Crestron Control (CIP / SCIP)
CIP is Crestron's proprietary IP control plane for processor-to-endpoint command, feedback, join, and session traffic inside a Crestron system. In practical AV work it is the native messaging path between a Crestron control processor or VC-4 room and Crestron touch interfaces, control apps, software clients, and other Crestron Ethernet devices. The important firewall and design point is simple: plain CIP on 41794 is the legacy insecure path; on any shared or security-reviewed network, the right baseline is SCIP on 41796, with the rest of the room-control web stack treated separately rather than lazily bundled under the word "CIP." Current Crestron terminology guidance also says that when TLS / SSL is used, the plain 41794 path is disabled so SCIP is used instead.
Scope: Crestron Control (CIP / SCIP) — select the deployed product/version; optional services require separate selection.
protocol · Catalog reviewed 2026-10-21
Crestron CIP / SCIP
Infrastructure Requirements
- Configured processor and control endpoints
- compatible CIP/SCIP support and credentials
- correct endpoint-to-processor reachability.
Network & Physical Requirements
| Port / allocation | Transport | Connection / signal flow | Feature and requirement | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41794 (default) | TCP | Crestron endpoint / control client → Crestron processor / peer | Optional · Legacy unencrypted CIP Crestron CIP control Crestron documented CIP modes TCP/UDP use depends on mode and product; select supported transport. | Source checked 2026-09-27 Ports Used by Crestron Home: TCP CIP |
| 41796 (default) | TCP | Crestron endpoint / control client → Crestron processor / peer | Profile requirement · Core secure control Secure CIP control Crestron SCIP-capable products | Source checked 2026-09-27 Ports Used by Crestron Home: secure CIP |
| 41794 (default) | UDP | Home setup app / processor → Home processor / setup app | Optional · Home discovery Crestron Home autodiscovery Crestron Home | Source checked 2026-09-27 Ports Used by Crestron Home: UDP AutoDiscovery |
Gotchas & IT Notes
- ⚠Crestron CIP is unrelated to industrial EtherNet/IP CIP; 2221, 2222 and 44818 do not belong to this schedule.
- ⚠Authentication, secure mode, discovery and management requirements vary by processor and endpoint.
- ⚠UDP 41794 is explicitly autodiscovery in Crestron Home. Other platforms, including VC-4, also document UDP CIP; use the selected platform port inventory.