AV Network Design and VLAN Configuration: The Complete Professional Guide

Master the complexities of AV network infrastructure with comprehensive VLAN design, configuration, and optimization techniques. This essential guide covers everything from basic networking concepts to advanced enterprise-level AV network deployments, providing practical solutions for professional AV integrators and network administrators.

Meta Description: Complete guide to AV network design with VLAN setup, QoS configuration, bandwidth calculations, and security best practices for professional AVoIP installations.

Keywords: AV network design, VLAN setup AV systems, AV over IP network configuration, AVoIP VLAN, network topology AV, QoS for AV, AV network security, VLAN configuration switches

Introduction to AV Network Design Challenges
VLAN Fundamentals for AV Professionals
Network Architecture Planning
Step-by-Step VLAN Configuration
Bandwidth Calculations and Requirements
Quality of Service (QoS) Implementation
Security Best Practices
Network Topology Examples
Troubleshooting Network Issues
Case Studies and Real-World Examples
Advanced Configuration Topics
Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction to AV Network Design Challenges {#av-network-challenges}

The Modern AV Network Landscape

Today's audiovisual systems demand robust, scalable network infrastructure capable of handling high-bandwidth, low-latency media streams while maintaining reliability and security. Unlike traditional data networks, AV networks must accommodate:

Real-time media streaming with strict latency requirements
High bandwidth consumption for 4K/8K video and uncompressed audio
Multicast traffic patterns for one-to-many distribution
Deterministic performance for mission-critical applications
Integration with existing IT infrastructure without compromising security

Common AV Network Challenges

Bandwidth Contention

Problem: Multiple 4K streams overwhelming network capacity
Impact: Frame drops, audio dropouts, system instability
Solution: Proper VLAN segmentation and bandwidth allocation

Latency and Jitter

Problem: Inconsistent packet delivery times
Impact: Audio/video synchronization issues, poor user experience
Solution: QoS prioritization and dedicated AV VLANs

Network Congestion

Problem: AV traffic competing with data traffic
Impact: Degraded performance for both AV and data systems
Solution: Traffic isolation through VLAN implementation

Security Vulnerabilities

Problem: AV devices on general network segments
Impact: Potential security breaches and unauthorized access
Solution: Secure VLAN design with proper access controls

VLAN Fundamentals for AV Professionals {#vlan-fundamentals}

Understanding VLANs in AV Context

Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) create logical network segments within physical network infrastructure, enabling traffic isolation, improved security, and enhanced performance management for AV systems.

Key VLAN Benefits for AV

Traffic Isolation

Separates AV traffic from general data traffic
Prevents network congestion from affecting AV performance
Enables targeted QoS policies

Security Enhancement

Restricts access to AV devices and systems
Creates secure communication channels
Prevents unauthorized network access

Performance Optimization

Dedicated bandwidth allocation for AV traffic
Reduces broadcast domain size
Enables multicast optimization

Simplified Management

Centralized network policy administration
Easier troubleshooting and monitoring
Scalable infrastructure growth

VLAN Types for AV Networks

Static VLANs (Port-Based)

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 description ,[object Object],

Dynamic VLANs (802.1X-Based)

bash

[object Object],
radius-server host 192.168.1.10 key secret123
aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
dot1x system-auth-control

Voice VLANs (Specialized for Audio)

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 switchport voice vlan 150
 switchport priority extend trust

Network Architecture Planning {#network-architecture}

AV Network Design Principles

Hierarchical Network Design

Core Layer

High-speed backbone connectivity
Redundant paths for fault tolerance
Minimal processing overhead

bash

[object Object],
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree vlan 1-4094 priority 4096
vtp mode transparent

Distribution Layer

VLAN routing and policy enforcement
QoS implementation
Security policy application

bash

[object Object],
ip routing
interface vlan 100
 ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

Access Layer

Device connectivity
VLAN assignment
Port security implementation

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 switchport port-security
 switchport port-security mac-address sticky

Network Segmentation Strategy

Production AV VLAN (VLAN 100)

Live video encoders and decoders
Audio processors and amplifiers
Video walls and displays

Control System VLAN (VLAN 200)

Touch panels and user interfaces
Control processors
Scheduling systems

Management VLAN (VLAN 300)

Device configuration and monitoring
Network management systems
Firmware update services

Guest Presentation VLAN (VLAN 400)

Wireless presentation systems
Temporary device connectivity
Isolated from production systems

Step-by-Step VLAN Configuration {#vlan-configuration}

Cisco Switch Configuration

Initial VLAN Creation

bash

[object Object],
Switch> ,[object Object],
Switch# configure terminal

,[object Object],
Switch(config)# vlan 100
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Production
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Switch(config)# vlan 200
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Control
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Switch(config)# vlan 300
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Management
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Switch(config)# vlan 400
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Guest
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Port Assignment Configuration

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-8
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpduguard ,[object Object],
 description ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/9-16
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 200
 spanning-tree portfast
 description ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/17-20
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 300
 description ,[object Object],

Trunk Configuration for Uplinks

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/48
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 100,200,300,400
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 description ,[object Object],

HP/Aruba Switch Configuration

VLAN Creation and Configuration

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch> ,[object Object],
HP-Switch# configure terminal

,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# vlan 100
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# name ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config)# vlan 200
HP-Switch(vlan-200)# name ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(vlan-200)# ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# vlan 100
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# ,[object Object],

Port Configuration

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# interface ethernet 1/1-8
HP-Switch(eth-1/1-8)# untagged vlan 100
HP-Switch(eth-1/1-8)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config)# interface ethernet 1/9-16
HP-Switch(eth-1/9-16)# untagged vlan 200
HP-Switch(eth-1/9-16)# ,[object Object],

Ubiquiti UniFi Configuration

Via UniFi Controller Web Interface

Step 1: Create VLANs

Navigate to Settings → Networks
Click "Create New Network"

Configure VLAN settings:

Name: AV-Production
VLAN ID: 100
Gateway/Subnet: 192.168.100.1/24
DHCP: Enabled

Step 2: Configure Switch Ports

Navigate to Devices → Select Switch

Configure port profiles:

Port Profile: AV-Production
Native Network: AV-Production (VLAN 100)
Tagged Networks: None (for access ports)

Step 3: Apply Port Profiles

Select ports 1-8 for production devices
Apply AV-Production profile

Netgear Smart Switch Configuration

Web Interface Configuration

bash

[object Object],
,[object Object],

,[object Object],
VLAN ID: 100
VLAN Name: AV-Production
Status: Enable

,[object Object],
Port 1-8: Member (Untagged)
Port 24: Member (Tagged) - Trunk port

Bandwidth Calculations and Requirements {#bandwidth-requirements}

Understanding AV Bandwidth Requirements

Video Bandwidth Calculations

Uncompressed Video Formula

Bandwidth = Width × Height × Frame Rate × Color Depth × Overhead

Example: 4K60 RGB
3840 × 2160 × 60 × 24 × 1.25 = 11.9 Gbps

Common Video Format Requirements

bash

[object Object],
1080p60 RGB:     3.56 Gbps uncompressed
1080p30 RGB:     1.78 Gbps uncompressed
720p60 RGB:      1.59 Gbps uncompressed

,[object Object],
4K60 RGB:        11.9 Gbps uncompressed
4K30 RGB:        5.95 Gbps uncompressed
4K60 YUV 4:2:0:  5.95 Gbps uncompressed

,[object Object],
4K60 H.264:      25-50 Mbps
4K60 H.265:      15-30 Mbps
1080p60 H.264:   8-15 Mbps

Audio Bandwidth Requirements

bash

[object Object],
PCM Stereo 48kHz/24bit:     2.3 Mbps
PCM 8-channel 48kHz/24bit:  9.2 Mbps
PCM Stereo 96kHz/24bit:     4.6 Mbps

,[object Object],
AAC Stereo:                 128-320 Kbps
MP3 Stereo:                 128-320 Kbps
Dante Audio (64 channels):  ~45 Mbps

Network Capacity Planning

Switch Port Utilization Guidelines

bash

[object Object],
Access Layer Ports:     70% maximum utilization
Distribution Uplinks:   50% maximum utilization
Core Backbone:          40% maximum utilization

,[object Object],
Total Capacity:         48 Gbps
Safe Operating Load:    33.6 Gbps (70%)
4K Streams Supported:   ~67 streams (500 Mbps each)

Oversubscription Ratios

bash

[object Object],
Access to Distribution: 4:1 maximum
Distribution to Core:   2:1 maximum

,[object Object],
Downlink Capacity:      48 Gbps
Uplink Requirement:     12 Gbps minimum (4×3Gb links)
Recommended Uplink:     20 Gbps (2×10Gb links)

Bandwidth Monitoring and Management

SNMP Monitoring Configuration

bash

[object Object],
snmp-server community AVMonitor ro
snmp-server location ,[object Object],
snmp-server contact ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps snmp linkdown linkup
snmp-server host 192.168.1.100 AVMonitor

Real-Time Bandwidth Monitoring

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], pysnmp
,[object Object], pysnmp.hlapi ,[object Object], *

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object], (errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varBinds) ,[object Object], nextCmd(
        SnmpEngine(),
        CommunityData(community),
        UdpTransportTarget((target_ip, ,[object Object],)),
        ContextData(),
        ObjectType(ObjectIdentity(,[object Object],, interface_index)),
        lexicographicMode=,[object Object],):
        
        ,[object Object], errorIndication:
            ,[object Object],(errorIndication)
            ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], errorStatus:
            ,[object Object],(,[object Object], % (errorStatus.prettyPrint(),
                                errorIndex ,[object Object], varBinds[,[object Object],(errorIndex) - ,[object Object],][,[object Object],] ,[object Object], ,[object Object],))
            ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object],:
            ,[object Object], varBind ,[object Object], varBinds:
                ,[object Object],(,[object Object],.join([x.prettyPrint() ,[object Object], x ,[object Object], varBind]))

Quality of Service (QoS) Implementation {#qos-implementation}

QoS Fundamentals for AV Networks

Quality of Service ensures predictable network performance by prioritizing critical traffic and managing network resources effectively. For AV networks, QoS is essential for maintaining consistent audio/video quality.

Traffic Classification

DSCP Marking Standards for AV

bash

[object Object],
Video (Broadcast):      DSCP 34 (AF41)
Video (Interactive):    DSCP 32 (AF32)
Video (Streaming):      DSCP 26 (AF31)

,[object Object],
Audio (Voice):          DSCP 46 (EF)
Audio (Music):          DSCP 34 (AF41)

,[object Object],
Network Control:        DSCP 48 (CS6)
Device Control:         DSCP 24 (AF31)

Cisco QoS Configuration

Class Map Configuration

bash

[object Object],
class-map match-all AV-VIDEO-CRITICAL
 match dscp af41
 match access-group name AV-VIDEO-ACL

class-map match-all AV-AUDIO-CRITICAL
 match dscp ef
 match access-group name AV-AUDIO-ACL

class-map match-all AV-CONTROL
 match dscp af31
 match vlan 200

Policy Map Configuration

bash

[object Object],
policy-map AV-NETWORK-POLICY
 class AV-AUDIO-CRITICAL
  priority percent 20
  ,[object Object], dscp ef
 class AV-VIDEO-CRITICAL
  bandwidth percent 60
  ,[object Object], dscp af41
 class AV-CONTROL
  bandwidth percent 10
  ,[object Object], dscp af31
 class class-default
  bandwidth percent 10
  random-detect

Interface Application

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 service-policy input AV-NETWORK-POLICY
 service-policy output AV-NETWORK-POLICY

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-8
 mls qos trust dscp
 priority-queue out

HP/Aruba QoS Configuration

Traffic Classification

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# class-map ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# match dscp 34
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config)# class-map ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# match dscp 46
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# ,[object Object],

Policy Configuration

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# policy-map ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-policymap)# class ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# priority 7
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config-policymap)# class ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# priority 5
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# ,[object Object],

Advanced QoS Techniques

Traffic Shaping for Multicast

bash

[object Object],
ip multicast-routing
interface vlan 100
 ip pim sparse-mode
 ip multicast rate-limit ,[object Object], 100000
 ip multicast rate-limit out 100000

Congestion Management

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 fair-queue
 random-detect
 random-detect exponential-weighting-constant 10

Security Best Practices {#security-practices}

Network Security Architecture

Network Segmentation Security

Micro-Segmentation Strategy

bash

[object Object],
VLAN 100 (Production):  High security, restricted access
VLAN 200 (Control):     Medium security, authenticated access
VLAN 300 (Management):  High security, admin access only
VLAN 400 (Guest):       Low security, isolated

Access Control Lists (ACLs)

bash

[object Object],
access-list 100 deny ip 192.168.400.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 100 deny ip 192.168.400.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.200.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 100 permit ip any any

,[object Object],
interface vlan 400
 ip access-group 100 ,[object Object],

Device Authentication

802.1X Configuration

bash

[object Object],
aaa new-model
aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
aaa authorization network default group radius

,[object Object],
radius server ISE
 address ipv4 192.168.1.50 auth-port 1812 acct-port 1813
 key SecureKey123!

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 authentication port-control auto
 authentication periodic
 authentication timer restart 3600
 dot1x pae authenticator

MAC Address Authentication Bypass (MAB)

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-8
 authentication order dot1x mab
 authentication priority dot1x mab
 mab

Device Security Hardening

Switch Security Configuration

bash

[object Object],
no ip http server
no cdp run
no service pad
no service finger
no service udp-small-servers
no service tcp-small-servers

,[object Object],
logging on
logging buffered 64000 debugging
logging console critical
logging monitor informational
logging ,[object Object], notifications
logging facility local0

,[object Object],
line vty 0 15
 transport input ssh
 login authentication default

Port Security Implementation

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 switchport port-security
 switchport port-security maximum 2
 switchport port-security mac-address sticky
 switchport port-security violation restrict
 switchport port-security aging-time 1440

Encryption and VPN Configuration

Site-to-Site VPN for AV Networks

bash

[object Object],
crypto isakmp policy 10
 encr aes 256
 ,[object Object], sha256
 authentication pre-share
 group 14

crypto isakmp key SecureAVKey123! address 203.0.113.10

crypto ipsec transform-set AV-TRANSFORM esp-aes 256 esp-sha256-hmac
 mode tunnel

crypto map AV-CRYPTO-MAP 10 ipsec-isakmp
 ,[object Object], peer 203.0.113.10
 ,[object Object], transform-set AV-TRANSFORM
 match address AV-VPN-TRAFFIC

,[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1
 crypto map AV-CRYPTO-MAP

SSL/TLS for Web-Based Management

bash

[object Object],
crypto key generate rsa general-keys modulus 2048 label SSL-KEY
crypto pki certificate map DEVICE-CERT 10
 subject-name co device.local

,[object Object],
ip http secure-server
no ip http server

Network Topology Examples {#topology-examples}

Small Conference Room Network

Single VLAN Approach

Network Topology:
┌─────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐
│   Core Switch   │────│  Access Switch   │
│  (Distribution) │    │    (24-port)     │
└─────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘
                           │    │    │
                      ┌─────────┐ │ ┌─────────┐
                      │Encoder  │ │ │ Decoder │
                      │VLAN 100 │ │ │VLAN 100 │
                      └─────────┘ │ └─────────┘
                              ┌─────────┐
                              │Touch    │
                              │Panel    │
                              │VLAN 100 │
                              └─────────┘

Configuration Example:

bash

[object Object],
vlan 100
 name Conference-Room-A
 
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-12
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 spanning-tree portfast

Medium Enterprise Installation

Multi-VLAN Segmented Network

Network Topology:
                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │ Core Switch │
                    │  Layer 3    │
                    └─────┬───────┘
                          │
              ┌───────────┴───────────┐
              │                       │
    ┌─────────┴────────┐    ┌────────┴─────────┐
    │Distribution SW A │    │Distribution SW B │
    │    Building 1    │    │    Building 2    │
    └─────────┬────────┘    └────────┬─────────┘
              │                      │
    ┌─────────┴────────┐    ┌────────┴─────────┐
    │  Access SW 1A    │    │  Access SW 2A    │
    │ VLAN 100,200,300 │    │ VLAN 100,200,300 │
    └──────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘

VLAN Routing Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
ip routing

interface vlan 100
 ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

interface vlan 200
 ip address 192.168.200.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

interface vlan 300
 ip address 192.168.300.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

Large Campus Network

Hierarchical Design with Redundancy

Campus Network Architecture:

         ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
         │ Core SW 1   │────│ Core SW 2   │
         │   Primary   │    │  Backup     │
         └─────┬───────┘    └───────┬─────┘
               │                    │
        ┌──────┴──────┬─────────────┴──────┬─────────┐
        │             │                    │         │
┌───────┴────────┐ ┌──┴──────────────┐ ┌───┴─────────┴───┐
│Distribution 1  │ │Distribution 2   │ │Distribution 3   │
│Building A      │ │Building B       │ │Building C       │
└───────┬────────┘ └──┬──────────────┘ └───┬─────────────┘
        │             │                    │
    ┌───┴───┐     ┌───┴───┐           ┌────┴────┐
    │Access │     │Access │           │ Access  │
    │SW 1A  │     │SW 2A  │           │ SW 3A   │
    └───────┘     └───────┘           └─────────┘

Spanning Tree Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree vlan 100 priority 4096
spanning-tree vlan 200 priority 8192
spanning-tree portfast bpduguard default

,[object Object],
spanning-tree vlan 1-1000 root primary

Troubleshooting Network Issues {#troubleshooting}

Common AV Network Problems

Video Quality Issues

Symptom: Pixelation and Artifacts

bash

[object Object],
show interface gigabitethernet 0/1 | include error
show interface gigabitethernet 0/1 counters

,[object Object],
ping 192.168.100.50 repeat 100

,[object Object],
show interface gigabitethernet 0/1 stats

Resolution Steps:

Check physical connections
Verify cable integrity
Monitor bandwidth utilization
Adjust QoS policies
Update device drivers

Audio Synchronization Problems

Symptom: Audio/Video Lip Sync Issues

bash

[object Object],
ping 192.168.100.50
traceroute 192.168.100.50

,[object Object],
show ip sla statistics 1 detail

Configuration Fix:

bash

[object Object],
ip sla 1
 udp-jitter 192.168.100.50 1234 source-ip 192.168.100.1
 frequency 10

,[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 traffic-shape rate 800000000

Multicast Delivery Issues

Symptom: Missing Multicast Streams

bash

[object Object],
show ip mroute
show ip pim neighbor
show ip igmp ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
show ip mfib 239.255.1.1

Resolution Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
ip multicast-routing
interface vlan 100
 ip pim sparse-mode

,[object Object],
ip pim rp-candidate loopback0
ip pim bsr-candidate loopback0

Network Performance Optimization

Switch Performance Tuning

bash

[object Object],
mls qos queue-set output 1 buffers 25 25 25 25
mls qos queue-set output 1 threshold 3 100 100 50 200

,[object Object],
system mtu jumbo 9000
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-48
 mtu 9000

VLAN Optimization

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 storm-control broadcast level 1.00
 storm-control multicast level 10.00
 storm-control action ,[object Object],

Monitoring and Alerting

SNMP Monitoring Setup

bash

[object Object],
snmp-server community AVNetwork ro 99
snmp-server trap-source loopback0
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps config
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps entity
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps cpu threshold
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps memory bufferpeak

,[object Object],
process cpu threshold ,[object Object], total rising 80 interval 60
process memory threshold ,[object Object], processor rising 80 interval 60

Custom Monitoring Scripts

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], subprocess
,[object Object], smtplib
,[object Object], datetime ,[object Object], datetime

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    
    ,[object Object],
    ping_result = subprocess.run([,[object Object],, ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],, encoder_ip], 
                                capture_output=,[object Object],, text=,[object Object],)
    
    ,[object Object], ping_result.returncode != ,[object Object],:
        send_alert(,[object Object],)
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
    
    ,[object Object],
    latency_line = [line ,[object Object], line ,[object Object], ping_result.stdout.split(,[object Object],) 
                   ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], line]
    
    ,[object Object], latency_line:
        avg_latency = ,[object Object],(latency_line[,[object Object],].split(,[object Object],)[-,[object Object],])
        ,[object Object], avg_latency > ,[object Object],:  ,[object Object],
            send_alert(,[object Object],)
    
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    smtp_server = smtplib.SMTP(,[object Object],, ,[object Object],)
    smtp_server.starttls()
    smtp_server.login(,[object Object],, ,[object Object],)
    
    email_body = ,[object Object],
    
    smtp_server.sendmail(,[object Object],, 
                        [,[object Object],], email_body)
    smtp_server.quit()

Case Studies and Real-World Examples {#case-studies}

Case Study 1: Corporate Headquarters Network

Environment:

50-floor building with 200+ conference rooms
4K video conferencing in all rooms
Centralized AV control system
Integration with Microsoft Teams

Network Requirements:

10Gbps backbone capacity
Sub-5ms latency for video conferencing
99.9% uptime requirement
Secure guest presentation access

Implementation Details:

Core Infrastructure:

bash

[object Object],
stack-mac persistent timer 4
switch 1 priority 10
switch 2 priority 9

,[object Object],
vlan 100
 name AV-Production-Video
vlan 200  
 name AV-Production-Audio
vlan 300
 name AV-Control-Systems
vlan 400
 name AV-Management
vlan 500
 name Guest-Presentation

QoS Implementation:

bash

[object Object],
policy-map CORPORATE-QOS
 class BUSINESS-CRITICAL-VIDEO
  priority percent 40
  ,[object Object], dscp af41
 class BUSINESS-CRITICAL-AUDIO
  priority percent 20
  ,[object Object], dscp ef
 class CONTROL-TRAFFIC
  bandwidth percent 15
  ,[object Object], dscp af31
 class class-default
  bandwidth percent 25
  random-detect

Results:

Average latency reduced from 15ms to 3ms
Zero video conference interruptions in 6 months
95% reduction in AV-related help desk tickets
Successful integration with 500+ Teams rooms

Case Study 2: University Campus Network

Environment:

15 buildings across 500-acre campus
150 lecture halls with AV systems
Distance learning capabilities
Student presentation systems

Challenges:

Budget constraints requiring phased implementation
Legacy analog systems requiring integration
High user density during peak hours
Secure separation of administrative and student networks

Solution Architecture:

Phased VLAN Implementation:

bash

[object Object],
vlan 110
 name Phase1-AV-Production
vlan 210
 name Phase1-AV-Control
vlan 310
 name Phase1-Management

,[object Object],
vlan 120
 name Phase2-AV-Production
vlan 220
 name Phase2-AV-Control

,[object Object],
vlan 500
 name Student-Presentation
vlan 510
 name Student-Wireless-Present

Bandwidth Management:

bash

[object Object],
class-map match-all LECTURE-VIDEO
 match vlan 110
 match protocol http url ,[object Object],

policy-map CAMPUS-BANDWIDTH
 class LECTURE-VIDEO
  shape average 500000000
  bandwidth percent 60
 class class-default
  fair-queue
  random-detect

Security Implementation:

bash

[object Object],
access-list 150 deny ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.110.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 150 deny ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.210.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 150 permit ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 150 permit ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 any

interface vlan 500
 ip access-group 150 ,[object Object],

Outcomes:

40% cost savings through phased approach
Zero security incidents related to student access
99.5% system availability during peak semester
Successful support for 10,000+ concurrent users

Case Study 3: Healthcare System Network

Environment:

5-hospital network with telemedicine capabilities
Operating room AV systems for surgical procedures
Patient room entertainment and communication
Strict HIPAA compliance requirements

Critical Requirements:

Ultra-low latency for surgical applications (<1ms)
100% uptime for life-critical systems
Complete network segregation for patient data
Encrypted communications for telemedicine

Network Design:

Critical vs. Non-Critical Segregation:

bash

[object Object],
vlan 100
 name Medical-Critical-AV
vlan 101
 name Surgical-Room-AV
vlan 102
 name ICU-Monitoring

,[object Object],
vlan 200
 name Patient-Entertainment
vlan 201
 name Staff-Training-AV
vlan 202
 name Conference-Rooms

Ultra-Low Latency Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-12
 spanning-tree portfast trunk
 spanning-tree bpduguard ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
switching-mode cut-through

,[object Object],
mls qos queue-set output 1 threshold 1 80 90 100 400
mls qos queue-set output 1 threshold 2 80 90 100 400

Encryption and Security:

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 macsec network-link
 mka pre-shared-key key-chain MEDICAL-KEYS
 mka policy HIPAA-POLICY

key chain MEDICAL-KEYS
 key 1
  key-string SecureMedicalKey2024!
  cryptographic-algorithm aes-256-cmac

Results:

Average latency of 0.3ms for surgical systems
100% uptime over 18-month period
Full HIPAA compliance audit passed
50% improvement in telemedicine quality scores

Advanced Configuration Topics {#advanced-topics}

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) for AV

OpenFlow Integration

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], ryu.base ,[object Object], app_manager
,[object Object], ryu.controller ,[object Object], ofp_event
,[object Object], ryu.controller.handler ,[object Object], CONFIG_DISPATCHER, MAIN_DISPATCHER
,[object Object], ryu.controller.handler ,[object Object], set_ev_cls
,[object Object], ryu.ofproto ,[object Object], ofproto_v1_3

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(app_manager.RyuApp):
    OFP_VERSIONS = [ofproto_v1_3.OFP_VERSION]
    
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        ,[object Object],(AVNetworkController, ,[object Object],).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
        ,[object Object],.av_flows = {}
        
,[object Object],
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        msg = ev.msg
        datapath = msg.datapath
        ofproto = datapath.ofproto
        
        ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],.is_av_traffic(msg):
            ,[object Object],.install_av_flow(datapath, msg)
    
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        ,[object Object],
        eth_pkt = packet.Packet(msg.data)
        ip_pkt = eth_pkt.get_protocol(ipv4.ipv4)
        
        ,[object Object], ip_pkt ,[object Object], ip_pkt.dst.startswith(,[object Object],):  ,[object Object],
            ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        ,[object Object],
        ofproto = datapath.ofproto
        parser = datapath.ofproto_parser
        
        actions = [parser.OFPActionOutput(ofproto.OFPP_FLOOD)]
        inst = [parser.OFPInstructionActions(ofproto.OFPIT_APPLY_ACTIONS, 
                                           actions)]
        
        mod = parser.OFPFlowMod(datapath=datapath, priority=,[object Object],,
                              ,[object Object],=,[object Object],, instructions=inst)
        datapath.send_msg(mod)

Network Automation

Ansible Playbook for VLAN Deployment

yaml

[object Object],
,[object Object],
,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
  ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
  ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
  
  ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], {,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],}
      ,[object Object], {,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],}
      ,[object Object], {,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],}
  
  ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object],
          ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
          ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], ,[object Object],

Python Network Monitoring Dashboard

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], dash
,[object Object], dash ,[object Object], dcc, html, Input, Output
,[object Object], plotly.graph_objs ,[object Object], go
,[object Object], psutil
,[object Object], subprocess
,[object Object], json
,[object Object], datetime ,[object Object], datetime

app = dash.Dash(__name__)

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object],:
        stats = psutil.net_io_counters(pernic=,[object Object],)[interface]
        ,[object Object], {
            ,[object Object],: stats.bytes_sent,
            ,[object Object],: stats.bytes_recv,
            ,[object Object],: stats.packets_sent,
            ,[object Object],: stats.packets_recv,
            ,[object Object],: stats.errin,
            ,[object Object],: stats.errout,
            ,[object Object],: stats.dropin,
            ,[object Object],: stats.dropout
        }
    ,[object Object], KeyError:
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    cmd = ,[object Object],
    result = subprocess.run(cmd.split(), capture_output=,[object Object],, text=,[object Object],)
    
    ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object], {,[object Object],: ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],: ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],: ,[object Object],}

app.layout = html.Div([
    html.H1(,[object Object],),
    
    dcc.Graph(,[object Object],=,[object Object],),
    dcc.Graph(,[object Object],=,[object Object],),
    dcc.Graph(,[object Object],=,[object Object],),
    
    dcc.Interval(
        ,[object Object],=,[object Object],,
        interval=,[object Object],*,[object Object],,  ,[object Object],
        n_intervals=,[object Object],
    )
])

,[object Object],
,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    interfaces = [,[object Object],, ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],]
    data = []
    
    ,[object Object], interface ,[object Object], interfaces:
        stats = get_interface_stats(interface)
        ,[object Object], stats:
            data.append(go.Scatter(
                x=[datetime.now()],
                y=[stats[,[object Object],] / ,[object Object], / ,[object Object],],  ,[object Object],
                name=,[object Object],,
                mode=,[object Object],
            ))
    
    ,[object Object], {,[object Object],: data, ,[object Object],: go.Layout(title=,[object Object],)}

,[object Object], __name__ == ,[object Object],:
    app.run_server(debug=,[object Object],, host=,[object Object],, port=,[object Object],)

Frequently Asked Questions {#faq}

VLAN Configuration Questions

Q: How many VLANs should I create for a typical AV installation?

A: For most installations, 3-4 VLANs provide optimal segmentation:

Production AV (VLAN 100): Encoders, decoders, displays
Control Systems (VLAN 200): Touch panels, processors
Management (VLAN 300): Device configuration, monitoring
Guest/Presentation (VLAN 400): Temporary devices, wireless presentation

Q: Can I use VLAN 1 for AV devices?

A: It's not recommended. VLAN 1 is the default native VLAN and often carries management traffic, spanning tree BPDUs, and other protocols that can interfere with AV performance. Always use dedicated VLANs (100+) for AV systems.

Q: Should audio and video be on separate VLANs?

A: For high-end installations, yes. Separate VLANs allow for:

bash

VLAN 100: Video (4K streams, high bandwidth)
VLAN 150: Audio (Dante, low latency critical)
VLAN 200: Control (,[object Object], panels, processors)

Bandwidth and Performance Questions

Q: How do I calculate bandwidth requirements for 4K video?

A: Use this formula:

Compressed 4K60: 25-50 Mbps per stream
Uncompressed 4K60: 11.9 Gbps per stream
Always add 20% overhead for network protocols

Q: What's the maximum number of 4K streams on a gigabit port?

A: For compressed streams:

bash

1000 Mbps ÷ 50 Mbps = 20 streams theoretical maximum
Practical ,[object Object],: 12-15 streams (accounting ,[object Object], overhead and QoS)

Q: How do I prevent network congestion during large events?

A: Implement these strategies:

Use multicast for one-to-many distribution
Configure traffic shaping and QoS
Monitor bandwidth utilization in real-time
Deploy content caching where possible

Security Questions

Q: How do I secure AV devices that don't support modern authentication?

A: Use these approaches:

MAC address authentication (MAB)
Dedicated secure VLANs with ACLs
Network access control (NAC) solutions
Regular security audits and monitoring

Q: Should AV networks be connected to the corporate network?

A: Yes, but with proper segmentation:

bash

[object Object],
access-list 100 permit tcp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255 eq 80
access-list 100 permit tcp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255 eq 443
access-list 100 deny ip any 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 100 permit ip any any

Troubleshooting Questions

Q: My video streams are pixelating. How do I troubleshoot?

A: Follow this systematic approach:

Check physical connections and cable integrity
Monitor network utilization: show interface gigabit0/1 | include load
Verify QoS policies are applied correctly
Check for packet loss: ping -f destination_ip
Monitor switch buffers: show buffers

Q: Audio and video are out of sync. What causes this?

A: Common causes and solutions:

Network jitter: Implement traffic shaping
Processing delays: Check device buffer settings
Clock synchronization: Use PTP (Precision Time Protocol)
QoS misconfiguration: Ensure audio gets priority over video

Q: How do I monitor AV network performance?

A: Use these monitoring approaches:

SNMP monitoring for interface statistics
Flow analysis tools (NetFlow, sFlow)
Real-time packet capture during issues
Custom monitoring scripts for AV-specific metrics

Conclusion

Designing and implementing robust AV networks with proper VLAN segmentation requires careful planning, thorough understanding of traffic patterns, and systematic approach to security and performance optimization. The key success factors include:

Proper network segmentation using VLANs to isolate AV traffic
Comprehensive bandwidth planning based on actual requirements
Quality of Service implementation to prioritize critical traffic
Security best practices to protect AV infrastructure
Proactive monitoring and troubleshooting to maintain performance
Documentation and standardization for consistent deployments

By following the guidelines, configurations, and best practices outlined in this guide, AV professionals can design and deploy network infrastructure that delivers reliable, high-performance audiovisual experiences while maintaining security and scalability for future growth.

The evolution toward IP-based AV systems continues to accelerate, making network expertise increasingly critical for AV professionals. Mastering these fundamental networking concepts and implementation techniques will ensure successful AV deployments that meet both current needs and future requirements.

Remember that every network environment is unique, and these examples should be adapted to your specific requirements, equipment capabilities, and organizational policies. Regular testing, monitoring, and optimization are essential for maintaining optimal AV network performance.

This guide represents current best practices as of 2024. Network technologies and standards continue to evolve, so always consult the latest vendor documentation and industry standards for the most current recommendations.

End of documentation

AV Network Design and VLAN Configuration: The Complete Professional Guide

Meta Description: Complete guide to AV network design with VLAN setup, QoS configuration, bandwidth calculations, and security best practices for professional AVoIP installations.

Keywords: AV network design, VLAN setup AV systems, AV over IP network configuration, AVoIP VLAN, network topology AV, QoS for AV, AV network security, VLAN configuration switches

Introduction to AV Network Design Challenges
VLAN Fundamentals for AV Professionals
Network Architecture Planning
Step-by-Step VLAN Configuration
Bandwidth Calculations and Requirements
Quality of Service (QoS) Implementation
Security Best Practices
Network Topology Examples
Troubleshooting Network Issues
Case Studies and Real-World Examples
Advanced Configuration Topics
Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction to AV Network Design Challenges {#av-network-challenges}

The Modern AV Network Landscape

Real-time media streaming with strict latency requirements
High bandwidth consumption for 4K/8K video and uncompressed audio
Multicast traffic patterns for one-to-many distribution
Deterministic performance for mission-critical applications
Integration with existing IT infrastructure without compromising security

Common AV Network Challenges

Bandwidth Contention

Problem: Multiple 4K streams overwhelming network capacity
Impact: Frame drops, audio dropouts, system instability
Solution: Proper VLAN segmentation and bandwidth allocation

Latency and Jitter

Problem: Inconsistent packet delivery times
Impact: Audio/video synchronization issues, poor user experience
Solution: QoS prioritization and dedicated AV VLANs

Network Congestion

Problem: AV traffic competing with data traffic
Impact: Degraded performance for both AV and data systems
Solution: Traffic isolation through VLAN implementation

Security Vulnerabilities

Problem: AV devices on general network segments
Impact: Potential security breaches and unauthorized access
Solution: Secure VLAN design with proper access controls

VLAN Fundamentals for AV Professionals {#vlan-fundamentals}

Understanding VLANs in AV Context

Key VLAN Benefits for AV

Traffic Isolation

Separates AV traffic from general data traffic
Prevents network congestion from affecting AV performance
Enables targeted QoS policies

Security Enhancement

Restricts access to AV devices and systems
Creates secure communication channels
Prevents unauthorized network access

Performance Optimization

Dedicated bandwidth allocation for AV traffic
Reduces broadcast domain size
Enables multicast optimization

Simplified Management

Centralized network policy administration
Easier troubleshooting and monitoring
Scalable infrastructure growth

VLAN Types for AV Networks

Static VLANs (Port-Based)

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 description ,[object Object],

Dynamic VLANs (802.1X-Based)

bash

[object Object],
radius-server host 192.168.1.10 key secret123
aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
dot1x system-auth-control

Voice VLANs (Specialized for Audio)

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 switchport voice vlan 150
 switchport priority extend trust

Network Architecture Planning {#network-architecture}

AV Network Design Principles

Hierarchical Network Design

Core Layer

High-speed backbone connectivity
Redundant paths for fault tolerance
Minimal processing overhead

bash

[object Object],
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree vlan 1-4094 priority 4096
vtp mode transparent

Distribution Layer

VLAN routing and policy enforcement
QoS implementation
Security policy application

bash

[object Object],
ip routing
interface vlan 100
 ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

Access Layer

Device connectivity
VLAN assignment
Port security implementation

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 switchport port-security
 switchport port-security mac-address sticky

Network Segmentation Strategy

Production AV VLAN (VLAN 100)

Live video encoders and decoders
Audio processors and amplifiers
Video walls and displays

Control System VLAN (VLAN 200)

Touch panels and user interfaces
Control processors
Scheduling systems

Management VLAN (VLAN 300)

Device configuration and monitoring
Network management systems
Firmware update services

Guest Presentation VLAN (VLAN 400)

Wireless presentation systems
Temporary device connectivity
Isolated from production systems

Step-by-Step VLAN Configuration {#vlan-configuration}

Cisco Switch Configuration

Initial VLAN Creation

bash

[object Object],
Switch> ,[object Object],
Switch# configure terminal

,[object Object],
Switch(config)# vlan 100
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Production
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Switch(config)# vlan 200
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Control
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Switch(config)# vlan 300
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Management
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Switch(config)# vlan 400
Switch(config-vlan)# name AV-Guest
Switch(config-vlan)# ,[object Object],

Port Assignment Configuration

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-8
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 spanning-tree portfast
 spanning-tree bpduguard ,[object Object],
 description ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/9-16
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 200
 spanning-tree portfast
 description ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/17-20
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 300
 description ,[object Object],

Trunk Configuration for Uplinks

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/48
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 100,200,300,400
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 description ,[object Object],

HP/Aruba Switch Configuration

VLAN Creation and Configuration

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch> ,[object Object],
HP-Switch# configure terminal

,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# vlan 100
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# name ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config)# vlan 200
HP-Switch(vlan-200)# name ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(vlan-200)# ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# vlan 100
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
HP-Switch(vlan-100)# ,[object Object],

Port Configuration

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# interface ethernet 1/1-8
HP-Switch(eth-1/1-8)# untagged vlan 100
HP-Switch(eth-1/1-8)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config)# interface ethernet 1/9-16
HP-Switch(eth-1/9-16)# untagged vlan 200
HP-Switch(eth-1/9-16)# ,[object Object],

Ubiquiti UniFi Configuration

Via UniFi Controller Web Interface

Step 1: Create VLANs

Navigate to Settings → Networks
Click "Create New Network"

Configure VLAN settings:

Name: AV-Production
VLAN ID: 100
Gateway/Subnet: 192.168.100.1/24
DHCP: Enabled

Step 2: Configure Switch Ports

Navigate to Devices → Select Switch

Configure port profiles:

Port Profile: AV-Production
Native Network: AV-Production (VLAN 100)
Tagged Networks: None (for access ports)

Step 3: Apply Port Profiles

Select ports 1-8 for production devices
Apply AV-Production profile

Netgear Smart Switch Configuration

Web Interface Configuration

bash

[object Object],
,[object Object],

,[object Object],
VLAN ID: 100
VLAN Name: AV-Production
Status: Enable

,[object Object],
Port 1-8: Member (Untagged)
Port 24: Member (Tagged) - Trunk port

Bandwidth Calculations and Requirements {#bandwidth-requirements}

Understanding AV Bandwidth Requirements

Video Bandwidth Calculations

Uncompressed Video Formula

Bandwidth = Width × Height × Frame Rate × Color Depth × Overhead

Example: 4K60 RGB
3840 × 2160 × 60 × 24 × 1.25 = 11.9 Gbps

Common Video Format Requirements

bash

[object Object],
1080p60 RGB:     3.56 Gbps uncompressed
1080p30 RGB:     1.78 Gbps uncompressed
720p60 RGB:      1.59 Gbps uncompressed

,[object Object],
4K60 RGB:        11.9 Gbps uncompressed
4K30 RGB:        5.95 Gbps uncompressed
4K60 YUV 4:2:0:  5.95 Gbps uncompressed

,[object Object],
4K60 H.264:      25-50 Mbps
4K60 H.265:      15-30 Mbps
1080p60 H.264:   8-15 Mbps

Audio Bandwidth Requirements

bash

[object Object],
PCM Stereo 48kHz/24bit:     2.3 Mbps
PCM 8-channel 48kHz/24bit:  9.2 Mbps
PCM Stereo 96kHz/24bit:     4.6 Mbps

,[object Object],
AAC Stereo:                 128-320 Kbps
MP3 Stereo:                 128-320 Kbps
Dante Audio (64 channels):  ~45 Mbps

Network Capacity Planning

Switch Port Utilization Guidelines

bash

[object Object],
Access Layer Ports:     70% maximum utilization
Distribution Uplinks:   50% maximum utilization
Core Backbone:          40% maximum utilization

,[object Object],
Total Capacity:         48 Gbps
Safe Operating Load:    33.6 Gbps (70%)
4K Streams Supported:   ~67 streams (500 Mbps each)

Oversubscription Ratios

bash

[object Object],
Access to Distribution: 4:1 maximum
Distribution to Core:   2:1 maximum

,[object Object],
Downlink Capacity:      48 Gbps
Uplink Requirement:     12 Gbps minimum (4×3Gb links)
Recommended Uplink:     20 Gbps (2×10Gb links)

Bandwidth Monitoring and Management

SNMP Monitoring Configuration

bash

[object Object],
snmp-server community AVMonitor ro
snmp-server location ,[object Object],
snmp-server contact ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps snmp linkdown linkup
snmp-server host 192.168.1.100 AVMonitor

Real-Time Bandwidth Monitoring

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], pysnmp
,[object Object], pysnmp.hlapi ,[object Object], *

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object], (errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varBinds) ,[object Object], nextCmd(
        SnmpEngine(),
        CommunityData(community),
        UdpTransportTarget((target_ip, ,[object Object],)),
        ContextData(),
        ObjectType(ObjectIdentity(,[object Object],, interface_index)),
        lexicographicMode=,[object Object],):
        
        ,[object Object], errorIndication:
            ,[object Object],(errorIndication)
            ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], errorStatus:
            ,[object Object],(,[object Object], % (errorStatus.prettyPrint(),
                                errorIndex ,[object Object], varBinds[,[object Object],(errorIndex) - ,[object Object],][,[object Object],] ,[object Object], ,[object Object],))
            ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object],:
            ,[object Object], varBind ,[object Object], varBinds:
                ,[object Object],(,[object Object],.join([x.prettyPrint() ,[object Object], x ,[object Object], varBind]))

Quality of Service (QoS) Implementation {#qos-implementation}

QoS Fundamentals for AV Networks

Traffic Classification

DSCP Marking Standards for AV

bash

[object Object],
Video (Broadcast):      DSCP 34 (AF41)
Video (Interactive):    DSCP 32 (AF32)
Video (Streaming):      DSCP 26 (AF31)

,[object Object],
Audio (Voice):          DSCP 46 (EF)
Audio (Music):          DSCP 34 (AF41)

,[object Object],
Network Control:        DSCP 48 (CS6)
Device Control:         DSCP 24 (AF31)

Cisco QoS Configuration

Class Map Configuration

bash

[object Object],
class-map match-all AV-VIDEO-CRITICAL
 match dscp af41
 match access-group name AV-VIDEO-ACL

class-map match-all AV-AUDIO-CRITICAL
 match dscp ef
 match access-group name AV-AUDIO-ACL

class-map match-all AV-CONTROL
 match dscp af31
 match vlan 200

Policy Map Configuration

bash

[object Object],
policy-map AV-NETWORK-POLICY
 class AV-AUDIO-CRITICAL
  priority percent 20
  ,[object Object], dscp ef
 class AV-VIDEO-CRITICAL
  bandwidth percent 60
  ,[object Object], dscp af41
 class AV-CONTROL
  bandwidth percent 10
  ,[object Object], dscp af31
 class class-default
  bandwidth percent 10
  random-detect

Interface Application

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 service-policy input AV-NETWORK-POLICY
 service-policy output AV-NETWORK-POLICY

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-8
 mls qos trust dscp
 priority-queue out

HP/Aruba QoS Configuration

Traffic Classification

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# class-map ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# match dscp 34
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config)# class-map ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# match dscp 46
HP-Switch(config-classmap)# ,[object Object],

Policy Configuration

bash

[object Object],
HP-Switch(config)# policy-map ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-policymap)# class ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# priority 7
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# ,[object Object],

HP-Switch(config-policymap)# class ,[object Object],
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# priority 5
HP-Switch(config-policymap-class)# ,[object Object],

Advanced QoS Techniques

Traffic Shaping for Multicast

bash

[object Object],
ip multicast-routing
interface vlan 100
 ip pim sparse-mode
 ip multicast rate-limit ,[object Object], 100000
 ip multicast rate-limit out 100000

Congestion Management

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 fair-queue
 random-detect
 random-detect exponential-weighting-constant 10

Security Best Practices {#security-practices}

Network Security Architecture

Network Segmentation Security

Micro-Segmentation Strategy

bash

[object Object],
VLAN 100 (Production):  High security, restricted access
VLAN 200 (Control):     Medium security, authenticated access
VLAN 300 (Management):  High security, admin access only
VLAN 400 (Guest):       Low security, isolated

Access Control Lists (ACLs)

bash

[object Object],
access-list 100 deny ip 192.168.400.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 100 deny ip 192.168.400.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.200.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 100 permit ip any any

,[object Object],
interface vlan 400
 ip access-group 100 ,[object Object],

Device Authentication

802.1X Configuration

bash

[object Object],
aaa new-model
aaa authentication dot1x default group radius
aaa authorization network default group radius

,[object Object],
radius server ISE
 address ipv4 192.168.1.50 auth-port 1812 acct-port 1813
 key SecureKey123!

,[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 authentication port-control auto
 authentication periodic
 authentication timer restart 3600
 dot1x pae authenticator

MAC Address Authentication Bypass (MAB)

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-8
 authentication order dot1x mab
 authentication priority dot1x mab
 mab

Device Security Hardening

Switch Security Configuration

bash

[object Object],
no ip http server
no cdp run
no service pad
no service finger
no service udp-small-servers
no service tcp-small-servers

,[object Object],
logging on
logging buffered 64000 debugging
logging console critical
logging monitor informational
logging ,[object Object], notifications
logging facility local0

,[object Object],
line vty 0 15
 transport input ssh
 login authentication default

Port Security Implementation

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 switchport port-security
 switchport port-security maximum 2
 switchport port-security mac-address sticky
 switchport port-security violation restrict
 switchport port-security aging-time 1440

Encryption and VPN Configuration

Site-to-Site VPN for AV Networks

bash

[object Object],
crypto isakmp policy 10
 encr aes 256
 ,[object Object], sha256
 authentication pre-share
 group 14

crypto isakmp key SecureAVKey123! address 203.0.113.10

crypto ipsec transform-set AV-TRANSFORM esp-aes 256 esp-sha256-hmac
 mode tunnel

crypto map AV-CRYPTO-MAP 10 ipsec-isakmp
 ,[object Object], peer 203.0.113.10
 ,[object Object], transform-set AV-TRANSFORM
 match address AV-VPN-TRAFFIC

,[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1
 crypto map AV-CRYPTO-MAP

SSL/TLS for Web-Based Management

bash

[object Object],
crypto key generate rsa general-keys modulus 2048 label SSL-KEY
crypto pki certificate map DEVICE-CERT 10
 subject-name co device.local

,[object Object],
ip http secure-server
no ip http server

Network Topology Examples {#topology-examples}

Small Conference Room Network

Single VLAN Approach

Network Topology:
┌─────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐
│   Core Switch   │────│  Access Switch   │
│  (Distribution) │    │    (24-port)     │
└─────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘
                           │    │    │
                      ┌─────────┐ │ ┌─────────┐
                      │Encoder  │ │ │ Decoder │
                      │VLAN 100 │ │ │VLAN 100 │
                      └─────────┘ │ └─────────┘
                              ┌─────────┐
                              │Touch    │
                              │Panel    │
                              │VLAN 100 │
                              └─────────┘

Configuration Example:

bash

[object Object],
vlan 100
 name Conference-Room-A
 
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-12
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 100
 spanning-tree portfast

Medium Enterprise Installation

Multi-VLAN Segmented Network

Network Topology:
                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │ Core Switch │
                    │  Layer 3    │
                    └─────┬───────┘
                          │
              ┌───────────┴───────────┐
              │                       │
    ┌─────────┴────────┐    ┌────────┴─────────┐
    │Distribution SW A │    │Distribution SW B │
    │    Building 1    │    │    Building 2    │
    └─────────┬────────┘    └────────┬─────────┘
              │                      │
    ┌─────────┴────────┐    ┌────────┴─────────┐
    │  Access SW 1A    │    │  Access SW 2A    │
    │ VLAN 100,200,300 │    │ VLAN 100,200,300 │
    └──────────────────┘    └──────────────────┘

VLAN Routing Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
ip routing

interface vlan 100
 ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

interface vlan 200
 ip address 192.168.200.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

interface vlan 300
 ip address 192.168.300.1 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 192.168.1.10

Large Campus Network

Hierarchical Design with Redundancy

Campus Network Architecture:

         ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
         │ Core SW 1   │────│ Core SW 2   │
         │   Primary   │    │  Backup     │
         └─────┬───────┘    └───────┬─────┘
               │                    │
        ┌──────┴──────┬─────────────┴──────┬─────────┐
        │             │                    │         │
┌───────┴────────┐ ┌──┴──────────────┐ ┌───┴─────────┴───┐
│Distribution 1  │ │Distribution 2   │ │Distribution 3   │
│Building A      │ │Building B       │ │Building C       │
└───────┬────────┘ └──┬──────────────┘ └───┬─────────────┘
        │             │                    │
    ┌───┴───┐     ┌───┴───┐           ┌────┴────┐
    │Access │     │Access │           │ Access  │
    │SW 1A  │     │SW 2A  │           │ SW 3A   │
    └───────┘     └───────┘           └─────────┘

Spanning Tree Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree vlan 100 priority 4096
spanning-tree vlan 200 priority 8192
spanning-tree portfast bpduguard default

,[object Object],
spanning-tree vlan 1-1000 root primary

Troubleshooting Network Issues {#troubleshooting}

Common AV Network Problems

Video Quality Issues

Symptom: Pixelation and Artifacts

bash

[object Object],
show interface gigabitethernet 0/1 | include error
show interface gigabitethernet 0/1 counters

,[object Object],
ping 192.168.100.50 repeat 100

,[object Object],
show interface gigabitethernet 0/1 stats

Resolution Steps:

Check physical connections
Verify cable integrity
Monitor bandwidth utilization
Adjust QoS policies
Update device drivers

Audio Synchronization Problems

Symptom: Audio/Video Lip Sync Issues

bash

[object Object],
ping 192.168.100.50
traceroute 192.168.100.50

,[object Object],
show ip sla statistics 1 detail

Configuration Fix:

bash

[object Object],
ip sla 1
 udp-jitter 192.168.100.50 1234 source-ip 192.168.100.1
 frequency 10

,[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 traffic-shape rate 800000000

Multicast Delivery Issues

Symptom: Missing Multicast Streams

bash

[object Object],
show ip mroute
show ip pim neighbor
show ip igmp ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
show ip mfib 239.255.1.1

Resolution Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
ip multicast-routing
interface vlan 100
 ip pim sparse-mode

,[object Object],
ip pim rp-candidate loopback0
ip pim bsr-candidate loopback0

Network Performance Optimization

Switch Performance Tuning

bash

[object Object],
mls qos queue-set output 1 buffers 25 25 25 25
mls qos queue-set output 1 threshold 3 100 100 50 200

,[object Object],
system mtu jumbo 9000
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-48
 mtu 9000

VLAN Optimization

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-24
 storm-control broadcast level 1.00
 storm-control multicast level 10.00
 storm-control action ,[object Object],

Monitoring and Alerting

SNMP Monitoring Setup

bash

[object Object],
snmp-server community AVNetwork ro 99
snmp-server trap-source loopback0
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps config
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps entity
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps cpu threshold
snmp-server ,[object Object], traps memory bufferpeak

,[object Object],
process cpu threshold ,[object Object], total rising 80 interval 60
process memory threshold ,[object Object], processor rising 80 interval 60

Custom Monitoring Scripts

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], subprocess
,[object Object], smtplib
,[object Object], datetime ,[object Object], datetime

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    
    ,[object Object],
    ping_result = subprocess.run([,[object Object],, ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],, encoder_ip], 
                                capture_output=,[object Object],, text=,[object Object],)
    
    ,[object Object], ping_result.returncode != ,[object Object],:
        send_alert(,[object Object],)
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
    
    ,[object Object],
    latency_line = [line ,[object Object], line ,[object Object], ping_result.stdout.split(,[object Object],) 
                   ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], line]
    
    ,[object Object], latency_line:
        avg_latency = ,[object Object],(latency_line[,[object Object],].split(,[object Object],)[-,[object Object],])
        ,[object Object], avg_latency > ,[object Object],:  ,[object Object],
            send_alert(,[object Object],)
    
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    smtp_server = smtplib.SMTP(,[object Object],, ,[object Object],)
    smtp_server.starttls()
    smtp_server.login(,[object Object],, ,[object Object],)
    
    email_body = ,[object Object],
    
    smtp_server.sendmail(,[object Object],, 
                        [,[object Object],], email_body)
    smtp_server.quit()

Case Studies and Real-World Examples {#case-studies}

Case Study 1: Corporate Headquarters Network

Environment:

50-floor building with 200+ conference rooms
4K video conferencing in all rooms
Centralized AV control system
Integration with Microsoft Teams

Network Requirements:

10Gbps backbone capacity
Sub-5ms latency for video conferencing
99.9% uptime requirement
Secure guest presentation access

Implementation Details:

Core Infrastructure:

bash

[object Object],
stack-mac persistent timer 4
switch 1 priority 10
switch 2 priority 9

,[object Object],
vlan 100
 name AV-Production-Video
vlan 200  
 name AV-Production-Audio
vlan 300
 name AV-Control-Systems
vlan 400
 name AV-Management
vlan 500
 name Guest-Presentation

QoS Implementation:

bash

[object Object],
policy-map CORPORATE-QOS
 class BUSINESS-CRITICAL-VIDEO
  priority percent 40
  ,[object Object], dscp af41
 class BUSINESS-CRITICAL-AUDIO
  priority percent 20
  ,[object Object], dscp ef
 class CONTROL-TRAFFIC
  bandwidth percent 15
  ,[object Object], dscp af31
 class class-default
  bandwidth percent 25
  random-detect

Results:

Average latency reduced from 15ms to 3ms
Zero video conference interruptions in 6 months
95% reduction in AV-related help desk tickets
Successful integration with 500+ Teams rooms

Case Study 2: University Campus Network

Environment:

15 buildings across 500-acre campus
150 lecture halls with AV systems
Distance learning capabilities
Student presentation systems

Challenges:

Budget constraints requiring phased implementation
Legacy analog systems requiring integration
High user density during peak hours
Secure separation of administrative and student networks

Solution Architecture:

Phased VLAN Implementation:

bash

[object Object],
vlan 110
 name Phase1-AV-Production
vlan 210
 name Phase1-AV-Control
vlan 310
 name Phase1-Management

,[object Object],
vlan 120
 name Phase2-AV-Production
vlan 220
 name Phase2-AV-Control

,[object Object],
vlan 500
 name Student-Presentation
vlan 510
 name Student-Wireless-Present

Bandwidth Management:

bash

[object Object],
class-map match-all LECTURE-VIDEO
 match vlan 110
 match protocol http url ,[object Object],

policy-map CAMPUS-BANDWIDTH
 class LECTURE-VIDEO
  shape average 500000000
  bandwidth percent 60
 class class-default
  fair-queue
  random-detect

Security Implementation:

bash

[object Object],
access-list 150 deny ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.110.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 150 deny ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.210.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 150 permit ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 150 permit ip 192.168.500.0 0.0.0.255 any

interface vlan 500
 ip access-group 150 ,[object Object],

Outcomes:

40% cost savings through phased approach
Zero security incidents related to student access
99.5% system availability during peak semester
Successful support for 10,000+ concurrent users

Case Study 3: Healthcare System Network

Environment:

5-hospital network with telemedicine capabilities
Operating room AV systems for surgical procedures
Patient room entertainment and communication
Strict HIPAA compliance requirements

Critical Requirements:

Ultra-low latency for surgical applications (<1ms)
100% uptime for life-critical systems
Complete network segregation for patient data
Encrypted communications for telemedicine

Network Design:

Critical vs. Non-Critical Segregation:

bash

[object Object],
vlan 100
 name Medical-Critical-AV
vlan 101
 name Surgical-Room-AV
vlan 102
 name ICU-Monitoring

,[object Object],
vlan 200
 name Patient-Entertainment
vlan 201
 name Staff-Training-AV
vlan 202
 name Conference-Rooms

Ultra-Low Latency Configuration:

bash

[object Object],
interface range GigabitEthernet0/1-12
 spanning-tree portfast trunk
 spanning-tree bpduguard ,[object Object],

,[object Object],
switching-mode cut-through

,[object Object],
mls qos queue-set output 1 threshold 1 80 90 100 400
mls qos queue-set output 1 threshold 2 80 90 100 400

Encryption and Security:

bash

[object Object],
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 macsec network-link
 mka pre-shared-key key-chain MEDICAL-KEYS
 mka policy HIPAA-POLICY

key chain MEDICAL-KEYS
 key 1
  key-string SecureMedicalKey2024!
  cryptographic-algorithm aes-256-cmac

Results:

Average latency of 0.3ms for surgical systems
100% uptime over 18-month period
Full HIPAA compliance audit passed
50% improvement in telemedicine quality scores

Advanced Configuration Topics {#advanced-topics}

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) for AV

OpenFlow Integration

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], ryu.base ,[object Object], app_manager
,[object Object], ryu.controller ,[object Object], ofp_event
,[object Object], ryu.controller.handler ,[object Object], CONFIG_DISPATCHER, MAIN_DISPATCHER
,[object Object], ryu.controller.handler ,[object Object], set_ev_cls
,[object Object], ryu.ofproto ,[object Object], ofproto_v1_3

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(app_manager.RyuApp):
    OFP_VERSIONS = [ofproto_v1_3.OFP_VERSION]
    
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        ,[object Object],(AVNetworkController, ,[object Object],).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
        ,[object Object],.av_flows = {}
        
,[object Object],
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        msg = ev.msg
        datapath = msg.datapath
        ofproto = datapath.ofproto
        
        ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],.is_av_traffic(msg):
            ,[object Object],.install_av_flow(datapath, msg)
    
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        ,[object Object],
        eth_pkt = packet.Packet(msg.data)
        ip_pkt = eth_pkt.get_protocol(ipv4.ipv4)
        
        ,[object Object], ip_pkt ,[object Object], ip_pkt.dst.startswith(,[object Object],):  ,[object Object],
            ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
        ,[object Object],
        ofproto = datapath.ofproto
        parser = datapath.ofproto_parser
        
        actions = [parser.OFPActionOutput(ofproto.OFPP_FLOOD)]
        inst = [parser.OFPInstructionActions(ofproto.OFPIT_APPLY_ACTIONS, 
                                           actions)]
        
        mod = parser.OFPFlowMod(datapath=datapath, priority=,[object Object],,
                              ,[object Object],=,[object Object],, instructions=inst)
        datapath.send_msg(mod)

Network Automation

Ansible Playbook for VLAN Deployment

yaml

[object Object],
,[object Object],
,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
  ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
  ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
  
  ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], {,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],}
      ,[object Object], {,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],}
      ,[object Object], {,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],, ,[object Object], ,[object Object],}
  
  ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      
    ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object],
          ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
          ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],
      ,[object Object], ,[object Object],

Python Network Monitoring Dashboard

python

[object Object],
,[object Object], dash
,[object Object], dash ,[object Object], dcc, html, Input, Output
,[object Object], plotly.graph_objs ,[object Object], go
,[object Object], psutil
,[object Object], subprocess
,[object Object], json
,[object Object], datetime ,[object Object], datetime

app = dash.Dash(__name__)

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object],:
        stats = psutil.net_io_counters(pernic=,[object Object],)[interface]
        ,[object Object], {
            ,[object Object],: stats.bytes_sent,
            ,[object Object],: stats.bytes_recv,
            ,[object Object],: stats.packets_sent,
            ,[object Object],: stats.packets_recv,
            ,[object Object],: stats.errin,
            ,[object Object],: stats.errout,
            ,[object Object],: stats.dropin,
            ,[object Object],: stats.dropout
        }
    ,[object Object], KeyError:
        ,[object Object], ,[object Object],

,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    cmd = ,[object Object],
    result = subprocess.run(cmd.split(), capture_output=,[object Object],, text=,[object Object],)
    
    ,[object Object],
    ,[object Object], {,[object Object],: ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],: ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],: ,[object Object],}

app.layout = html.Div([
    html.H1(,[object Object],),
    
    dcc.Graph(,[object Object],=,[object Object],),
    dcc.Graph(,[object Object],=,[object Object],),
    dcc.Graph(,[object Object],=,[object Object],),
    
    dcc.Interval(
        ,[object Object],=,[object Object],,
        interval=,[object Object],*,[object Object],,  ,[object Object],
        n_intervals=,[object Object],
    )
])

,[object Object],
,[object Object], ,[object Object],(,[object Object],):
    ,[object Object],
    interfaces = [,[object Object],, ,[object Object],, ,[object Object],]
    data = []
    
    ,[object Object], interface ,[object Object], interfaces:
        stats = get_interface_stats(interface)
        ,[object Object], stats:
            data.append(go.Scatter(
                x=[datetime.now()],
                y=[stats[,[object Object],] / ,[object Object], / ,[object Object],],  ,[object Object],
                name=,[object Object],,
                mode=,[object Object],
            ))
    
    ,[object Object], {,[object Object],: data, ,[object Object],: go.Layout(title=,[object Object],)}

,[object Object], __name__ == ,[object Object],:
    app.run_server(debug=,[object Object],, host=,[object Object],, port=,[object Object],)

Frequently Asked Questions {#faq}

VLAN Configuration Questions

Q: How many VLANs should I create for a typical AV installation?

A: For most installations, 3-4 VLANs provide optimal segmentation:

Production AV (VLAN 100): Encoders, decoders, displays
Control Systems (VLAN 200): Touch panels, processors
Management (VLAN 300): Device configuration, monitoring
Guest/Presentation (VLAN 400): Temporary devices, wireless presentation

Q: Can I use VLAN 1 for AV devices?

Q: Should audio and video be on separate VLANs?

A: For high-end installations, yes. Separate VLANs allow for:

bash

VLAN 100: Video (4K streams, high bandwidth)
VLAN 150: Audio (Dante, low latency critical)
VLAN 200: Control (,[object Object], panels, processors)

Bandwidth and Performance Questions

Q: How do I calculate bandwidth requirements for 4K video?

A: Use this formula:

Compressed 4K60: 25-50 Mbps per stream
Uncompressed 4K60: 11.9 Gbps per stream
Always add 20% overhead for network protocols

Q: What's the maximum number of 4K streams on a gigabit port?

A: For compressed streams:

bash

1000 Mbps ÷ 50 Mbps = 20 streams theoretical maximum
Practical ,[object Object],: 12-15 streams (accounting ,[object Object], overhead and QoS)

Q: How do I prevent network congestion during large events?

A: Implement these strategies:

Use multicast for one-to-many distribution
Configure traffic shaping and QoS
Monitor bandwidth utilization in real-time
Deploy content caching where possible

Security Questions

Q: How do I secure AV devices that don't support modern authentication?

A: Use these approaches:

MAC address authentication (MAB)
Dedicated secure VLANs with ACLs
Network access control (NAC) solutions
Regular security audits and monitoring

Q: Should AV networks be connected to the corporate network?

A: Yes, but with proper segmentation:

bash

[object Object],
access-list 100 permit tcp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255 eq 80
access-list 100 permit tcp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255 eq 443
access-list 100 deny ip any 192.168.100.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 100 permit ip any any

Troubleshooting Questions

Q: My video streams are pixelating. How do I troubleshoot?

A: Follow this systematic approach:

Check physical connections and cable integrity
Monitor network utilization: show interface gigabit0/1 | include load
Verify QoS policies are applied correctly
Check for packet loss: ping -f destination_ip
Monitor switch buffers: show buffers

Q: Audio and video are out of sync. What causes this?

A: Common causes and solutions:

Network jitter: Implement traffic shaping
Processing delays: Check device buffer settings
Clock synchronization: Use PTP (Precision Time Protocol)
QoS misconfiguration: Ensure audio gets priority over video

Q: How do I monitor AV network performance?

A: Use these monitoring approaches:

SNMP monitoring for interface statistics
Flow analysis tools (NetFlow, sFlow)
Real-time packet capture during issues
Custom monitoring scripts for AV-specific metrics

Conclusion

Proper network segmentation using VLANs to isolate AV traffic
Comprehensive bandwidth planning based on actual requirements
Quality of Service implementation to prioritize critical traffic
Security best practices to protect AV infrastructure
Proactive monitoring and troubleshooting to maintain performance
Documentation and standardization for consistent deployments

End of documentation

AV Network Design and VLAN Configuration: The Complete Professional Guide

AV Network Design and VLAN Configuration: The Complete Professional Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction to AV Network Design Challenges {#av-network-challenges}

The Modern AV Network Landscape

Common AV Network Challenges

Bandwidth Contention

Latency and Jitter

Network Congestion

Security Vulnerabilities

VLAN Fundamentals for AV Professionals {#vlan-fundamentals}

Understanding VLANs in AV Context

Key VLAN Benefits for AV

VLAN Types for AV Networks

Static VLANs (Port-Based)

Dynamic VLANs (802.1X-Based)

Voice VLANs (Specialized for Audio)

Network Architecture Planning {#network-architecture}

AV Network Design Principles

Hierarchical Network Design

Network Segmentation Strategy

Step-by-Step VLAN Configuration {#vlan-configuration}

Cisco Switch Configuration

Initial VLAN Creation

Port Assignment Configuration

Trunk Configuration for Uplinks

HP/Aruba Switch Configuration

VLAN Creation and Configuration

Port Configuration

Ubiquiti UniFi Configuration

Via UniFi Controller Web Interface

Netgear Smart Switch Configuration

Web Interface Configuration

Bandwidth Calculations and Requirements {#bandwidth-requirements}

Understanding AV Bandwidth Requirements

Video Bandwidth Calculations

Audio Bandwidth Requirements

Network Capacity Planning

Switch Port Utilization Guidelines

Oversubscription Ratios

Bandwidth Monitoring and Management

SNMP Monitoring Configuration

Real-Time Bandwidth Monitoring

Quality of Service (QoS) Implementation {#qos-implementation}

QoS Fundamentals for AV Networks

Traffic Classification

Cisco QoS Configuration

Class Map Configuration

Policy Map Configuration

Interface Application

HP/Aruba QoS Configuration

Traffic Classification

Policy Configuration

Advanced QoS Techniques

Traffic Shaping for Multicast

Congestion Management

Security Best Practices {#security-practices}

Network Security Architecture

Network Segmentation Security

Device Authentication

Device Security Hardening

Switch Security Configuration

Port Security Implementation

Encryption and VPN Configuration

Site-to-Site VPN for AV Networks

SSL/TLS for Web-Based Management

Network Topology Examples {#topology-examples}

Small Conference Room Network

Single VLAN Approach

Medium Enterprise Installation

Multi-VLAN Segmented Network

Large Campus Network

Hierarchical Design with Redundancy

Troubleshooting Network Issues {#troubleshooting}

Common AV Network Problems

Video Quality Issues

Audio Synchronization Problems

Multicast Delivery Issues

Network Performance Optimization

Switch Performance Tuning