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IP multicast
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<p>IP multicast is a method of sending <a href="/facts/Internet_Protocol/Qq6VeEal">Internet Protocol</a> (IP) <a href="/facts/Datagram/TMHVctMz">datagrams</a> to a group of interested receivers in a single transmission. It is the IP-specific form of <a href="/facts/Multicast/D9IspSfl">multicast</a> and is used for <a href="/facts/Streaming_media/4rPhSq0Y">streaming media</a> and other network applications. It uses specially reserved <a href="/facts/Multicast_address/cIau2Hee">multicast address</a> blocks in <a href="/facts/IPv4/bnQ5MEqm">IPv4</a> and <a href="/facts/IPv6/d4dg7kIL">IPv6</a>. </p><p>Protocols associated with IP multicast include <a href="/facts/Internet_Group_Management_Protocol/MEzn1aTF">Internet Group Management Protocol</a>, <a href="/facts/Protocol_Independent_Multicast/cP3Tr4MA">Protocol Independent Multicast</a> and <a href="/facts/Multicast_VLAN_Registration/jyts2fky">Multicast VLAN Registration</a>. <a href="/facts/IGMP_snooping/Smz8LzQ3">IGMP snooping</a> is used to manage IP multicast traffic on <a href="/facts/Layer-2/K9yPufbt">layer-2</a> networks. </p><p>IP multicast is described in <a href="/facts/RFC_(identifier)/esftTvE7">RFC</a> <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1112">1112</a>. IP multicast was first standardized in 1986. Its specifications have been augmented in RFC <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4604">4604</a> to include group management and in RFC <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5771">5771</a> to include administratively scoped addresses. </p>