IGMP Snooping is a common advanced option available on most of the routers. In this Layman’s IGMP Snooping guide, we will go over what IGMP Snooping does, and when you might need to enable IGMP Snooping configuration.
What is IGMP Snooping
From the default router advanced settings tooltip on an Asus branded router:
When enabled, IGMP Snooping monitors IGMP communications among devices and optimizes wireless multicast traffic.
This definition does not really explain much. However, a simpler way to put it is that IGMP Snooping can be enabled so that your router acts as a mailman or gate for the multicast traffic.
When your network has plenty of multicast traffic, the performance for the entire network can take a hit because of excessive false flooding. IGMP Snooping optimizes that performance overhead. The Router decides which devices will receive the applicable multicast traffic to improve the overall network speed.
But if you have little multicast traffic to begin with, say your home based wireless network where you just use it for basic internet and gaming use. IGMP Snooping will not help with any of the wifi performance issue. It will in fact be wasted resources for your router to listen or monitor for nonexistent type of traffic on your wifi setup.
When to Enable IGMP Snooping for Home Use
For a home based network, you should enable it when you frequently use any kind of streaming or mirroring from your devices to stream to Apple TV or Chromecast. In some brand firmware such as Asus, enabling IGMP Snooping can fix some of the Apple TV Airplay mirroring issues.
One of the most commonly reported problem is that Apple TV’s streaming function does not work when you stream with Airplay mirroring from a device such as iphone, ipad, or mac connected with a 5 Ghz frequency. (However you can still use mirroring with a 2.4 Ghz frequency).
You should generally leave the IGMP Snooping option as disabled if you do not use mirroring functions or other type of multicast traffic. In this case, leaving IGMP Snooping as “enabled” has no advantage and can waste some of the processing power since your router will be constantly monitoring applicable multicast transmissions that simply do not exist on your network.
I got some kids streaming music… oh.. and video…. apearently… well let’s just say there’s going to be a huge problem… gonna have to give up my electronics… hopefully they go to jail all of them… little dipshits…. no idea how many things are now going to hapten to all of the people involved…. don’t use your firestick on that guy who’s super quite… you not gonna like it if something goes wrong….
Obrigado!
What about IGMP Proxy? my router has IGMP Snooping and Proxy setting.
Thank you–my router has the option of choosing V2 or V3. What are the difference and is 3 better than 2 in general?
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IGMP snooping is a great option provided in the router settings. This is so useful for me when I sharing the screen for game streaming. The IGMP makes it simpler to use high-speed connections needed for streaming. For more information don’t hesitate to contact me on facebook
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In most of the router, IGMP snooping is available. If your network has multicast traffic the performance of the entire network may degrade so, here comes the role of IGMP snooping which basically optimizes the traffic.To know more about it read here facebook.It is also recommended to enable IGMP for the home router as well.
IGMP snooping is basically stands for listening internet group management protocol, it conveys the conversation between router and host to the switch by this feature switch can maintain a map links to the IP address.it will be better to deactivate this setting.
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I hear it the first time IGMP Snooping and will research on it more. Solve my query I have Linksys ea7500 Keeps Dropping Internet Connection, it just start appearing recently but I didn’t understand why it has occurred.
The enabling technique of IGMP snooping totally depends on the router’s capacity of data transferring rate and the password complexity. If you really want to know how it happens then for more information you can go through Solve Netgear Router Password Issues
Snooping can be affected by the use of the net as the user get used to having the speed of the network,
google support thinks that for the small use the snooping will not get the speed away and the user can server the net as previously.
A well-defined article on IGMP snooping. I was wondering for an article on this topic since I have heard it from Canon Printer Tech Support. The article is up here with the process of enabling the IGMP snooping.
i doubt it would slow the router down, a router is a device which usually has its functions cast in silicon. ie its done in hardware. it should not ideally be done by the router CPU, but on a cheap router maybe done this way. my guess would be since its part of ipv6 that its done in silicon.
This is 100% false. Every single router built in the last decade is simply an embedded linux box, so absolutely everything is software and processed on a general purpose cpu.
Routers have not been designed in the way you describe since probably the 90s.
That being said, also the cpus in any decent enough router to have this kind of setting is probably more than capable of handling whatever tiny amount of kernel “overhead” is involved regarding IGMP snooping. For example, my router sits at a load average of 0.1 – 0.2 99% of the time. If its under high load 99 times out of 100 its because something is wrong and it needs resetting anyway.
Sorry if this is too basic for here but how do you measure router load? I’d like to see how much my Gryphon is at. Thanks for the info as I have about 5 Chromecast devices and do like understanding them better.
Well I can say this, I have 50Mbps Fiber to the premises and noticed I had IGMP activated in my LAN settings of my router. Turned it off thinking I did not have a use for those resources being used and BOOM everytime I try stream a video from YouTube it’s as if I am using the slowest connection around however several different sources of speed test confirm my connection is operating to the full speed expected that I ordered. I noticed that the speed/excessive buffering issue happens with any streaming content not only from YouTube.
I do have 2 unmanaged switches on the network and two WiFi thermostats.
Thank you
I stream TIVO to my iPad, would enabling IGMP snooping stop the buffering?
I am using Synology Video Station (similar to Plex) for watching movies in my smartphone or desktop. Should i enable IGMP snooping?
What if you’re using several Roku boxes in your home as well as using BubbleUPnP and ToasterCast from multiple mobile devices?
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Thank you. This guide goes straight to the point.
I have monitoring system for my Koi pond that use wifi to monitor it and inform me of any problems. Would engaging IGMP help?
Hey, I actually watch a lot of Youtube, will this feature improve my experience. I have the Asus RT N66u.
It will most likely have no effects with YouTube watching experience. Unless you stream YouTube from your mobile device instead of using the AppleTV or Chromecast directly, then it may make a difference. Your best bet is to test with your environment.
Appreciate your reply and the information on this website. Regarding watching YouTube, I watch it a lot on high speed internet connection. It frequently would stall when on ATT service of 25-30Mbps. Now with TWC at 50 Mbps, it crashes less, but still unacceptable quality and speed at times…my desktop is hard wired and we have 2 cell phone Galaxy V and Galaxy Note 4, a MS Surface Pro version 4, and an Amazon Fire tablet.
The YouTube videos are slow on my Fire tablet and only play sound with a video freeze frame. I cannot even get 5G wireless to show on the Fire. All that may be the Fire low tech hardware.
Anyway, I am thinking the YouTube servers get bogged down and slow my connection(s). The IGMP enabled sounds like it could help if it could extend into the WWW, but it is only limited to my home network, correct? Please help me understand more.
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Thanks for the explanation