NewTek TriCaster Mini User Manual page 327

Connecting in this manner requires you to have a connection with sufficient
bandwidth to deliver a stream to each individual user. For this reason, the simple Pull
streaming method rarely works well for more than 1 or 2 viewers.
 Advantages:
o When TriCaster is not behind a firewall or does not have a public IP
address, this is a very simple way to let a few viewers watch your
program stream.
 Disadvantages:
o Requires either a public IP address or requires users to be on the same
network. Facilities such as hotels or convention centers will usually
not provide a public IP address. Even if they do, getting them to open
holes in their firewall is next to impossible.
o If TriCaster is behind a router, your router must be configured to 'port
forward'.
o Requires significant bandwidth -- for example, with TriCaster
connected to the Internet by a DSL or Cable Modem line, upload
bandwidth is often less than 400kbits/second. Allowing for network
overhead, at best a 320kbit steam can be accommodated. This
bandwidth would be fully consumed by two viewers watching
160kbit streams, or a single viewer pulling a 170-320kbit stream.
(Even a T1 digital line can only handle four simultaneous 300kbit
streams)
A variation on the Pull method involves using an external streaming provider. At one
time the only method for streaming using such a provider was to have the server 'pull'
it from the encoder. Under this system the server did not receive the stream until the
first user requested it. Then the server would connect to the encoder, pull the stream
to it, and finally begin re-distributing it to everyone requesting it. This method
worked passably until firewalls became more common.
 Advantages:
.
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