How do I set up a basic IPv6 video stream using VLC

Question

I'm teaching a class IPv6 and would like to create a lab for them to see the true benefit of ipv6 multicasting in action.

I created a multicast address for myself

ff15::1 (where ff is multicast, 1 is transient, no rsvp, and 5 is site scope). I then gave myself a group id of 1.

I get an "No route to host" error when trying to start the stream. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

ps: I know almost nothing about streaming.

...
main debug: net: connecting to [[FF15::1]]:1234
main warning: [FF15::1] port 1234 : No route to host
access_output_udp error: failed to create raw UDP socket
main warning: no sout access module matching "udp" could be loaded
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 1.171 ms - Total 1.171 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 1.171 ms)
stream_out_standard error: no suitable sout access module for `udp/ts://[FF15::1]'
...

Surely if its a brand new multicast, there won't be a route to host until someone listens?

I know very little about IPv6 myself - but did you give the interface a unicast address as well? — mfinni, Feb 21 '12 at 19:51
Does your system have an IPv6 address? Can you should us (a) your interface configuration, and (b) your IPv6 routing table(s)? — larsks, Feb 21 '12 at 19:59
Do not configure the NIC's interfaces for anything. If you're using ancient OSes you have to finagle them, but for anything half modern you should not. — Chris S, Feb 21 '12 at 20:05

Chris S · Answer 1 · 2012-02-21T20:07:46.387

1

Server:

Open VLC, File->Streaming
Add files to be streamed, preferably something that doesn't need to be transcoded.
Stream button.
Next.
New Destionation -> "RTP / MPEG Transport Stream". Add button.
Address [ff15::1] (with the brackets!)
Uncheck Active Transcoding. Next. Stream.

Client:

Open VLC, File-> Open Network Stream...
URL: rtp://[ff15::1]
Play

Works like a charm if both are IPv6 enabled and the network supports multicast (anything in the last 10 years basically). The UDP streaming hasn't been updated in a while, it probably doesn't support IPv6, but I don't know that for certain.

Note: One the clients are playing the stream the server can stop and start a new stream usually without interruption... So once the initial list of media is done playing repeat the Server instructions and the client should start playing the new media.

edited Feb 21 '12 at 20:07

answered Feb 21 '12 at 20:01

Chris S

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I'm still getting a "no route to host" in the log file... (I'm on OS X, by the way, so my screens are slightly different) – sparkyspider Feb 21 '12 at 20:12
Are you running OSX 10.2 (Jaguar) or higher? – Chris S Feb 21 '12 at 20:16
Snow Leopard... – sparkyspider Feb 21 '12 at 20:52
And you're using RTP as UDP has "poor" IPv6 support? – Chris S Feb 21 '12 at 21:15
I think it has something to do with my machine not realizing that I'm trying to stream to a multicast address that I created. I think its looking in the neighbor table instead of just streaming it to the network. – sparkyspider Feb 22 '12 at 13:27
This works for a friend of mine running VLC 2.0. What version of VLC are you running? Have you made any changes to the computer's IPv6 configuration at all? – Chris S Feb 22 '12 at 13:40

How do I set up a basic IPv6 video stream using VLC

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