The Concept#

Simulate a company’s internal network distributing 5 video channels to employees. A single source streams all 5 channels simultaneously — each host subscribes only to the 2 it needs. The network delivers traffic exclusively where it has been requested, nowhere else.

Built with **Containerlab**: FRR as the core router and Rendezvous Point, Arista cEOS as distribution switches, Linux containers as source and receivers.

Multicast Groups#

Receiver Subscriptions#

Channel B reaches two different network branches. Channel A reaches two hosts on opposite sides of the topology. This overlap is intentional — it lets you verify the multicast tree is built correctly and traffic only flows where it should.

Topology#

graph TD
    SRC["SOURCE"]
    CORE["CORE-R\nFRR · Rendezvous Point"]
    D1["DIST-1\nArista cEOS"]
    D2["DIST-2\nArista cEOS"]
    H1["HOST-1\nA, B"]
    H2["HOST-2\nB, C"]
    H3["HOST-3\nC, D"]
    H4["HOST-4\nD, E"]
    H5["HOST-5\nA, E"]

    SRC --> CORE
    CORE --> D1
    CORE --> D2
    D1 --> H1
    D1 --> H2
    D2 --> H3
    D2 --> H4
    D2 --> H5

Streaming Approach#

Python scripts — simpler in containers, more instructive than real video.

Swap in `ffmpeg` with test-pattern video later if a visual demo is wanted.

What the Lab Proves#