Warning: You may know some or all of this but it may help others to repeat it every so often.

Re running across different computers:

Assuming workstations are on the same network with IP addresses in the same net, it “should” behave the same.

If on different “subnets”, it can be problematic but that is rarely needed in the same LAN under the same Ethernet/Wi-Fi router.

My home has 6 workstations, 16+ networked devices, and 2 AP/Routers all with no need for multiple subnets.

Ergo, the basic homogenous setup below should still hold water.

I have an almost identical DRW (Digital Radio Workflow) with most of same apps with direct UDP messaging and no forwards.
That is not to say I had not used forwarding. I did when the apps were still maturing.  

But thanks the efforts of some really great coders, that it is no longer needed or recommended.

The gist of my flow includes the interconnection of the following apps that required a relatively small effort:

WSJT  à   ( GridTracker + JTAlert )

   JTAlert  à   ( ACLog + QRZ + HRDLog + HamQTH + eQSL + ClugLog + DXLab + HRD + Log4OM )

   GridTracker à ( PSKRpt + QRZ + Clublog + HRDLog + Cloudlog + eQSL + LoTW + N1MM + Log4OM + N3FJPLogs + DXKeeper + HRD )

   There’s a few more apps/services I may have left out but the above covers 99% of them.

Basic UDP setup for the above DRW:

   WSJT  -->  JT-Alert via Multicast UDP messaging

       WSJT’s UDP address is set to a value in a range that implicitly enables Multicast which is 139.0.0.0 – 139.255.255.255. 
       … The actual UDP Port number can be left at the default of 2237 except in rare cases where that port may be in use.

       … I recommend avoiding 139.0.0.0 & 139.255.255.255 as these have special meanings in some network architectures.

       … I have been using 139.0.0.1 without any issues for a while now.

    JT-Alert’s Multicast UDP Port and Address is automatically set.

    … When JTA boots it searches for and uses the WSJT settings with no user intervention

   GridTracker’s Multicast UDP Port ad Address needs to be manually set to the same values as WSJT

   … However, one needs to click the “Multicast?” Radio Button in the settings dialog to explicitly enable Multicast.

   JTAlert à AC Log  - Another automatic setting.  Nothing to do.

   Other than entering your ID & Password for each log book and/or services you may be using, you are done!

All the above apps, database, and web services should then be talking to each other directly with no forwarding needed.

That total workflow has been working for me for 16hrs/day with only an occasional PC crash due to the sheer CPU/UDP load.

That’s because my system has about 20-30 apps and 100’s of services running concurrently with 16TB of storage on 10+ drives.

Hope that helps.  I’m working on printed and video tutorials for the above DRW that should be more visual and explanatory.

I don’t claim perfection in the above diatribe and welcome any probable corrections needed by those who that know better 😊

TomK 73