Automation, Multicast - How to receive multicast paging from up to 5 sources

Each 2N IP Intercom can receive and send one multicast stream without any license. However, if you need your intercom to listen to multiple sources – maybe up to five at once (or send multicast to different addresses), then you will need an Enhanced Integration (up to v2.35) or Gold license (v2.35 onwards), which will allow you to set up the functionality via Automation. Such scenario may be useful, for example, in an area with several multistorey buildings with several departments, where:

  • the intercoms in the 1st building will listen to multicast at the address 224.1.0.0 and port 11000,
  • the intercoms in the 2nd building will listen to multicast at the same address (or different – e.g. 224.2.0.0) and port 12000, etc.,
  • the intercoms on the 1st floor of the 1st building will listen, as well, to the multicast again at the same address (or different – e.g. 224.1.1.0) and port 11100,
  • the intercoms on the 2nd floor of the 1st building will listen, as well, to the multicast again at the same address (or different – e.g. 224.1.2.0) and port 11200, etc.
  • the intercoms in the 1st department on the 1st floor of the 1st building will also listen to multicast, e.g. at address 224.1.1.1 and port 11110,
  • the intercoms in the 2nd department on the 1st floor of the 1st building will also listen to multicast, e.g. at address 224.1.1.2 and port 11120, etc.
  • and at the same time the intercoms in all buildings, floors and departments will listen to multicast, e.g. at address 224.0.0.0 and port 10000.

In other words, in such scenario, each 2N IP Intercom listens on 4 different multicast addresses and ports at once.

There must be no odd port numbers used (e.g. 10001, 10003, 10011 etc.)

How to set up the 2N IP Intercom to receive multicast paging from up to 5 sources?

  1. Navigate to "Services->Streaming->Multicast->Multicast Audio Receiving" (see image below)

  2. We will adjust the following parameters (eg. the multicast source that will be listened to by intercoms in all buildings together), thus enabling reception from one common source:
    Multicast Receiver Enabled: ✔
    Receive IP Address: 224.0.0.0
    Receive Port: 10000
    Codec: the corresponding codec (which was selected for the respective multicast paging as well)



  3. Navigate to "Services -> Automation" section -> select a free function -> create and save the given automation (see the picture below).
    Connect the required number of "StartMulticastRecv" blocks according to how many multicast addresses and ports, respectively, you want to be able to receive multicast streams from at once.
    We can set up reception from up to 4 other sources as we have channels 0 - 3 available here, each of which can be used only once.
    The example below shows what the automation in the intercom would look like on the 1st department of the 3rd floor in the 2nd building (according to the scenario described in the introduction).
    Then reboot the intercom "System -> Maintenance" - Restart, because in this case we have the "Rebooted" event set.



    The automation can be uploaded directly to the intercom – the file is available here: Multicast.am

    Firmware & License info

    • 2N OS v2.37 with GOLD license
    • Last updated on 25th of January 2023


    Note: All commands used in the Automation section are thoroughly described in our Automation manual altogether with corresponding examples.

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