Manual
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224.0.0.18 VRRP 
224.0.0.22 IGMP 
When Ethernet transmits Unicast  IP messages, the  destination MAC  address  it  uses is  the 
receiver’s MAC address. But in transmitting Multicast packets, the transmission destination is 
not  a specific receiver any  more,  but  a group  with  uncertain members, thus  Multicast  MAC 
address  is  used.  Multicast  MAC address  is  corresponding  to  Multicast  IP address.  It  is 
prescribed in IANA (Internet Assigned Number Authority) that the higher 25 bits in Multicast 
MAC address is 0x01005e, and  the lower 23bits in MAC  address is  the lower  23bits in 
Multicast IP address. 
Since only 23bits out of the lower 28bits in IP Multicast address are mapped into MAC address, 
therefore there are 32 IP Multicast addresses which are mapped into the same MAC address.  
36.1.3 IP Multicast Packet Transmission 
In Multicast mode, the source host sends packets to the host group indicated by the Multicast 
group  address  in  the  destination  address field  of  IP  data packet.  Unlike  Unicast  mode, 
Multicast data packet must be forwarded to a number of external interfaces to be sent to all 
receiver sites in Multicast mode, thus Multicast transmission procedure is more complicated 
than Unicast transmission procedure.  
In  order  to  guarantee  that  all  Multicast  packets  get  to  the  router  via  the  shortest  path,  the 
receipt  interface  of  the  Multicast  packet  must  be  checked  in  some  certain  way  based  on 
Unicast router table; this checking mechanism is the basis for most Multicast Routing Protocol 
to forward in Multicast mode --- RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) check. Multicast router makes 
use of  the impressed packet source address to  query  Unicast  Router Table or independent 
Multicast Router Table to determine if the packet ingress interface is on the shortest path from 
receipt site to source address. If shortest path Tree is used, then the source address is the 
address of source host which sends Multicast Data Packets; if Shared Tree is used, then the 
source address is the address of the root of the Shared-Tree. When Multicast data packet gets 
to the router, if RPF check passes, then the data packet is forwarded according to Multicast 
forward item, and the data packet will be discarded else wise.  
36.1.4 IP Multicast Application 
IP  Multicast  technology  has  effectively  solved  the  problem  of  sending  in single  point  and 
receiving in multipoint. It has achieved the effective data transmission from a point to multiple 
points, saved a great deal of network bandwidth and reduced network load. Making use of the 
Multicast property of network, some new value-added operations can be supplied conveniently. 
In Information Service areas such as online living broadcast, network TV, remote education, 
remote medicine, real time video/audio meeting, the following applications may be supplied: 
1.  Application of Multimedia and Streaming Media 










