A Network Protocol that allows a single source to send Data to multiple receivers simultaneously
Similar to Broadcasting, but more efficient because data is is only sent once, and then replicated by network to reach all receivers
When a source sends a multicast packet, it uses a Multicast IP address as the destination address. The network then replicates the packet and sends it to all of the receivers in the Multicast Group
Common Use Cases
Software Update
Used to distribute software updates to multiple devices simultaneously
Video Conferencing
Send audio and video streams to multiple participants in a video conference
Online Gaming
Send game state updates to multiple players simultaneously
Terminologies
Multicast IP address
IP Address in the range 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255
Multicast Group
A logical group for receivers who are interested in receiving Data from sender
