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Multicast Address Range

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Use this window to create or edit a multicast address range.

Getting Here

Getting Here - Object Explorer > New > Network Object > Address Range > Multicast Address Range

Entering Address Ranges

IPv4 Multicast Group Addressing

The IPv4 address space is divided into four sections: Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D. Class A, B, and C addresses are used for unicast traffic. Class D addresses are reserved for multicast traffic and are allocated dynamically.

The IPv4 multicast address range (224.0.0.0 - 239.255.255.255) is only for the group address or destination address of IPv4 multicast traffic. Select an address or range of addresses within this scope. (For more information regarding host extensions for IP multi-casting, see: RFC 1112.)

Every IPv4 datagram whose destination address starts with "1110" is an IPv4 multicast datagram.

IPv6 Multicast Group Addressing

The IPv6 multicast address range is ff00::/8. These are the fields for an IPv6 multicast address:

Multicast Address Range

Just as a radio is tuned to receive a program that is transmitted at a certain frequency, a host interface can be "tuned" to receive datagrams sent to a specific multicast group. This process is called joining a multicast group.

The remaining bits identify the multicast "group" to which the datagram is sent. Membership in a multicast group is dynamic—hosts can join and leave multicast groups.

The source address for multicast datagrams is always the unicast source address.

Reserved Local Addresses

Multicast group IPv4 addresses are assigned by the IANA for applications that are never forwarded by a router. The connections remain local on a particular LAN segment. These are the IP address ranges that are reserved for local networks:

These IP addresses are called permanent host groups. Some examples of reserved local network multicast groups are shown in the table below.

IPv4 Multicast Address

IPv6 Multicast Address

Purpose

224.0.0.1

ff02::1

All hosts. An ICMP Request (ping) sent to this group should be answered by all multicast capable hosts on the network. Every multicast capable host must join this group at start-up on all its multicast capable interfaces.

224.0.0.2

ff02::2

Routers. All multicast routers must join this group on all its multicast capable interfaces.

224.0.0.4

ff02::4

The group of all DVMRP routers

224.0.0.5

ff02::5

All OSPF routers

224.0.0.13

ff02::d

All PIM routers

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