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Computer Networks

Unicasting, Broadcasting and Multicasting


Unicasting:

Unicast is communication between a single sender and a single receiver over a


network.

Unicast is the term used to describe communication where a piece of information is sent
from one point to another point in packets form.
(Groups all transmitted data irrespective of content, type or structure into suitable-sized
blocks called Packets)

In this case there is just one sender, and one receiver.

Unicast transmission, in which a packet is sent from a single source to a specified


destination, is still the predominant form of transmission on LANs and within the
Internet.

All LANs and IP networks support the unicast transfer mode, and most users are familiar
with the standard unicast applications (e.g. http, smtp) which employ the TCP transport
protocol.

Advantages:

Secure connection

Data Reliability

Data integrity

Disadvantages

Too Costly because of Mass-Distribution

Each connection use computing Resources

More bandwidth is needed

Broadcasting

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Computer Networks

Broadcast is the term used to describe communication where a piece of information is


sent from one source to all other connected sources.

In this case there is just one sender, but the information is sent to all connected receivers.

Broadcast transmission is supported on most LANs and may be used to send the same
message to all computers on the LAN.

Network layer protocols (such as IPv4) also support a form of broadcast that allows the
same packet to be sent to every system in a logical network.

Broadcast Routing
N-way-unicasting

Most straightforward way to send a broadcast packet, to each destination is to


make N copies, one for every user. And then send one to each user.

Drawback: use a lot of bandwidth for one line.

Network duplication
Using the network to create and distribute the copies.
Flooding, sending to all neighbors in the network.

Broadcast Routing: Flooding

Controlled flooding
SNCF(Sequence-number-controlled flooding)

Every sender node puts its address and broadcast sequence-number in the
broadcast packet.

Every node has a memory of the address and number of each packet it has
duplicated and sent.

If it receives a packet in the memory it drops the packet. If not it forwardcopy it to its neighbors.

RPF (Reverse path forwarding)

Only sends packet forward if it is received from the next node in the
shortest path back to the sender.
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University of Gujrat, Sialkot Sub Campus

Computer Networks

Broadcast Routing: Spanning-Tree


Spanning-Tree Broadcast

Limits number of sent packets.

Creates a path for each node to forward received packets. A so called


minimum spanning-tree.

This is done by routing algorithms.

Center based Spanning-Tree

A central node is defined.

Then all nodes sends a message at the same time towards the center node
until they arrive at ether the center node or a node thats already a part of
the tree.

Multicasting

Multicast is the term used to describe communication where a piece of information is sent
from one or more sources to a set of interested sources.

In this case there is may be one or more senders, and the information is distributed to a
set of receivers

Multicasting is the networking technique of delivering the same packet simultaneously to


a group of clients.

IP multicast provides dynamic many-to-many connectivity between a set of senders (at


least 1) and a group of receivers.

The format of IP multicast packets is identical to that of unicast packets and is


distinguished only by the use of a special class of destination address (class D IPv4
address) which denotes a specific multicast group.

Since TCP supports only the unicast mode, multicast applications must use the UDP
transport protocol.

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University of Gujrat, Sialkot Sub Campus

Computer Networks

The multicast mode is useful if a group of clients require a common set of data at the
same time, or when the clients are able to receive and store (cache) common data until
needed.
Where there is a common need for the same data required by a group of clients, multicast
transmission may provide significant bandwidth savings.

Unlike broadcast transmission (which is used on some local area networks), multicast
clients receive a stream of packets only if they have previously elect to do so (by joining
the specific multicast group address).

Membership of a group is dynamic and controlled by the receivers (in turn informed by
the local client applications).

The routers in a multicast network learn which sub-networks have active clients for each
multicast group and attempt to minimise the transmission of packets across parts of the
network for which there are no active clients.

Advantages of Multicasting

i.

Packets are received only by the interested devices.

ii.

No Connection (uses UDP)

iii.

Used across WAN

Disadvantages of Multicasting

i.

Not Good For Bulk Data

ii.

Not used on large scale

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