Broadcast Protocols
Broadcast Protocols
- Subject: Broadcast Protocols
- From: Gordon Apple <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:17:13 -0500
- Thread-topic: Broadcast Protocols
Title: Broadcast Protocols
Not exactly a Mac question, unless it is. I have not been able to find the answer to this via Google, or elsewhere.
What I would like is a means to broadcast, either over a network or especially over a WiFi channel, a single stream (possibly UDP) which can be (optionally) received by anyone on the LAN or within WiFi range. Unfortunately, this does not fit the usual individual connection/socket based architecture of modern networking. The application is primarily for the distribution of video and other signals, sent to everyone in a classroom or auditorium for reception on a lapTop, iPad, whatever. My limited understanding of “multicast” is that this is a router function, where a single stream is replicated to each receiver. This does not work for WiFi due to spectrum capacity limitations.
I have a very strong background in the fundamentals of communications systems and theory, so I see no theoretical issue in the concept. However, although I understand protocols and such (heck, I developed some for NSA), I have been unable to find any software or hardware implementation of such a system. If you know of such, please let me know.
I have considered two possibilities. One is a UDP-type delivery system (for large venues), another, a TCP-type one-way stream with individual ack connections (smaller venue). I realize that doing this might require some low-level programming.
In another case, I would also like for a user to be able to select receive-only channels from a composite stream, possibly by selecting port numbers. But I don’t know how to configure a receive-only socket which has made no specific connection to the source. Every thing I have seen is based on point-to-point connections with individual streams. If there are 30 receivers, I don’t want 30 duplicated individual streams, which would choke a WiFi implementation.
I figure something like this must exist. Maybe a WiMax or TV-cable distribution system which carries TV stations. Maybe there has to be a low-rate connection established, so that only channels are broadcast which at least one user wants to receive.
If anyone here is knowledgable on such systems, I would appreciate any guidance or links.
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