server retrieves video from the IGMP group that it joins.

See video:

Also, please make sure that you have configured to use the same default address on the camera. If not, make it identical and then it should work properly.

When cameras are added to another VMS than Milestone, at the same time, or reconnected, most probably this will assign a different Multicast address to the camera. They will have encoding settings also on the other VMS, let’s call it Encoder Config T.

This is what happens:

When cameras are added to Milestone, Milestone interface at Management Client shows that Default address on Camera web is used and Milestone also pulls what camera has, as configured (Identical to Encoder Config T). When you add, Milestone does not push any setting to the camera.

If the Multicast address and the Multicast Port configured at the other VMS is different than the Milestone Multicast Address and Port, when you change the setting from Milestone side, the other VMS stream should stop.

If you unify both, then it should work.

In addition, if you encounter issues with camera which stops streaming on the other VMS or if any changes made from Milestone alter the default streaming mode on the camera itself, this might happen due to the nature of the Configuration on Milestone vs. the other VMS being different.

At Milestone, by default the Multicast configuration is as follows:

How does Milestone Multicast work and how can it be configured in parallel with another VMS3.png

The term "Default" refers to whatever Multicast address is present in the camera, UNLESS you specify here. The Port is by default 1234. The camera address in Configuration- Network- Multicast is by default setup as 224.16.17.2:

How does Milestone Multicast work and how can it be configured in parallel with another VMS4.png

So, according to default port set in Milestone ( 1234), the stream should work at 224.16.17.2:1234 which is visible in Wireshark:

How does Milestone Multicast work and how can it be configured in parallel with another VMS5.png

How does Milestone Multicast work and how can it be configured in parallel with another VMS6.png

It is optional to set a different port, free for the user to choose, i.e. 47806 stated in the camera. Then as mentioned above the address will be the same and port could be 47806.
Also it is free of choice to change both sides ( Milestone vs. Camera Web) to match the ports according to the needs. That is , not only Milestone side, also camera side can be set according to what is configured at Milestone Management client

Note

Milestone in DESCRIBE does NOT specify any Multicast address, hence the camera uses its default multicast address. If you configure Milestone to use specific Address and port, then it will issue that in DESCRIBE directly. Please also pay attention that the Port on camera vs. the port on request is different.

Therefore, you have to make sure that Milestone and the other VMS config is identical. Then it will surely function.

Note

However, please be aware that it is not supported to have a camera managed by 2 VMS at same time, as both VMS will compete with each other and try to push settings.