Choosing Network Interface on a multi-NIC system

[raptor95368]

I use VLC everyday, as I work for a company that makes video compression/VOD/video convergence equipment. My receiving systems are windows based systems...WinXP/7/2K3 Server...these systems must talk on several different networks. I have a problem with VLC receiving on these systems. If I disable the other NIC(s), then VLC receives, deocdes and plays out perfectly. Is there a way specify which network interface VLC listens on from the GUI? My Video transport network is static and could be set at installation if that is an options as well. If there is no GUI method, is there a specific cli syntax to use in windows to make the assignement permanent or will it have to be specified for each use?

Thanks for your assistance

[VLC_help]

There isn't option for that. With UDP it might help if you specify IP-address as part of the MRL.

[psycho69]

I would try to solve this in one of two ways.

1. Set the NIC, which is connected to the stream, to be the first one in Control Panel -> Network Connections -> Advanced -> Advanced Settings. There you can move connections up and down with arrows on the right. So put the one through which you want VLC to recieve on top of the list.

2. Set a permanent route for the stream. For example, if your NIC that you want VLC to use has static IP 192.168.25.1 and your stream comes from 239.255.x.x, you should set permanent route with the following command line:
route -p add 239.255.0.0 mask 255.255.0.0 192.168.25.1

I hope some of this helps you.

[raptor95368]

to VLC-Help...the UDP output is multicast for the most part, and may be from multiple sources, depending on what TS I need to receive, so we are limited to that...

to psycho69...will test the NIC order on the receiving system...setting a fixed route would work the the specified video network, but we output mulitiple streams from each VOD server or remultiplexer, so the multicast IP will be different from each sending device...I may be able to do this for a specific address and then readdress the stream from the VOD server for testing purposes. Will test both options and reply here.

Thanks to both for your advice...it is appreciated greatly, as this tool is really a critical one for testing and troubleshooting...

[Andrey]

I think it will be helpful.
The VLC player, as I have found, uses first ip address in the stack. Hence, we must push up the appropriate ip to high position by change its metric to lower value.

1. Open "Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections"
2. Select appropriate connection.
3. Select Properties (Page "Networking").
3. Select "Internet Protocol... "
4. Press button "Advanced".
5. Uncheck "Automatic metric" and input into Interface metric field value - 1.

Apply changes and start VLC.
In my case it works good.
Good luck