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Multicast

A communication method where data is sent from a single source to a specific group of interested recipients simultaneously.

Categorynetwork

Overview

Multicast is much more efficient than unicast for sending the same data to many people (like a live video stream). Instead of the source sending 100 separate copies of the data, it sends one copy, and the network routers replicate it only where needed.

Key Concepts

  • Multicast Group: Identified by a specific IP range (224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 in IPv4).
  • IGMP: The protocol used by hosts to 'join' or 'leave' a multicast group.
  • PIM: A routing protocol used to build multicast delivery trees.

Related Terms

UnicastBroadcastAnycast