---
title: "How to Increase the Number of Groups Being Consumed by the xNIC"
slug: "how-to-increase-the-number-of-groups-being-consumed-by-the-xnic"
updated: 2025-12-23T14:49:02Z
published: 2025-12-23T14:49:02Z
canonical: "docs.swxtch.io/how-to-increase-the-number-of-groups-being-consumed-by-the-xnic"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.swxtch.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Increase the Number of Groups Being Consumed by the xNIC

> [!NOTE]
> **WHAT TO EXPECT**
> 
> **In this article**, users will learn how to increase the numbers of multicast groups that a Linux VM can consume.

### Increasing the Number of Groups Being Consumed by the xNIC

Linux environments limit the number of groups that can be consumed by the xNIC. By default, the value is set to 20. If a user needs to consume more than 20 groups through a single xNIC, they need to make a change to the kernel parameter, **net.ipv4.igmp_max_memberships**, in the **systctl.conf** file.

**To do this:**

1. Open the `/etc/sysctl.conf` to begin editing.
2. Add the following line:

```shell
net.ipv4.igmp_max_memberships=4096
```
3. Save the file and apply the changes immediately:

```shell
sysctl -p
```
4. Verify the change:

```shell
sysctl net.ipv4.igmp_max_memberships
```

The xNIC should now be able to consume more groups.