From many sources, as seen in the list below. While deploying reference stations (so called NTRIP Servers) can be very costly, and NTRIP Casters other than SNIPoften cost thousands, as a rule NTRIP Clients are typically provided for free and can be readily downloaded over the web.

1. Ntrip Caster Software
2. Ntrip Caster Software Download
3. Ntrip Caster Software Online
4. Ntrip Caster Software

The software lies within Home & Hobby Tools, more precisely Travel. The most popular versions among the program users are 1.2 and 1.0. This free PC program is developed for Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 environment, 32-bit version. The most frequent installation filename for the program is: NTRIP.exe. This free software was originally produced by NTRIP.

1. NTRIP includes three main components of the system: base, caster, and client’s rover. Usually, in this case, there’s a stationary continuously operating reference station or CORS. The data is then sent to the NTRIP caster, where it is retransmitted through the Internet port to the client rover connected via a particular port and authorized.
2. The Trimble Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol (NTRIP) Caster App is designed to create and manage the administration of multiple NTRIP casters for streaming services as well as to provide a view of current and historical login access.
3. The NTRIP system is made up of three primary software components: caster, server base and client rover. The NTRIP caster is an HTTP Internet service, acting as a line of communication which carries GRSS connection data between NTRIP server and NTRIP clients.

Also, be sure to first ask you dealer or device vendor. Many, if not most, GNSS vendors can provide or recommend an NTRIP Client to use.

If Client, Caster, and Sever are still strange terms, read about them here.

Here is a short list to start your search. Note that many of these products use similar names.

NTRIP Client a very simple easy to use and free PC based product offered by Lefebure Design, LLC
see the site at: http://lefebure.com/software/ntripclient/

Lefebure NTRIP Client for Android a free android product offered by Lefebure Design, LLC
see the Google Apps store site here and you will notice there are several derivative apps as well.

RTKLIB the open source RTK tool (several tools contain clients) developed by Tomoji Takasu
see the site at: http://rtklib.com/

RTK Explorer Various useful improvements to the the RTKLIB tool above (added by Tim Everett) and now often preferred over RTKLIB as new updates are being added.
see the site at: http://rtkexplorer.com/

BKG Ntrip Client (BNC) the free product offered by BKG, this is a comprehensive tool with many features. See the site at: http://igs.bkg.bund.de/ntrip/download This tool is the first entry in the list; just pick your preferred OS.

NtripClient the free product offered by Dirk Stoecker Alberding GmbH
see the site at: https://www.dstoecker.eu/

Ntrip Version 2.0 Command Line Client the free product offered by Dirk Stoecker Alberding GmbH
download or the PC here, or get the C source code here or here.

GnssSurfer the free PC product offered by Juergen Siebert, SAPOS
see the site at: http://217.9.43.196/Download/GnssSurferV1.10.zip

SXBlue RTN is a free client for WinCE offered by Geneq Inc.
see the site at: http://www.sxbluegps.com/download/

GNSS Internet Radio, is an older (free) Window GUI product offered by BKG it is sort of a grandfather in all this (before the term NTRIP was coined) and no longer updated these days, but the source code makes a good starting point and we include it for completeness. Here is a read me page that describes it. The tool is no longer distributed by BKG (as other tools have overcome it) but you can find some mirror links. And here is a great history lesson from The American Surveyor that mentions it as well.

NOTE:If you know of a client you feel should be listed here, please drop us a note.

In the above and the BNC list you can find client software for all the major operating systems, and a number of these products / firms also provide their code as open source.

Need to write your own client for an embedded project? The above products cover C, C++, VB, Java, PHP and a few other languages. If you have prior experience in developing sockets and/or serial port, you will find the process fairly easy. Here is the BKG FTP site with a huge pile of useful client source code to browse and consider.

Connectivity

Most of the above products presume that there is a TCP/IP connection which can be used to connect to the NTRIP Caster, and then a local serial port or Bluetooth which connects to your rover GNSS.

Radios

There are many other products that handle the wireless “last mile” to make a wireless connection to your rover. Historically that last mile link has been a separate industry within GNSS where point to point or broadcast radio devices have been used. Even today, the typical RTK survey crew often comes to the site with sets of private radios to overcome this issue.

Now that cellular coverage is available in much of the world, this is less of an issue. However, some applications still require a local radio link. Many people use WiFi or WiMax or this, others use 900MHz, 2.4GHz, or 5.8GHz radio links in the unlicensed ISM bands. The precise regulations and rules vary depending on what part of the world you live in. The rapid growth in RTK applications for aerial drone use has changed the landscape in this respect. Short range radio transmitter circuit boards can be obtained by hobbyists for tens of dollars, allowing them to connect over small regions.

At this time, SNIPprovides direct TCP/IP connectivity, but it does not link directly to or operate radios, and often this is not needed. We expect to add direct push support for several of the more popular radio links as a future product feature.

Need an NTRIP Caster for your new NTRIP Client, please use-snip for that.

Also see this knowledge base article for more NTRIP Client sources.

Lefebure.com / Articles / NTRIP Caster Setup

Ntrip Caster Software

What is a NTRIP Caster:
Network Transport of RTCM data over IP (NTRIP) is a protocol used to transport RTK correction data over the Internet. The correction data is moved in a way similar to that of streaming audio. Essentially a client connects to some device serving the stream and requests a copy of that data. Transporting RTK correction data over the Internet is an alternative to using radios to transport the data. The GNSS receivers don't know or care how the correction data gets to them, so we can transport it in any way as long as the bytes are in the same order when they get to the rover.
Terms:
The NTRIP software components were named poorly, causing confusion about which pieces wait for connections, and which ones initiate requests.
- NTRIP Client (functions as a TCP/IP client) - This is on the rover side. It initiates a connection to the Caster, asking for data on a certain stream.
- NTRIP Server (functions as a TCP/IP client) - This is on the base station side. It initiates a connection to the Caster, asking to upload data for a certain stream.
- NTRIP Caster (functions as a TCP/IP server) - This is device listens for connections, and will forward data from one NTRIP Server to many NTRIP Clients.

Scenario 1 - Caster and Server are at separate locations:

Ntrip Caster Software Download

This the traditional scenario where you have a single caster that hosts numerous streams. Each base station connects to the caster to upload the data stream. Clients then connect to the caster to download their desired stream.
In this scenario, the Caster will commonly live in a data center since it just moves data. Each base station is has a serial connection to a NTRIP Server, which encapsulates the data into TCP/IP packets and sends them to the caster.
If you manage a NTRIP Caster, you will need to ensure that your firewall allows TCP packets in to the caster software on whatever port number it is listening on. Both the NTRIP Server(s) and NTRIP Client(s) will connect to your Caster on its public IP at that port number.
If you manage a NTRIP Server, you do not need to do anything special on your firewall. A NTRIP Server functions as a TCP/IP client, meaning that it initiates the connection to the Caster. You will need to know the IP address and port number of the Caster, and also the mount point (stream) and password to send data in to that mount point.

Scenario 2 - Caster and Server are the same device:
This will likely be the ideal solution for scenarios where you will only have one data stream and a small number of clients. The Lefebure NTRIP Caster software includes the ability to connect to one serial port and make that data available via on the NTRIP caster.

Ntrip Caster Software Online

In this scenario, the Caster will commonly live in an office or home, physically close the the base station. There has to be a serial connection between the RTK Base Station and the computer, which means you are limited to the maximum distance your cables can carry the serial data.
NTRIP Clients will need to connect to the caster, which means you will need to have:
- A reliable computer with at least one serial port.
- A reliable Internet connection.
- A static IP address from your Internet provider (so the public IP address doesn't change).
- Configure your firewall to allow TCP port forwarding to the internal IP address of the computer running the Caster software.

Ntrip Caster Software

- The Caster should also have a manually assigned IP address on the internal network so that the firewall is always forwarding the incoming data to the correct device.
Last updated: March 13, 2011