Network Design Requirements
For the Visual Networking Platform
Last updated
For the Visual Networking Platform
Last updated
The Userful Visual Networking Platform leverages your existing conventional network assets to deliver visual content. This section details how to ensure your network makes full use of Userful functionalities and is configured to allow Userful to function to its full potential.
On-Premise servers actively stream video data to their endpoints. For reliable operation, design requirements can be modified by dividing traffic into separate network segments namely, Layer2 (Zero Client) or Layer 3 (uClient).
Please note only uClient device(s) or a Zero Client device(s) can be connected to the same server at once.
uClients require access to both the on-premise server and the internet to receive uClient application updates and device firmware updates. It does not need to access the corporate LAN. uClient can operate on a completely isolated network, however, provisions must be taken to distribute application and firmware updates to the devices manually when the server receives updates.
LG WebOS or Android uClient require access to a local server and the internet to receive application and firmware updates. Application updates can be delivered from a local server or manually using a USB key; LG WebOS firmware updates can be delivered from the Internet or installed on the device using a USB key.
Userful uClients can access cloud-connect.userful.com via TCP port 443 and can traverse subnets while remaining connected to the same subnet as the local server. If the entire Userful system is used offline and there are no updates or Internet access, it is recommended to use zero clients.
Firmware updates for the Userful uClient adapter are not yet supported.
The Zero Client can be hosted on a completely isolated network, with no access to anything other than the Userful server. Zero Client firmware updates are delivered by the server itself, and the Zero Client does not need to be connected to the Internet.
All client types, right out of the box, will ask for a DHCP lease on the wired interface. Ideally, a DHCP server should be available to distribute the lease. If not, other measures must be taken.
uClient devices can have their network settings configured on the device itself, using attached or included peripherals.
If Zero clients do not receive a response to their DHCP request after a few minutes, they will be assigned an IP address of 10. 254.10.10. In this situation, they cannot be addressed by Userful and may assign themselves conflicting IP addresses.
Once the Zero client has an IP address on the same network as the Userful server, you will be able to manage the client and change its IP settings from the Userful Control Center.
Zero Clients and uClients have different network specifications that must be met for reliable operation.
Zero Clients | uClients | |
Stream Type | JPEG | RTSP |
Bandwidth usage per device | ~100Mbps @ 1080p60 | ~14Mbps @1080p60 ~40Mbps @4K60 |
Connection to endpoint | 1Gbps | 100Mbps |
Wifi Available | No | No |
Latency tolerance | Under 0.5ms | Unlimited |
Displays per 10Gbps uplink** | 16 independent displays* 36 in a single video wall* | 100+ |
Userful requires a 10GB Uplink for optimal performance. The number of displays supported are affected by the following factors:
Certain driver limitations may limit the network interface throughput of Zero clients at 2.5Gbps.
Type of content being played on the display screens. Streaming heavy streams of data can reduce the optimal amount of display screens.
The following Internet destinations should be accessible by the Userful server for complete connectivity and support.
Protocol | Port | Destination | Rule | Description |
TCP | 443 | updates.userful.com updates2.userful.com cloud-connect.userful.com assets.userful.com | Out | Software Updates, Userful Manager, Licensing |
TCP | 443 | remote.userful.com | Out | Support VPN |
TCP/UDP | 3478 | turn.userful.com | In/Out | Remote content upload and (optional) webcam |
The following local ports must be accessible from the corporate LAN to allow browser-based access and operation of Userful.
Protocol | Port | Destination | Protocol | Description |
TCP | 5353 | LAN | Peer Discovery | |
TCP | 5701 | LAN | Failover | |
TCP | 9000 | LAN | HTTP | Userful Control Center |
Multicast | 54327 | 224.2.2.3 | Failover | |
UDP | 54327 | LAN | Failover | |
TCP | 54328 | LAN | Failover |
These local ports from the corporate LAN on an On-Premise Server are optional.
Protocol | Port | Destination | Protocol | Description |
TCP | 21 | LAN | FTP | FTP File Transfer |
TCP | 22 | LAN | SSH | Local SSH |
TCP | 80 | LAN | HTTP | Redirects to 9000 |
TCP/UDP | 137-139, 445 | LAN | SMB | Windows File sharing |
TCP/UDP | 631 | LAN | HTTP | Printer Configuration* |
*Public Computing deployments only.
The following ports and services must be available between a Userful On-Premise server and endpoints running uClient and between uClient and the Internet for proper operation.
Protocol | Port | Destination | Description |
TCP | 443 | cloud-connect.userful.com | Userful Manager |
UDP | 123 | Server | NTP |
TCP | 8554 | Server | RTSP Streaming |
TCP/UDP | 14725 | Server | Video Sync |
TCP | 14276 | Server | Video Sync |
UDP | 16668 | Server | uClient Discovery |
TCP | 16669 | Server | uClient DNS Discovery |
Zero Clients must be placed on a separate network from the Corporate network. They will use these ports and protocols to communicate with the Userful server.
Protocol | Port | Destination | Description |
UDP | 26668 | Zero Clients | Zero Client Discovery |
TCP | 52330 | Zero Clients | Zero Client Discovery |
UDP | 52330 - 52630 incl. | Zero Clients | Zero Client Discovery |
TCP/UDP | Various High Numbers | Zero Clients | Zero Client Communication |
It is strongly recommended to have unrestricted access to this network.
Userful uClients are able to sync to Userful Cloud servers without any other local hardware or server. They are synced and managed entirely from the cloud web service, which is hosted by Userful in AWS.
Zero Clients can not be used with the Userful cloud, they can only be paired to a local on-premise server.
uClients connecting to Userful Cloud will download and playback content locally, so are not required to occupy their own separate network. Doing so is still a recommended best practice.
Most uClient devices come with wireless interfaces. These are not supported for On-Premise deployments and are not recommended for Cloud deployments.
uClient devices come out of the box querying for DHCP on their local wired interfaces. They can be manually locally configured with static IPs.
uClient downloads content from cloud servers in Userful Manager to internal storage for local playback. There are no specific bandwidth or latency requirements, except that Internet bandwidth is sufficient to deliver large content files, and local communication for synchronization is reliable.
uClient devices must be able to communicate with the Internet to sync with Userful Manager, and also must be able to communicate with each other across the local network to maintain content synchronization.
Protocol | Port | Destination | Description |
TCP | 443 | cloud-connect.userful.com | Userful Manager |
UDP | 123 | Other uClients | NTP |
TCP | 8554 | Other uClients | RTSP Streaming |
TCP/UDP | 14725 | Other uClients | Video Synchronization |
TCP | 14276 | Other uClients | Video Synchronization |
UDP (Broadcast) | 16668 | Other uClients | uClient Discovery |
TCP (DNS) | 16669 | Other uClients | uClient DNS Discovery |
*Updated September 6th 2022
If your deployment includes the use of the Userful Engage CMS, you will need to ensure that your on-premise servers and/or uClient devices are able to access the EngageIP addresses on the TCP port 443:
Files:
205.185.216.10
52.217.39.148
162.243.189.2
API
45.55.116.139
134.209.131.177
172.217.2.227
If you have any questions or comments about this article, please contact your Userful account manager or sales engineer, or email us at info@userful.com.
