A 2960G switch is doing IGMP snooping and is configured as the querier. There is no multicast routing.
Port 1 - Video Set Top Box A
Port 2 - Video Set Top Box B
Port 3 - Multicast Source
Both Set Top Boxes A & B are set to receive the video delivered in the same multicast group.
Every 60 seconds the switch generates an IGMP General Query message which is sent out all the ports in the VLAN.
There is a 10 second timeout in the Query message. Devices that wish to join (or remain joined) to the multicast group have this amount of time to respond with a Join Message directed at the multicast group. Devices deliberately wait a random duration within the timeout time before replying.
For some reason (which I don't understand), if the switch receives a Join request message from a Set Top Box, it forwards that messages out of the port to the other Set Top Box. So, let's say Box A responded with the Join Message first. Box B now sees the Join message and now thinks there is another multicast receiver on its branch of the network, so it suppresses its Join Message to avoid sending an unnecessary message.
If by chance Box A responds first 2 or 3 times in a row, the switch will not have seen a response from port 2 for awhile, so it prunes that port from the multicast.
Eventually, Box B responds first and gets re-joined onto the multicast. It is now Box A that may get pruned if it is consecutively slower.
How do I prevent the switch from replicating the Join message out to the other Set Top Box? I have verified this behavior with Wireshark. But, I believe the Join message is only supposed to be forwarded to a multicast router (if there is one - and there isn't), not to other ports.
The 2960 is running 12.2(58) SE2
Any ideas?
