Unicast or Multicast with Espixelsticks?

[Uplinkguy]

I've had good luck and bad luck running my show.  Not sure what the right set up is.
Hardware/software: xlights x.19.63 and now version 69.  Using xschedule on windows 10 computer plugged into Linksys 2500 router/ WiFi.  Feeding F16 and 20 espixel sticks.

show runs fine, then I have a power down of computer, or update, then the espixel sticks are either a solid 3 seconds late, or last night, 5 seconds late and a bit confused.

Originally xlights had everything set to unicast, I give all the espixel sticks their own universe and start channel range.  All the espixel sticks didn't have the allow multicast box checked off on their web interface.  This was the original 3 second delay on the sticks but everything was solid, just late.

I find an old forum notice saying pixel sticks should be set to multicast.  I set xlights to multicast, render, select box on web interface on each stick to allow multicast.  Run xschedule, life looks good for 10 days.

Yesterday, computer wanted to shut down and update.  I figure I better allow it during the day before it decides on its own to update while I'm away for a few days.  Updates happen, show starts, sticks are 5 seconds delayed, one of the 270 pixel stars locks up and another prop has a random flicker.  The rest of the props stutter through the show.  The errors start slowly piling up on xschedule.

I called into zoom early evening, first time caller and didn't see the hand up icon. (I apologize to everyone when I spoke up during a quiet time, I didn't know how it worked.)  The moderators teach me on the finer details on zoom protocol, and ask about my network settings.  My PC was tied via the ethernet cable to the show router and over WiFi to my house router, but they both were set to the same address range.  I let the family get off the internet and I change my house router to a different range.  Still issues.

I call back late at night to zoom and while in the queue, I decide to make a new show folder and set everything back to unicast in xlights.  I render and launch xschedule using the new show folder.  On the web interface, the sticks are still checked off on allow multicast.  The show runs.  (I realize after awhile, everything was pumping out at 100% at about 11:30pm (sorry neighbors.))  The show runs solid.  I get to talk to the moderator after awhile on zoom, but unfortunately, the moderator at the late hour didn't know much about espixel sticks and use of WiFi network.  So no solid answers of what is the correct setup.

I launch the show this morning at it works still, with unicast and sticks still checked off allowing multicast.

So I guess at this point, my questions are:  Will it work tonight when there is an abundance of neighbors using their WiFi?  When I had it fixed, the first time, was it possibly that exschedule didn't get the updated multicast setup from xlights until the windows update and was still pushing out unicast?

I just am unsure of what exactly the right combination is that works.  I thought multicast fixed it, but then not, and currently during low WiFi use, unicast works.  Is it possible that xlights set to unicast and sticks set to allow multicast is the right combination?

Thanks all!
Andy

[Gilrock]

I'd set all the pixel sticks to multicast and then power down everything...pixel sticks, computer, router, switches.  Then power up the router(s) first, computer, and then pixel sticks and make sure you are on .69 cause earlier versions could have lag.

[Uplinkguy]

The only router setting I see for multicast is a 'filter multicast' setting.  I have that unchecked.
Is my understanding correct about WiFi unicast that if the neighbors start getting busy on their WiFI, that could start causing lag?
Is the current combination of Xlights set to unicast and the pixels still allowing multicast doing anything for me?
Do pixel sticks actually change into multi/uni mode when saving settings or do I need to power down?

Before I started with the music, I just ran some animation loops last year.  I noticed when I would fix a graphic, render and then launch xschedule, the update wouldn't occur all the time if saving with the same name.  Is it possible that a new FSEQ file wasn't being updated?  Is that still possibly happening that when I was switching between unicast and multicast, that the FSEQ file didn't change or is that a different file that xschedule looks at for my setup?

My power up sequence of the router, computer, then pixel sticks might have been the only thing I wasn't consistent with.  The first time it worked successfully for a 10 day run was re-booting the computer, twice after everything else was up.  19 of the 20 pixel sticks shut off at night.  The router and computer(hopefully) stay on. I sure hope your power up sequence is the solution.  It makes the most sense.

Thanks

[Gilrock]

I don't know all those answers but everyone says don't use unicast on espixelsticks.  If you get a poor signal or just one that's not running it will mess up the performance of the show.

[robertf57]

OK, Not an expert; but, I will tell you what I understand. There is significant overhead from using unicast in the  Wifi setting. There are exchanges of "hand shaking" data between your e.131 controller and the pixelsticks. Might work well for a few pixelsticks, but could cause problems for larger numbers. In multicast, the controller just sends out the data like yelling "Hey universe 21! this data is yours" and doesn't wait for acknowledgement. With unicast there is back and forth.

Another issue is if you are running your show on the same network as your normal network, then you Wifi bandwidth is also shared. Kiddie watching Netflix on the laptop may mess up your show. Better practice is to separate these activities on different networks.