This article provides an introduction to configuring MVR (Multicast VLAN Registration) in both standalone and Controller modes on supported Omada Switches.

Why do we need MVR?

In Layer 2 networks, IGMP Snooping reduces multicast data flooding on the LAN and improves network efficiency. However, IGMP Snooping usually only takes effect within a single VLAN and is ineffective for cross-VLAN multicast traffic management.

The MVR function is designed to solve the problem of cross-VLAN multicast traffic management. It uses a special, human-specified VLAN—the Multicast VLAN—to forward multicast traffic in the layer 2 network. In the absence of MVR, multicast traffic may be replicated and transmitted across multiple VLANs, as shown in the figure below. This will waste network bandwidth.

MVR allows multicast traffic to be transmitted only once in a specified multicast VLAN and then distributed to receivers of different VLANs as needed, as shown in the following figure. By using a dedicated multicast VLAN to forward multicast traffic, MVR avoids flooding multicast traffic in multiple VLANs, thus improving the transmission efficiency of multicast traffic. At the same time, MVR can isolate multicast traffic for different users or services without sacrificing bandwidth, enhancing the security and organization of the network.

1. Configure MVR in Standalone mode

Configure the MVR based on the topology diagram above. Ports 1/0/1, 1/0/2, and 1/0/3 of Switch2 connect to devices in different VLANs, and port 1/0/10 connects to Switch 1 as the uplink port.

1.1 Configure 802.1Q VLANs

Before configuring MVR, create an 802.1Q VLAN as the multicast VLAN. Add all source ports (uplink ports that receive multicast data from the router) to the multicast VLAN as tagged ports. Configure 802.1Q VLANs for the receiver ports (ports that are connecting to the hosts) according to network requirements. Note that receiver ports can only belong to one VLAN and cannot be added to the multicast VLAN. In this example, we use Port 1/0/10 as the Source port to add the multicast VLAN. Ports 1/0/1, 1/0/2, and 1/0/3 are Receiver ports.

In L2 FEATURES->802.1Q VLAN, add a new VLAN and set it to Tagged Ports. This port serves as the uplink port.

Use the same method to add host VLANs 101, 102, and 103, set them to Untagged Ports, and set the PVID of the host VLANs to the corresponding VLAN ID.

Note: After VLANs are added, remove receiver ports (in this example: 1/0/1, 1/0/2 and 1/0/3) from VLAN1.

1.2 Configure MVR Globally

Set MVR on the L2 FEATURES->Multicast->MVR ->MVR Config page. Enable MVR globally, select the MVR mode, and set the corresponding Multicast VLAN ID to 100. Click Apply.

1.3 Add multicast groups to MVR

Specify the start IP address of a contiguous series of multicast groups to be added to the MVR. Multicast data sent to the address specified here will be sent to all source ports on the switch and receiver ports requesting data from that multicast address.

1.4 Configure MVR for the ports

Enable MVR on the ports that connect with the hosts and the IGMP router and configure the corresponding parameters. In this example, ports 1/0/10 are set as Source ports, and ports 1/0/1, 1/0/2, and 1/0/3 are set as Receiver ports.

Source Port: Configure the uplink ports that receive and send multicast data on the multicast VLAN as source ports. Source ports should belong to the multicast VLAN.

Receiver Port: Configure the ports connecting to the hosts as receiver ports. A receiver port can only belong to one VLAN and cannot belong to the multicast VLAN.

2. Configure the MVR on the Controller by sending down a CLI template

In controller mode, the MVR cannot be configured using the GUI. You must use the CLI template to deliver commands to implement the MVR function.

2.1 Configure the Multicast VLAN and host VLANs

As in standalone mode, we must create a multicast VLAN to distribute multicast traffic. In Settings->Wired Networks->LAN->Networks, click Create New LAN. Create multicast VLAN 100 and host VLAN 101,102, and 103, respectively.

2.2 Configure the Port Profile and deliver it to the corresponding port

On the Devices->Device->Port List page, click the Edit button to configure the profiles of Port1, Port2, and Port3 as those of VLAN 101, 102, and 103. For the source port, you can use all profile.

Port10 serves as the Source port of the Multicast VLAN and sets its profile to All.

2.3 Configure MVR

Currently, the Controller does not support configuring MVR through the GUI but can be configured through the CLI template. Turn on global IGMP Snooping and use its drop unknown packet feature.

Copy the following CLI Commands:

#

ip igmp snooping

ip igmp snooping drop-unknown

mvr

mvr mode dynamic

mvr vlan 100

mvr group 235.0.0.10 3

#

interface gigabitEthernet 1/0/10

mvr

mvr type source

exit

#

interface range gigabitEthernet 1/0/1-3

mvr

mvr type receiver

#

Note: The symbol # on the first and last lines must be copied.

On the Settings->CLI Configuration->Device CLI page, click Create New Device CLI Profile.

Type Name and Description, paste the CLI you just copied into the CLI input box, and click Next.

Select the switch to deliver the configuration and click Confirm.

Click Apply to send the MVR configuration.

For more information about MVR features and CLI, see CLI Guide and User Guide.