Networking

EventSync is only as reliable as the network under it. This page covers the recommended event network architecture, bandwidth planning and firewall requirements.

Recommended setup

Bring your own network. Every time. For every event.

Dedicated event Wi-Fi — enterprise-grade access points (UniFi, Aruba, Cisco Meraki, etc.), sized for the number of devices in the room.
Isolated network — EventSync traffic on its own subnet, separate from general venue internet.
Wired server connection — the Mac running EventSync Server connects to the switch over Ethernet, not Wi-Fi. USB-C 2.5 GbE dongles are inexpensive and excellent.
Dual or triple network on the server — one interface for devices (EventSync Network), one for internet (WAN), and optionally a third for Show Control / Companion. See Network Interfaces.

Two NICs (EventSync + WAN) is plenty for most events. A triple-NIC setup is the cleanest way to run EventSync inside a larger production system — the EventSync Network stays fully isolated from both the internet and the Show Control LAN, but the Mac can still reach each of them independently.

Interface	Connects to	Serves
2.5 – 10 GbE (USB-C or built-in)	Event switch	devices, LiveSync clients, Dashboard, BackupSync peer.
Wi-Fi (built-in) or 1 GbE NIC	Venue internet or a 4G/5G hotspot	Licensing, updates, fetching external web content for proxied custom modules.
1 GbE NIC (optional)	Show Control LAN	Bitfocus Companion and any other external control systems (when these aren't sharing the WAN).

All interfaces are configured in Dashboard → Settings → EventSync Server Settings → Network. The EventSync interface must advertise the server over Bonjour on the event LAN; the WAN interface must reach license.eventsync.co.uk to check in.

⚠️ Venue Wi-Fi is almost never suitable

Shared venue Wi-Fi typically has client isolation enabled, aggressive firewalling, mDNS blocking or unpredictable bandwidth. Any of those break EventSync. If you absolutely have to use venue Wi-Fi, insist on a dedicated SSID on its own VLAN with no client isolation and full mDNS.

Hardware for larger deployments

LiveSync servers — for Primary and Backup LiveSync we recommend a Mac Studio or Mac Pro running on its built-in 10 GbE port. For Relays, a Mac mini with a 10 GbE Thunderbolt adapter is sufficient.

Network switch and APs — for EventSync deployments over 50 clients, use a fast managed switch with 2.5 GbE – 10 GbE uplinks to every access point so the APs can keep up with peak content distribution and LiveSync traffic.

Bandwidth planning

There are three traffic types to account for:

Content distribution — one-off transfer of video/image assets to devices. Happens before the show. Scales with the Concurrent Devices setting.
LiveSync streaming — 2.5–12 Mbps per stream × number of receiving devices. This is the bandwidth-heavy one; plan access point capacity for it.
Cue sync — a handful of kilobits per device per cue. Negligible.

Access-point planning

Assume ~30–40 active EventSync devices per access point on Wi-Fi 6 for mixed traffic; fewer if you're also streaming LiveSync.
Prefer 5 GHz and above. 2.4 GHz is congested in almost every venue.
Disable low data rates (turn off 802.11b/g legacy rates) so one weak device doesn't drag the cell down.

💡 Tip — widen the channel for distribution, narrow it for the show

For fastest content transfer, set your APs to a wide channel (e.g. 80 MHz) while distribution is running. Drop back to 20–40 MHz before doors — narrower channels give you more non-overlapping spectrum across the venue, which handles lots of concurrent clients far better during the show itself.

Dealing with venue realities

💡 Pre-event checklist

Scan the RF spectrum at the venue with a tool like Ubiquiti WiFiman before you commit to a design.
Test the exact Mac + APs + switches configuration you'll use, on the venue network, before clients arrive.
Confirm the event VLAN has mDNS and no client isolation.
Confirm the WAN interface can reach the internet.
Run a rehearsal with all your devices connected to shake out capacity issues.

[VIDEO: Recommended event network — switch, APs and Mac configuration]

Firewall / ports reference

If there's a firewall between the Mac and devices, open these:

Port	Protocol	Purpose
`8080`	TCP	EventSync Server — REST, WebSocket, content distribution.
`8081`	TCP / UDP	LiveSync Server — WebRTC signaling and media.
`5353`	UDP	Bonjour / mDNS — device auto-discovery.
`8087`	TCP	Companion API (optional — only if Show Control is enabled).

💡 Multicast and mDNS on the switch

Make sure mDNS is enabled on the event VLAN. IGMP snooping is fine — and often beneficial — on an AV network, as long as it's enabled alongside mDNS, not instead of it. If devices fail to discover the server, try disabling IGMP snooping on the event VLAN as a troubleshooting step; if discovery then works, the switch was silently filtering the packets and you need to tune its multicast config.