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Multicast
Communication from point to multipoint is called multicasting. The source host (point)
transmits a message to a group of zero or more hosts (multipoint) that are identified by
a single IPv4 destination address. Although the task can be accomplished by sending
unicast (point-to-point) messages to each of the destination hosts, multicasting is the
preferred method for this type of transmission.
A multicast message is delivered to all members of its destination host group with the
same best-efforts reliability as regular unicast IPv4 messages. The message is not
guaranteed to arrive intact at all members of the destination group or in the same order
relative to other messages.
Multicast is best suited for video and audio traffic requiring multicast packet control for
optimal operation. Multicast for IPv4 includes support for IGMPv1, IGMPv2, and IGMPv3.
The chapter contains the following sections:
• Configure the multicast mode for one or more ports
• Add or remove blocked multicast address ranges
• Display the multicast groups in your network
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