Casting in Computer Networks means transmitting data(stream of packets) from the client(s) to the recipient(s) over a communication channel known as a network. There are three different types of casting in computer networks, which are:
Unicast transmission
Broadcast transmission
Multicast transmission
The key difference is in data delivery: Unicast sends data to a single recipient, Broadcast sends data to all devices in a network, and Multicast sends data to a specific group of subscribed devices.
In Unicast transmission, data is transmitted from a single client(or a single source host) to a single recipient(or a single destination host). It is a one-to-one kind of transmission.
In Broadcast transmission, data is transmitted from a single client(or a single source host) to multiple recipients(or multiple destination hosts) within the same network or other networks. It is a one-to-many kind of transmission.
In Multicast transmission, data is transmitted from multiple clients(or multiple source hosts) to various recipients(or multiple destination hosts) within the same network or other networks. It is a many-to-many kind of transmission.
The communication is unidirectional in Simplex mode. Only one of the devices on a link can be a sender, and the other can only receive.
What is Half-duplex and Full-duplex mode?
Both the devices can act as a sender or receiver in half-duplex mode. But at a time only one device can transmit data over the link. Full-duplex mode is bi-directional, i.e. both devices can send or receive data at the same time.
Is Netflix multicast or unicast?
Netflix uses unicast for its streaming services. Each user's device establishes a unique connection to Netflix servers, ensuring personalized streams tailored to individual preferences and viewing habits, resulting in a one-to-one communication model.
What is unicast vs multicast vs broadcast vs Anycast?
Unicast is a one-to-one communication method where data is sent from one source to one specific destination. Multicast is a one-to-many communication method where data is sent from one source to multiple specified recipients within a network. Broadcast sends data from one source to all devices in a network, resulting in one-to-all communication. Anycast allows data to be sent from one source to the nearest or most optimal node in a group of potential receivers, optimizing for latency and redundancy.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the difference between Unicast, Broadcast, and Multicast. Understanding the differences between unicast, broadcast, and multicast is essential for designing and optimizing network communication strategies. Unicast offers efficient one-to-one communication, suitable for personalized services like video streaming. Broadcast enables one-to-all communication, useful in scenarios where data must reach every device in a network, but it can be inefficient due to unnecessary data delivery. Multicast strikes a balance by sending data to a specific group of recipients, making it ideal for applications like live video conferencing and IPTV.
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