CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)Networking ConceptsMedium
A video conferencing application needs to send a single stream of data to multiple specific participants simultaneously without flooding every device on the network. Which traffic type does this describe?
- AMulticast
- BUnicast
- CAnycast
- DBroadcast
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Multicast
Multicast traffic delivers a single stream to a defined group of interested receivers using a multicast IP address, avoiding the inefficiency of broadcasting to the entire network. Unicast would require duplicate streams for each recipient.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Unicast is one-to-one communication, requiring a separate stream per recipient.
- C. Anycast routes traffic to the nearest of multiple identical servers, not a group of participants.
- D. Broadcast sends to every device on the local network, which is inefficient here.
Multicast Traffic
A one-to-many communication method where data is sent to a specific group of interested hosts using a multicast address, commonly in the 224.0.0.0/4 range for IPv4.
- Uses IGMP for group membership management
- More efficient than broadcast for group communication
- Used in video streaming, stock tickers, and routing protocol updates
Memory trick: Multi-CAST like a cast of a play performing to a select audience