Networking: Unicast, Multicast

• Unicast connects point to point.
• Multicast connects one location to many (that are part of a group and know that), sharing traffic over each part of the route that leads to more than one destination.
• Broadcast sends to all and can be received by any.
• MBONE is the system for multimedia delivery of video and audio over the Internet using multicast. It requires special routers and special software on computers, as well as a lot of network bandwidth (though much less than would occur with unicast, like CU-SeeMe).
• IVS is a software package from INRIA, a research center in France, for video transmission over MBONE.