Multicast sends one stream to many receivers without the source sending a separate copy to each. Receivers join a group, identified by a class D address in 224.0.0.0/4, and the network replicates packets only where paths toward interested receivers diverge. Common uses are video distribution, financial market data and software imaging. Multicast has two halves: hosts telling their local router they want a group, and routers building distribution trees between sources and receivers.
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