By default, the video extender mirrors to multiple receivers, but can be configured into a video wall with multiple transmitters and many receivers. Multiple transmitters require a managed network switch with IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol). When you use a single transmitter with many receivers, you should use IGMP to prevent other network devices from being flooded with multicast frames.
Managed switches have an interface that can be used for advanced configuration. Managed switches are typically configured in a web interface using a static IP address on the switch. A switch that is not managed has no configuration options, is purely plug-and-play, and is usually less expensive than managed switches.
When you use IGMP with the video extender, IGMP makes sure that multicast frames are only being sent from the video extender transmitters to the receivers. A managed switch usually has IGMP and will learn how to configure the network with the video extender. When a managed switch is learning the network configuration, it communicates with other IGMP devices and negotiates the best routes for traffic to flow, and then automatically assigns IGMP group memberships. The learning process is automatic and may take up to a minute to complete, depending on the complexity of the setup.
Point-to-point is the most basic setup with the video extender. To connect point-to-point, use an Ethernet cable to connect a transmitter directly to a receiver and make sure that the units have the same thumbwheel setting. The thumbwheels on the video extender make sure that the units are on the same default network and facilitates communication between the units during setup.
You can use a switch that is not managed with a number of receivers, but you will only be able to mirror the HDMI input to the receivers. If you use a switch that is not managed, you will not be able to further configure the units, as the rest of the network infrastructure will be flooded and cause network timeouts when you use the mobile application.