3com DUA1750-2BAA01 Manual De Usuario

3Com Switch 8800 Configuration Guide 

Chapter 23  IP Multicast Overview

 

23-1 

 

  Note: 

An Ethernet switch functions as a router when it runs IP multicast protocol. A router that 

is referred to in the following represents a generalized router or a layer 3 Ethernet 

switch running IP multicast protocol. 

 

The constant development of the Internet and increasing interaction of versatile data, 

voice and vedio information over the network, has promoted the emergence of new 

services like e-commerce, network conference, online auction, vedio on demand (VoD), 

and tele-education. These services require higher information security and greater 

rewards.  

In unicast mode, every user that needs the inforamtion receives a copy through the 

channels the system separately establishes for them. See Figure 23-1. 

Server

Unicast

User A

User B

User C

User D

User E

 

Figure 23-1  Data transmission in unicast mode 

Suppose that Users B, D, and E need the information, the information source Server 

establishes transmision channels with every of them. Since the traffic in transmission 

increases with the number of users, excessive copies of the information would spread