IP Multicating

[rmalta]

Can I use IP Multicast in a router to delivery stream in a Local Area Network? Is it necessary having switch connected to the router? How can I configure the router?

[f.campos]

Hello,

I don't know if I understood well your question, but apart from that, you shall use IP multicast in a router if the senders and receivers of the Multicast are connected in different LAN. So you have to configure some layer 3 Multicast protocol like the PIM.

However, if the all senders and receivers are located in same LAN, you do not need configure Multicast in a Router, but if you want to optimize (what its recommended) the Multicast traffic in your LAN, you can configure layer 2 Multicast protocol like CGMP (include the router) or IGMP Snooping.

[brmnj]

Hi,

Is there a way to enable multicsting over the regualr internet and not the mbone by changing the ports used by the source?

thanks

[sachon]

The WWW cannot leverage multicast except via mbone. You can however tunnel multicast traffic in a unicast stream to use the internet as transport which can then be unencapsulated at the far end and multicast across a LAN. The Cisco IPTV product supports this function for example using a feature called 'SmallCast'