Advanced Setup - Shure MXW Series User Manual

Networking

Advanced Setup

For more information on configuring advanced MXW networks, reference the Microflex Wireless Networking whitepaper located at www.shure.com.
Manually Assigning Static IP Address
To manually assign IP addresses to the MXW system, follow these steps:
1. Open the Configuration tab.
2. Select the Network Charging Station from the Device List on the upper-
right corner of the page.
3. Select the Manual (Static) IP Mode.
4. Enter the IP settings and press the Apply button.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each additional Charger and Audio Network
Interface. Make sure they are set to the same subnet.
6. To change the IP address of the Access Point Transciever (APT), select
Network Audio from the Interface drop-down.
7. Enter a new IP address that is set to the same subnet as other desired
MXW gear. Press Apply to save changes.
8. Select Control from the Interface drop-down. Enter a new IP address
that is set to the same subnet as other desired MXW gear. Press Apply
to save changes.
Note: The software will close once the Control IP setting is changed.
9. Change the computer's IP address to match the subnet of the MXW
equipment.
10. Reopen the MXW control interface using the Shure Device Discovery
application.
Isolating Audio and Control Networks
When connecting to corporate networks, the MXW system can be
configured to isolate audio and control networks. This protects audio from
distributing to the entire network and significantly decreases network
traffic.
Using the Audio Network Interface
The MXW Audio Network Interface (ANI) can be configured to dedicate
one of its network ports as a control-only connection. Uplink mode blocks
multicast traffic from Port 4 of the ANI, restricting network audio and Shure
Discovery data.
Because the device will not show up in the Shure Device Discovery
application, the IP address of the control software must be recorded to
access the server.
1. Record the IP address of the control software.
2. Connect Port 4 of the ANI to the network.
3. Use the Shure Web Device Discovery application to open the control
software of the ANI.
4. Go to the Preferences tab.
5. Under the Network panel, change Port 4 Mode to Uplink.
Operating the Control Software over Wi-Fi
When operating the MXW control software over Wi-Fi, it's important to set
up the wireless router properly for best performance. The MXW System
employs several standard-based protocols that rely on multicast. Wi-Fi
treats broadcast and multicast packets differently than general packets for
backward compatibility reasons. In some cases, the Wi-Fi router will limit
the multicast packet transmission rate to a value that is too slow for GUI to
properly operate.
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Wi-Fi routers typically support 802.11b, 802.11a/g, and/or 802.11n
standards. By default, many Wi-Fi routers are configured to allow older
802.11b devices to operate over the network. In this configuration, these
routers will automatically limit the multicast data rates (or sometimes
referred to as 'basic rate', or 'management rate') to 1-2Mbps.
Note: A Wi-Fi connection can only be used for the control software.
Network audio cannot be transmitted over Wi-Fi.
Tip: For larger wireless microphone configurations, it's recommended
to increase the multicast transmission rate to provide adequate
bandwidth to the MXW control software.
Important: For best performance, use a Wi-Fi router that does not limit the
multicast rate to 1-2 Mbps.
Shure recommends the following Wi-Fi router brands:
• Cisco
• Linksys
• Apple
Dedicate a Device for Master Clock
Dante uses the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to automatically
select one device as the master clock for all Dante devices on the network.
PTP ensures that all devices are similarly clocked, which is critical for
both audio delivery over the network and time-synced RF transmission
over the wireless link. The master clock in an MXW System is the first
MXW access point that connects to the network. If several connect
simultaneously, the access point with the lowest MAC address will be
selected. Additional MXW components on the same network synchronize
(slave) to this access point clock master.
When a master device shuts down or goes offline, the system will
automatically begin selecting another master. During this selection time
(up to 30 seconds), the entire system will NOT pass audio.
If the network setup or building management requires that devices are
periodically shut down, you can manually select an access point as the
Preferred Master device from Dante Controller software. This allows the
installer to set up the system to ensure that the master access point never
shuts down during events.
Setting Latency
Latency is the amount of time for a signal to travel across the system to
the outputs of a device. To account for variances in latency time between
devices and channels, Dante has a predetermined selection of latency
settings. When the same setting is selected, it ensures that all Dante
devices on the network are in sync.
The latency setting for Dante devices should be set according to the
number of switches in the network. The MXW Audio Network Interface
and Access Point both include an internal switch chip, which counts as a
switch. For example, one network interface connected to an access point
equals two switches.
Use Audinate's Dante Controller software to change the latency setting.
Latency Recommendations
Latency Setting
0.25 ms
0.5 ms (default)
1 ms
2 ms
Maximum Number of Switches
3
5
10
10+