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LMX Phone · Setup guide

Connecting LMX Phone to your lighting network

LMX Phone receives Art-Net DMX over Wi-Fi. You can add Wi-Fi to an existing lighting network, or keep phones on their own network. This guide shows four practical ways to connect them.

Our recommendation

For reliable performances, use a dedicated access point or Wi-Fi network for LMX Phone. A separate routed subnet or VLAN can isolate other Art-Net traffic, but only use it when your console can address the phones by unicast. For a few phones, a dedicated access point on the existing lighting LAN is often the simplest choice. A different Wi-Fi name (SSID) alone does not isolate broadcast traffic.

Broadcast or unicast?

Broadcast

Some older consoles send ArtDmx to the local network's broadcast address. Devices on that subnet can receive it without the console knowing each phone's IP. Routers normally do not forward broadcast traffic, and Wi-Fi broadcast can be less efficient than wired traffic. The Art-Net 4 specification requires unicast ArtDmx.

Unicast

The console sends packets directly to a phone's IP address. Unicast UDP can cross properly configured routers and VLANs, but the sender must know each destination. Some consoles support multiple destinations or discovery; others require each phone IP to be entered manually. Sending to just one phone does not automatically reach other phones sharing its DMX address.

Art-Net DMX uses UDP port 6454. LMX Phone receives Art-Net, not sACN. Do not assume LMX Phone advertises itself via ArtPoll/ArtPollReply: if your console requires discovery to configure unicast, confirm that the phone is discoverable before relying on it. Art-Net discovery broadcasts generally do not cross routers. Legacy broadcast ArtDmx may work on a local LAN but is not the Art-Net 4 recommended transmission method.

01 · Simplest · small setups

Add Wi-Fi to your existing lighting network

Your console connects to the lighting switch. Existing Art-Net nodes and a dedicated Wi-Fi access point each connect to that switch as separate downstream branches. Everything shares one subnet.

Ethernet Wi-Fi

Why use it

Quick to install; works with broadcast or unicast when configured correctly.

What to watch for

Broadcast traffic from other Art-Net universes can consume Wi-Fi airtime. Use a dedicated access point, disable client isolation, and test under show conditions. If your console supports unicast to multiple destinations, you can use it here too.

02 · A dedicated source or second console network port

Build a standalone LMX Phone network

Connect a dedicated Art-Net output from the console or a separate computer to a standalone switch/access point serving the phones.

Ethernet Wi-Fi

Why use it

Keeps unrelated lighting-node traffic off the phone network; simple addressing.

What to watch for

A console needs a separate network interface or dedicated output. Do not bridge the networks unintentionally. If it sends broadcast on both interfaces, restrict output to the intended universes.

03 · Advanced · when console supports routed unicast

Route unicast to a separate phone subnet

Keep the existing lighting LAN intact and route only the required Art-Net unicast packets to a dedicated phone subnet. Every phone needs a reachable IP destination configured in the console, unless the console and receiver support compatible discovery.

Ethernet Wi-Fi

Why use it

Broadcast stays on the lighting LAN, while phones receive explicitly addressed Art-Net.

What to watch for

The console must support unicast to each phone IP; manually managing many changing phone addresses can become impractical. Use DHCP reservations where practical. Configure routes and firewall rules for UDP 6454; discovery broadcasts generally do not cross subnets. Avoid relying on consumer-router NAT.

04 · Venues with managed switches and access points

Separate the networks with VLANs

Use a dedicated phone SSID mapped to its own VLAN and subnet, with inter-VLAN routing for unicast Art-Net.

Ethernet Wi-Fi

Why use it

Logical separation without a second physical switching infrastructure, when the console can unicast to the phone destinations.

What to watch for

A separate SSID is not enough unless it is assigned to a separate VLAN/subnet. The console still needs destination IPs or compatible discovery. Configure VLAN trunks, routing and firewall policies correctly.

Troubleshooting

No Art-Net arriving? Check that the phone is on the intended Wi-Fi, the console is transmitting the correct universe, and the app's universe and start channel match the patch. Confirm UDP 6454 is permitted.

Unicast across subnets? Check the console's destination IP for every phone, the phones' current DHCP addresses, return routing and firewall rules. Reserve the phone's IP if your router supports DHCP reservations. Broadcast discovery normally will not cross the router.

Packets missing or intermittent? Disable guest/client isolation, check wireless signal and congestion, and test with the same number of phones and Art-Net universes you intend to use in the show. Prefer a dedicated, appropriately engineered access point and 5 GHz where coverage allows.

Using a home Wi-Fi router? In access-point mode, connect it to the lighting LAN as a bridge. If you use its WAN port and create another subnet, NAT and firewall settings may block unsolicited Art-Net packets. A correctly configured routed network is different from merely plugging in a router.

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