Multicast newbie question

[use...@sta.samsung.com]

I have a need for a host to send a message to a multicast group that it
does ** NOT ** belong to ----- at least not yet. My question is can a
non-member send messages to a multicast group?

Thanks,
Park

[Phil Frisbie, Jr.]

use...@sta.samsung.com wrote:

If I remember correctly, there is nothing in the multicast spec that says you
must join a multicast group to send, but on Windows there can be some problems
if you don't.

--
Phil Frisbie, Jr.
Hawk Software
http://www.hawksoft.com

[Albert Manfredi]

I agree with Phil. There is nothing to preclude any host from
transmitting to a multicast group. If you read RFC 1112, which is the
original spec for IP multicast, you'll see that requirements on senders
are minimal.

There are efforts underway in the IETF to offer control of some of this
multicast openness, primarily motivated by telcos wanting to deploy
IPTV. If IP multicast is used to deliver cable TV-like services, you
don't necessarily want to permit just any subscriber to the service to
create his own TV programs. Nor do you want to permit any subscriber to
join any group, either. And you also want the network and the content
owner to know how many hosts have joined a given group at a given time.
Features that the original IP multicast protocol did not accommodate.

Bert