Optimizing Multicast Traffic with IGMP: A Simulated Environment for Media Distribution Efficiency

Multicast transmission is a widely used data transmission method in content delivery applications, known for its efficiency in delivering data to multiple receivers simultaneously. However, without optimization this method can cause inefficient usage and congestion of the network. This paper demonstrates how the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) optimizes and helps reduce multicast traffic based on dynamically managing of the group subscriptions. A lab environment, simulating content transmission over a closed network was configured to analyze IGMP's impact, under 2 operational modes: IGMP enabled, and IGMP disabled. Results showed a reduction in unessential traffic on active ports, verifying IGMP's critical role in enhancing network efficiency for media distribution, IoT and beyond.