The purpose of IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) is to manage and control IP multicast group membership within a network. It allows hosts to inform multicast routers about their interest in receiving multicast traffic for specific multicast groups. IGMP ensures efficient delivery of multicast packets by enabling routers to forward multicast traffic only to those network segments where there are interested receivers, reducing network bandwidth usage.
IGMP is commonly used in scenarios where applications require multicast transmission, such as streaming media, online gaming, and video conferencing. For example, in a streaming video application, IGMP helps routers and switches determine where to send multicast packets so that only devices interested in receiving the video stream consume network resources.
IGMP is primarily used by network devices such as routers and multicast-capable switches within IP networks. Hosts running applications that require multicast communication also utilize IGMP to join and leave multicast groups dynamically as needed. By participating in IGMP processes, network devices and hosts ensure efficient and scalable delivery of multicast traffic while conserving network bandwidth and resources.