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Difference Between Unicast and Multicast

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14 views

Difference Between Unicast and Multicast

Uploaded by

mishra.sachi7
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Difference Between Unicast and Multicast


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Unicast and Multicast are two methods for sending data over a network. Unicast is
a one-to-one communication model in which a single sender delivers data to a
single receiver, whereas multicast is a one-to-many communication model in
which a single sender provides data to several recipients.

Read this article to find out more about Unicast and Multicast and how they are
different from each other.

What is Unicast?
Unicast is a type of computer network communication in which a single sender
distributes data to a single recipient. In unicast communication, the sender sends
a copy of the data to a single receiver, and that recipient is the only one who can
receive and process the data. In everyday applications such as email, web
browsing, and instant messaging, this is the most common type of
communication.

Connection-oriented or connectionless unicast communication is possible. Before


data transmission in connection-oriented Unicast, a connection is established
between the sender and the recipient to ensure reliable data delivery. This
technology is often used in applications where data integrity and reliability are
important, such as file transfers and email.

The sender of connectionless Unicast sends data packets to the recipient without
first establishing a connection. This technology is often used for online browsing
and instant messaging when low latency and fast delivery are more important
than data reliability.
What is Multicast?
Multicast is a computer network communication system in which a single sender
sends data to numerous recipients at the same time. The sender only needs to
send a single copy of the data in multicast communication, and the network
copies and sends the data to all of the intended recipients. For applications that
require one-to-many communication, such as video and audio streaming, this is
the most efficient mode of communication.

Multicast communication is efficient and scalable because the sender only needs
to send the data once, and the network duplicates and sends the data to all of the
intended recipients. This reduces network congestion and conserves bandwidth,
making it suitable for applications that require high-bandwidth data transfers.

Connection-oriented or connectionless multicast communication is possible.


Before data transmission, a connection is established between the sender and the
recipients in connection-oriented multicast, ensuring reliable data delivery. This
technology is often used for applications requiring dependable data transfer, such
as video and teleconferencing.

The sender is connectionless. Multicast sends data packets to the multicast group
address without first establishing a connection. This approach is commonly used
for applications such as streaming video and audio, where latency and speed are
more important than data reliability.

Most networking protocols support multicast communication, including IP


(Internet Protocol) multicast, which is used in IPv4 and IPv6 networks. IP
multicast is frequently used for multimedia streaming applications because it
allows for the effective distribution of data to multiple recipients.

Difference between Unicast and Multicast


The following table highlights the major differences between Unicast and Multicast
&minus'

Characteristics Unicast Multicast

Communication One-to-one One-to-many


model

Recipients Single recipient Multiple recipients

Network Less efficient More efficient


efficiency

Bandwidth Higher bandwidth Lower bandwidth

Reliability Higher reliability Lower reliability


Suitable for applications Suitable for applications that
that require secure and require high-bandwidth data
Applications reliable data transfer, transfer to multiple recipients,
such as email and file such as multimedia streaming
transfer and online gaming

Supported by most Supported by the IP multicast


Protocols networking protocols, protocol
including TCP and UDP

Uses the recipient's Uses a multicast group


Addressing unique address or IP address
address

Conclusion
In conclusion, Unicast is used in everyday communication such as email, web
surfing, and instant messaging, whereas Multicast is used for streaming
multimedia content such as video and audio.

Unicast is more suitable for applications that require direct communication


between two endpoints, whereas multicast is more suitable for applications that
require efficient data distribution to several recipients.

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