Network Setup for Church AV
Quick Start
Put all AV gear on the same subnet (e.g. 192.168.1.x) using a dedicated switch
Assign static IPs to every piece of AV equipment — never rely on DHCP for production gear
Connect the Tally computer to the same switch and confirm it can reach each device
Verify connectivity from Tally's Equipment Setup screen — every device should show a green dot
Who This Is For
Church tech directors and volunteers setting up or troubleshooting the network that connects an ATEM switcher, cameras, streaming encoder, and Tally.
What You Will Accomplish
Understand why AV gear needs its own network segment
Assign static IPs to your ATEM, PTZ cameras, encoder, and other devices
Wire everything through a dedicated AV switch
Verify end-to-end connectivity from the Tally computer
Avoid the most common network mistakes that cause dropped connections
Prerequisites
Step-by-Step Setup
Pick a subnet for all AV equipment. A common choice:
| Device | IP Address |
|---|---|
| ATEM Switcher | 192.168.1.10 |
| PTZ Camera 1 | 192.168.1.21 |
| PTZ Camera 2 | 192.168.1.22 |
| PTZ Camera 3 | 192.168.1.23 |
| OBS / Encoder PC | 192.168.1.30 |
| Audio Console (X32, etc.) | 192.168.1.40 |
| Companion | 192.168.1.50 |
| HyperDeck | 192.168.1.60 |
| Tally Computer | 192.168.1.100 |
Tip: Write these on a label and stick it to the inside of your rack or tech booth desk. You will need them again.
Use subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and gateway 192.168.1.1 everywhere. If your church internet router is on 192.168.1.1, this lets AV gear reach the internet for relay connections. If the router uses a different range, adjust your AV subnet to match or add a route.
Never rely on DHCP for production AV gear. A DHCP lease change mid-service will drop your ATEM or camera connection instantly.
ATEM — Open ATEM Software Control → Switcher Settings → Network. Set a static IP, subnet mask, and gateway. Click Apply and wait for the switcher to restart its network.
PTZ Cameras — Open each camera's web interface (usually at the camera's current IP). Go to Network settings and assign the planned static IP.
OBS / Encoder — Set a static IP on the computer's Ethernet adapter in your OS network settings.
Audio Console — Access the console's Setup/Network screen and assign a static IP.
Tally Computer — Set a static IP on the Ethernet adapter. On Mac: System Settings → Network → Ethernet → Details → TCP/IP → Configure IPv4: Manually.
Connect every piece of AV gear and the Tally computer to the same physical switch. This keeps AV traffic off the church Wi-Fi and general office network.
[Internet Router]
|
[AV Switch] ─── ATEM Switcher
|─────── PTZ Camera 1
|─────── PTZ Camera 2
|─────── PTZ Camera 3
|─────── Encoder / OBS PC
|─────── Audio Console
|─────── Tally Computer
|─────── HyperDeck
|─────── CompanionImportant: Use Cat6 cables for runs longer than 10 feet. Use Cat5e only for short patch cables. Never use Wi-Fi for ATEM, cameras, or Tally — it is not reliable enough for live production.
Open a terminal on the Tally computer and ping each device:
ping 192.168.1.10 # ATEM
ping 192.168.1.21 # Camera 1
ping 192.168.1.40 # Audio ConsoleEvery device should respond in under 5 ms on a local switch. If any device does not respond:
Check that the cable is seated — try a different port on the switch
Confirm the static IP was saved on the device (some devices need a reboot)
Make sure the Tally computer and the device are on the same subnet
Open Tally and go to the Equipment Setup screen. Every connected device should show a green status dot. If a device shows red:
Double-check the IP address entered in Tally matches the static IP you assigned
Confirm the device is powered on and the Ethernet link light is active on the switch
Try unplugging and re-plugging the Ethernet cable
Tally connects to the cloud relay over the internet. Make sure the Tally computer (or the switch uplink) has a path to the internet.
The relay connection uses standard HTTPS (port 443) — no special firewall rules needed
If your church uses a firewall or content filter, make sure
api.tallyconnect.appis allowedCheck the Tally app — the relay status should show "Connected" with a green dot
Advanced Details Show / Hide
VLANs (for managed switches):
If your church has a managed switch or enterprise network, create a dedicated VLAN for AV equipment. This isolates AV traffic from office computers and guest Wi-Fi while still allowing internet access for the relay connection.
Typical VLAN setup:
VLAN 10 — AV Production (ATEM, cameras, Tally, encoder)
VLAN 20 — Church Office (staff computers, printers)
VLAN 30 — Guest Wi-Fi
Configure the router to route between VLANs only if cross-VLAN access is needed (it usually isn't).
Multicast and IGMP:
ATEM discovery and some NDI workflows use multicast. If you're on a managed switch, enable IGMP snooping to prevent multicast traffic from flooding all ports. Most unmanaged switches handle this fine without configuration.
PoE (Power over Ethernet):
PTZ cameras and some devices support PoE. If your switch provides PoE, you can power cameras directly from the switch — no separate power adapter needed. Check your camera specs for PoE requirements (most PTZ cameras need PoE+ / 802.3at, 30W).
Bandwidth planning:
| Traffic Type | Bandwidth (per stream) |
|---|---|
| ATEM control | < 1 Mbps |
| PTZ control (VISCA/TCP) | < 1 Mbps |
| Tally status updates | < 1 Mbps |
| NDI video stream | 100–150 Mbps |
| Relay (internet) | < 1 Mbps |
A standard gigabit switch handles all of this comfortably. The only high-bandwidth item is NDI — if you use NDI, make sure your switch is gigabit and avoid daisy-chaining consumer switches.
Validation Checklist
Common Issues and Fixes
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ATEM drops out randomly | DHCP lease expired or IP conflict | Assign a static IP to the ATEM; check no other device uses the same address |
| Camera unreachable after power cycle | Camera reverted to DHCP or a different IP | Re-assign the static IP in the camera's web interface |
| Tally shows "Relay Disconnected" | No internet on the AV network | Confirm the switch uplink reaches a router with internet; allow api.tallyconnect.app on any firewall |
| High latency on pings (>5 ms) | Traffic congestion or bad cable | Use a dedicated AV switch; replace suspect cables; check for broadcast storms |
| Device works alone but fails when everything is on | IP address conflict — two devices share an IP | Audit every device IP; use the planned IP table to confirm no overlaps |
| NDI video stutters | Not enough bandwidth or consumer switch | Use a gigabit managed switch; avoid daisy-chaining cheap switches |
Rollback / Fallback
If a device becomes unreachable after changing its IP, connect a laptop directly to the device with a crosshair cable and reset its network settings.
Most ATEM switchers can be factory-reset via the physical control panel (hold RESET on boot) which restores DHCP mode.
PTZ cameras typically have a hardware reset button (pinhole on the back) that restores default network settings.