Mac OS network behavior compared to Windows ... VPN ...

[sdallosto]

hi all,
I'll try to explain what I discovered ... it's quite "network technical" ...

The jamkazam app works differently on a Windows system compared to a Mac OS system

in a Windows system, it listens on ALL network interfaces that are present on the operative system
in a MacOS system, it listens only on one of them

for me this is technical issue ...

I'm trying to simplify the way we can use the app as a band,
and we're connecting to one of my VPN server cause one of my "band-mate" has a ISP connection that is NOT public,
and even opening the ports on the routers would not help ...
(... it's quite common here in italy ... )

so I created a VPN connection for US to the same server ...
user A use a windows system
user B use a windows system
user C (me) use a mac os system
the result:
- A can send and receive audio from B, and receive ONLY audio from C
- B can send and receive audio from A, and receive ONLY audio from C
- C can ONLY send audio, but it can't receive anything

checking the differences between Mac and Windows,
I discovered that on windows, the JamKazam app can "bind" to ALL network interface, opening an listening to the right UDP ports on all of them (just use the "netstat -an" commando on CMD or PowerShell window)
On the Mac side instead, there seems to be NO way to make it listen correctly to the VPN tunnel interface ...
UDP ports are open ONLY on the physical interface, and NOT also on the "virtual tunnel" interface ...

I know it's a quite technical request, but I think there's something to do in the APP on the Mac side ...

more-over, from a "service" perspective, using a VPN can "simplify" for everybody the use the application itself, without the need of opening anything on the "user" side ...
in other works ... jamkazam could think about offering a VPN service to his members to simplify the app usage ...

please let me know what you think

thanks in advace

chheers

[pbatts]

hi all,
I'll try to explain what I discovered ... it's quite "network technical" ...

The jamkazam app works differently on a Windows system compared to a Mac OS system

in a Windows system, it listens on ALL network interfaces that are present on the operative system
in a MacOS system, it listens only on one of them

for me this is technical issue ...

I'm trying to simplify the way we can use the app as a band,
and we're connecting to one of my VPN server cause one of my "band-mate" has a ISP connection that is NOT public,
and even opening the ports on the routers would not help ...
(... it's quite common here in italy ... )

so I created a VPN connection for US to the same server ...
user A use a windows system
user B use a windows system
user C (me) use a mac os system
the result:
- A can send and receive audio from B, and receive ONLY audio from C
- B can send and receive audio from A, and receive ONLY audio from C
- C can ONLY send audio, but it can't receive anything

checking the differences between Mac and Windows,
I discovered that on windows, the JamKazam app can "bind" to ALL network interface, opening an listening to the right UDP ports on all of them (just use the "netstat -an" commando on CMD or PowerShell window)
On the Mac side instead, there seems to be NO way to make it listen correctly to the VPN tunnel interface ...
UDP ports are open ONLY on the physical interface, and NOT also on the "virtual tunnel" interface ...

I know it's a quite technical request, but I think there's something to do in the APP on the Mac side ...

more-over, from a "service" perspective, using a VPN can "simplify" for everybody the use the application itself, without the need of opening anything on the "user" side ...
in other works ... jamkazam could think about offering a VPN service to his members to simplify the app usage ...

please let me know what you think

thanks in advace

chheers

It's true Mac will only let you use one device. But you can create an "Aggregate Device" and all of your I/O will then be available.

[sdallosto]

thanks for the answer,
but from what I can see, the "aggregate device" it's something you can do with AUDIO device ...

my problem is with the way JamKazam use the NETWORK interface on a MacOs ...
or is there any way to "aggregate" also NETWORK interfaces on a MacOs system ?

please le me know

thanks a lot

cheers

[pbatts]

Sorry for my misunderstanding.

If you are asking about connecting to two networks, simultaneously, with a Mac, I don't know of any way to do that.

[Redefer]

So, are you suggesting that this whole Jamkazam thing might work better with a VPN??

[sdallosto]

... yes and no ... it depends ...
from a network perspective there are a lot of variables that can affect the whole experience:
- latency
- jitter
- port forwarding
- and many others

using a VPN could slightly change your latency and jitter, cause a VPN to the same server put al the users in the same virtual place, and from there you go to the jamkazam servers, all together ...
it's like you're changing the path to reach the jamkazam servers, and depending on it, your latency and jitter can improve or get worse ...
... users A B and C need to reach server S1, and they follow they're own independent path made of main roads, secondary roads and highways ...
... with a VPN, A B and C meets all together on server V1, which they reach using their own independent path, but from V1 they reach S1 on the same path ...


from a port forwarding perspective,
using a VPN can "centralize" the port forwarding issue

Sometimes, at home, you don't have an internet connection that is "public", cause your internet provider is putting you on its "private" network with all its other "costumers", and the real connection to the public internet it's somewhere else, shared between you and all the other costumers
(here in Italy it's a quite common scenario) ..
In this scenario, even trying to configuring the port forwarding stuff on your personal home router, it will never work, cause after your home router, you're NOT public ...
... with a VPN you can solve this case ...

Sometimes, again, your router it's NOT working as expected, because it doesn't have the port forwarding feature, it has a bug, or a hidden block made by the ISP to prevent you to have any kind of "strange and possibly risky" public service ...
... even in this case, a VPN can be your answer ...

last but NOT least ...
if JamKazam can open a P2P options for people in the same place (or "virtual" place ), a personal VPN service I think can improve a lot the global experience ...
... with a VPN and P2P enabled , A B and C meets all together on server V1, which they reach using their own independent path,
and they do NOT need anymore to reach jamkazam S1 server to work ... if V1 is well chosen, it's much less "path" to be done!