How to Use SoundGrid Network in a VLAN

Mar 30, 2022

SoundGrid is an exclusive network. Mixing SoundGrid with other types of traffic on the same network can result in audio drops or other problems. Refer to this article for guidelines about using a SoundGrid network in a Virtual LAN (VLAN).

VLAN is a virtual sub-network within your network switch. It enables you to logically divide one physical switch into smaller networks that do not “see” each other. VLAN is useful for separating devices that are running different network protocols on the same switch, while maintaining SoundGrid’s required privacy.

Some of the switches supported by SoundGrid are managed, which allows VLAN to be configured via the switch’s management interface.

Please refer to the following principles:

SoundGrid is a layer 2 (L2) protocol, so layer 3 VLAN terms and methods do not apply.
Use static (port-based) VLAN. MAC-based VLAN (dynamic-VLAN) is not supported.
Switch ports that are connected to SoundGrid devices should be set as ‘untagged ports’* and assigned with the same VLAN ID.
By default, all ports are assigned to the native/default VLAN.
Switch ports that are connected to SoundGrid devices should be assigned to the PVID** that matches the SoundGrid VLAN ID. All non-SoundGrid ports should be assigned with a different VLAN ID and PVID**.
If you are using two network switches that share SoundGrid devices between them—alongside other VLANs that run non-SoundGrid protocols, do not use a tagged port* (trunk) to connect the switches.
Instead, connect both switches through any port that is a member of your SoundGrid VLAN.
The ports connecting the SoundGrid VLANs on both sides of each switch are not tagged*, so the two SoundGrid VLANs can have different VLAN IDs.
That said, we generally recommend using the same VLAN ID for consistency across your network.

*Tagged vs. Untagged port: A tagged port (i.e., a trunk port) is used to transfer the traffic of multiple VLANs between two or more switches, whereas an untagged or "access" port accepts traffic for a single VLAN and is suitable for ports connected to end devices (e.g., a SoundGrid Server, I/O, or host computer).

**What is PVID? The Port VLAN Identifier (PVID) must match the VLAN ID. The PVID indicates a VLAN of which the virtual network device needs to be a member, in untagged mode. It instructs the switch to route incoming data from a specified port to the appropriate VLAN. In some switches, PVID may be set automatically to match the VLAN ID. Other switches require manual alignment of PVID and VLAN ID. Consult the switch’s documentation for clarification.

Please note:
Waves technical support cannot assist with setting up VLAN on your switch.
Please consult your switch’s documentation for more information.