---
title: "Dedicated Network Setup"
description: "Build an isolated, internet-free network and lock down your computers for reliable sync in professional video wall and digital signage installations."
url: "https://flosync.com/docs/dedicated-network/"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-09-03"
---

# Dedicated Network Setup

For permanent installations, live events, and video walls where reliability is non-negotiable, the single most effective thing you can do is put your FloSync computers on their own private network, completely isolated from the internet.

This guide walks you through building that network from scratch, then locking down each computer so nothing interferes with playback.

## Why Isolate the Network?

When your FloSync computers share a network with other devices and internet traffic, they're competing for bandwidth and dealing with unpredictable latency. On a typical office or venue network:

- Windows Update can saturate your connection without warning
- Cloud storage services (OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud) sync files in the background
- Other devices generate broadcast traffic that your switch must handle
- Router firmware updates can restart your gateway mid-show
- DHCP lease renewals can briefly interrupt connectivity

On a dedicated network, **none of this exists**. Your FloSync computers talk only to each other, over a direct connection with sub-millisecond latency and zero contention. It's the same approach used by professional broadcast playout systems, commercial digital signage networks, and live event AV rigs.

## What You Need

The hardware requirements are minimal:

| Computers | Hardware | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | One Ethernet cable | ~$5 |
| 3+ | One unmanaged gigabit switch + one cable per computer | ~$20–30 |

That's it. No router, no modem, no internet connection. Just a switch (or a single cable for two machines) and standard Ethernet cables.

> **Hub vs. switch**: A hub technically works, but a switch is better in every way: each port gets dedicated bandwidth instead of sharing, and they cost about the same. Any cheap unmanaged gigabit switch is fine.

## Step 1: Connect the Hardware

### Two computers

Connect a standard Ethernet cable directly between the two computers. Modern network adapters auto-detect crossover, so any Ethernet cable works and you don't need a special crossover cable.

![Two computers connected directly by one Ethernet cable](https://flosync.com/images/diagrams/direct-connect.svg)

*No switch is needed for a two-computer setup.*

### Three or more computers

Plug each computer into the same unmanaged switch using standard Ethernet cables.

![Three computers, each connected by a network cable to a single small network switch.](https://flosync.com/images/diagrams/dedicated-network.svg)

*One Ethernet cable from each computer to the switch.*

## Step 2: Assign Static IP Addresses

Without a router, there's no DHCP server to hand out IP addresses automatically. You'll assign them manually.

Give every computer an address in the same range with the same subnet mask. That is what puts them on one local network, which is what FloSync needs in order to find them.

### Windows

1. Open **Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet**
2. Click on the Ethernet adapter (it may show as "Unidentified network", which is normal)
3. Click **Edit** next to **IP assignment**
4. Change from **Automatic (DHCP)** to **Manual**
5. Enable **IPv4** and enter:

| Computer | IP Address | Subnet Mask | Gateway | DNS |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PC 1 (Server) | `192.168.50.1` | `255.255.255.0` | Leave blank | Leave blank |
| PC 2 (Client) | `192.168.50.2` | `255.255.255.0` | Leave blank | Leave blank |
| PC 3 (Client) | `192.168.50.3` | `255.255.255.0` | Leave blank | Leave blank |

Continue the pattern for additional computers: `192.168.50.4`, `192.168.50.5`, etc.

> **Why 192.168.50.x and not 192.168.1.x**: `192.168.1.x` is what most home and office routers hand out, so if you later keep Wi-Fi on for internet access (see [Keeping Internet Access on a Second Connection](https://flosync.com/docs/dedicated-network/#keeping-internet-access-on-a-second-connection)) the two networks can end up using the same range, and the computer will not know which one to send traffic to. Any unused range works. `192.168.50.x` is simply one that rarely collides.

6. Click **Save**

### macOS

1. Open **System Settings > Network > Ethernet**
2. Click **Details** on the Ethernet connection
3. Select **TCP/IP** from the sidebar
4. Change **Configure IPv4** to **Manually**
5. Enter the IP address and subnet mask from the table above
6. Leave Router and DNS blank
7. Click **OK**

## Step 3: Set the Network Profile to Private (Windows)

Windows treats unidentified networks as **Public** by default, which blocks most local traffic including FloSync's. You need to change this.

Open **PowerShell as Administrator** and run:

```powershell
# Check the current profile
Get-NetConnectionProfile

# Set it to Private (replace "Ethernet" with the name shown above if different)
Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -NetworkCategory Private
```

> **Why this matters**: Windows Firewall applies different rules to Public vs. Private networks. On Public, it blocks incoming connections, including the ones FloSync needs. Setting the profile to Private tells Windows these are trusted machines on your own network.

## Step 4: Allow FloSync Through the Firewall

FloSync uses two ports. Even on a Private network, you need to make sure the firewall allows both.

| Port | Carries | Without it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UDP 9201 | Finding other computers, and playback sync | Clients never find the server |
| TCP 9202 | Importing content from the server | Sync works, downloads fail |

Allowing the FloSync application covers both, which is what the steps below do. If your firewall is configured by port rather than by application, add both rules.

### Windows

1. Open **Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app through firewall**
2. Find FloSync in the list and enable it for **Private** networks
3. If FloSync isn't listed, click **Allow another app** and browse to the FloSync executable

### macOS

macOS will prompt you to allow incoming connections when FloSync first starts in server mode. Click **Allow**. If you missed this prompt:

1. Open **System Settings > Network > Firewall > Options**
2. Add FloSync and set it to **Allow incoming connections**

## Step 5: Verify Connectivity

Before launching FloSync, confirm the computers can talk to each other.

Open **Command Prompt** (Windows) or **Terminal** (macOS) on any machine and ping the others:

```
ping 192.168.50.2
```

You should see replies with times under 1ms. If you get "Request timed out":

1. Double-check the IP addresses on both machines
2. Verify the Ethernet cable is plugged in and the link light is on
3. On Windows, confirm the network profile is set to **Private** (Step 3)
4. Temporarily disable the firewall to isolate the issue

## Step 6: Disable Wi-Fi (Recommended)

For a clean, dedicated setup, disable Wi-Fi on each FloSync computer so all traffic goes exclusively over the wired connection.

**Windows**: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar and toggle it **off**.

**macOS**: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and toggle it **off**.

### Keeping Internet Access on a Second Connection

If you need internet access on the same machine (for remote management, monitoring, etc.), you can leave Wi-Fi enabled:

- **Ethernet** (`192.168.50.x`): the dedicated FloSync network
- **Wi-Fi** (your regular network): internet access

The two stay out of each other's way as long as they are on different ranges, which is why the dedicated network uses `192.168.50.x` rather than the `192.168.1.x` most routers hand out. Give them the same range and neither will work reliably.

> **If a client can't find the server, turn Wi-Fi off.** With two connections live at once, the computer decides for itself which one to use when it goes looking for other FloSync machines, and it will not always pick the wired one. Disabling Wi-Fi (Step 6) is the configuration to fall back to, and the one to use on any machine you are not actively managing.

## Locking Down the Operating System

An isolated network eliminates external interference, but the operating system itself can still cause problems. For permanent installations and events, lock down these settings on every FloSync computer.

### Disable Automatic Updates

The most common source of unexpected disruptions in any long-running installation.

**Windows**:

1. Open **Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options**
2. **Pause updates** for the maximum duration available
3. For permanent installations, consider disabling the Windows Update service entirely:
   - Open **Services** (`services.msc`)
   - Find **Windows Update**
   - Set Startup type to **Disabled**
   - Click **Stop** if it's running

> **Remember to re-enable updates** when the installation is over or during scheduled maintenance windows.

**macOS**:

1. Open **System Settings > General > Software Update**
2. Click the **info (i)** button next to **Automatic Updates**
3. Disable all automatic update options

### Disable Cloud Storage Sync

Cloud sync services consume bandwidth, CPU, and disk I/O unpredictably.

**Windows**:

- **OneDrive**: Right-click the OneDrive icon in the system tray > Settings > uncheck **Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows**. Then right-click again and select **Quit OneDrive**.
- **Dropbox / Google Drive**: Same process: disable auto-start and quit the application.

**macOS**:

- **iCloud Drive**: System Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > turn off **iCloud Drive**
- **Dropbox / Google Drive**: Quit and disable auto-start in the app's preferences

### Disable Background Apps and Telemetry (Windows)

Windows runs many background tasks that can spike CPU and disk usage.

1. **Settings > Apps > Startup**: Disable everything except FloSync (if using [Launch at Login](https://flosync.com/docs/preferences/#startup-settings))
2. **Settings > Privacy & Security > General**: Turn off all advertising and tracking options
3. **Settings > System > Notifications**: Turn off notifications entirely, or at minimum disable notification banners and sounds

### Disable Spotlight / Search Indexing

File indexing services can cause sustained disk I/O, especially after new content is copied to the machine.

**Windows**:

1. Open **Services** (`services.msc`)
2. Find **Windows Search**
3. Set Startup type to **Disabled** and click **Stop**

**macOS**:

1. Open **System Settings > Siri & Spotlight**
2. Under **Spotlight Privacy**, add your video storage drive to prevent indexing

### Disable Screen Saver and Lock Screen

Prevent the system from covering your content or requiring a login.

**Windows**:

- **Settings > System > Power > Screen and sleep**: Set all options to **Never**
- **Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options**: Set "Require sign-in" to **Never**
- Search for **Screen saver** and set it to **None**

**macOS**:

- **System Settings > Lock Screen**: Set all timers to **Never**
- **System Settings > Displays > Advanced**: Enable **Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off**

### Set Power Plan to High Performance (Windows)

Prevent the CPU and GPU from throttling during playback.

1. Open **Control Panel > Power Options**
2. Select **High Performance** (you may need to click "Show additional plans")
3. Click **Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings**:
   - **USB selective suspend**: Disabled
   - **PCI Express > Link State Power Management**: Off
   - **Processor power management > Minimum processor state**: 100%

## The Complete Checklist

### Hardware and Network

- [ ] All FloSync computers connected via Ethernet to the same switch (or directly for 2 PCs)
- [ ] Static IP addresses assigned to each computer, all in the same range
- [ ] No router or internet connection on the dedicated network
- [ ] Network profile set to **Private** (Windows)
- [ ] Firewall allows FloSync, covering **UDP 9201** (playback sync) and **TCP 9202** (content import)
- [ ] `ping` test confirms sub-1ms connectivity between all machines
- [ ] Wi-Fi disabled (or on a different range from the dedicated network if internet access is needed)

### Operating System Lockdown

- [ ] Automatic OS updates **disabled**
- [ ] Cloud storage sync (OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox) **disabled**
- [ ] Unnecessary startup apps **disabled**
- [ ] Search indexing **disabled**
- [ ] Notifications **disabled**
- [ ] Screen saver and lock screen **disabled**
- [ ] Power plan set to **High Performance** (Windows)
- [ ] Sleep and display timeout set to **Never**

### FloSync Configuration

- [ ] Identical video files copied to **local storage** on each computer
- [ ] Video encoded in a [sync-friendly format](https://flosync.com/docs/video-preparation/) (H.264 All-Intra recommended)
- [ ] [Seamless looping](https://flosync.com/docs/preferences/#video-looping) enabled, with looping content supplied as MP4 or MOV. Other formats fall back to standard looping on their own, without telling you
- [ ] [Global Canvas Extension](https://flosync.com/docs/network-sync/#multi-computer-video-walls) set on **each** computer, for walls spanning more than one machine. The values are entered per machine, and a canvas cannot be copied between a Mac and a PC
- [ ] Server and client [network sync](https://flosync.com/docs/network-sync/) configured and connected
- [ ] [Launch at Login](https://flosync.com/docs/preferences/#startup-settings) enabled (for permanent installations)
- [ ] [Auto Go Live](https://flosync.com/docs/preferences/#auto-go-live) enabled (for unattended operation)
- [ ] [Daily restart scheduled](https://flosync.com/docs/sync-optimization/#schedule-regular-restarts-long-running-installations) (for installations running days or weeks)

## Related

- [Network Sync](https://flosync.com/docs/network-sync/): setting up server/client sync
- [Optimizing for Sync](https://flosync.com/docs/sync-optimization/): general sync tuning for all setups
- [Video Preparation](https://flosync.com/docs/video-preparation/): encoding formats and sample files
- [Troubleshooting](https://flosync.com/docs/troubleshooting/): common issues and solutions