All things related to multicast

["Marshall Eubanks" <>]

>hi guys,
>
>I was wondering if there is a newbie multicasting list?  I'm just hesitant

>to ask here coz it seems like everyone knows what they are doing
>already...and the traffic is small that I don't know if this is only
>reserved for more advanced questions. anyway, here are some of my
>questions for now.
>

The IPMulticast mailing list is the default newbie list.
http://products.ipmulticast.com/techcentral/mailinglist.htm

>1.)
>Has anyone tried using IP multicasting using linux as a router instead of
>an expensive cisco/other brand of routers?  if so, can someone point me to

>a document/link/tutorial on how to make it work? I want to implement IP
>multicasting but I want it cheap.
>

There are a number of them for *nix
http://www.gated.org/ supports PIM as does PIM-d
http://netweb.usc.edu/pim/

There have been discussions about this on various lists;
I could look around if you need more.

Please note that you do not need a router to source or
receive multicasts, as long as your ISP or network is multicast
enabled.

>2.)
>regarding the routing algorithms, there are several right? which ones do
>you guys use and why? what are the particular advantages of using one over

>the other? for what type of networks/topology will a particular routing
>algorithm work better?
>

You want to use PIM-SM. It scales the best and interoperates
the best with other multicast domains.

>3.)
>what are the minimum requirements in terms of hardware and software when
>you want to do IP multicasting?  I prefer using open-source/free software
>too. ;) what software do you use? (I've bumped into OpenMash while I was
>searching the net, made by some berkeley people.  I haven't tried it yet
>coz I still have to find connect to a multicast enabled isp here in the
>philippines)
>

I do not know of one. We might be able to offer you a tunnel,
which is a quick solution but not entirely optimal.

>what network topology may probably be the best choice and why? are there
>open source/free software already available for windows/mac/linux?
>(openmash has windows and linux but not mac yet)
>

Most modern OS (post Win95, Mac, Linux, BSD, etc.) can source
and receive multicasts. See www.live.com for lots
of good information. We have an open source MP3 player at
http://mctplayer.sourceforge.net/ and there is also MIM
http://videolab.uoregon.edu/mim/
and also (if you want to be futuristic) the
MPEG4IP effort - http://www.mpeg4ip.net/ -
which is fully multicast enabled.

>btw, I know there is vic/vat but I wonder if they can all run on all three

>OSes. I've read in ftp://ftp.isi.edu/mbone/faq.txt about hardware configs
>but it doesn't mention intel/amd systems yet...of course it is an old
>documentation but can anyone point me to a more recent documentation for
>these? I may have missed out on some/a lot of stuff.
>
>most of the stuff mentioned in the faq are sun sparcs, sgi's etc. anyone
>knows documentation for windows, linux and mac?
>
>4.)
>where can I find tips and tricks in IP multicasting? what mailing list is
>available out there that might be more suited to these type of questions?
>is it ok to ask these questions here? even the newbie type?
>
>5.)
>
>what urls have the latest info about multicasting faqs?  I read the
>ftp://ftp.isi.edu/mbone/faq.txt but that is still dated 1993 (way old),
>there might be newer ones.
>
well, I recommend 
http://www.multicasttech.com/faq/multicast_faq.html
(because I maintain it :).

>
>--------------------------------------
>Jess Emerson L. Uy
>Ateneo Cervini-Eliazo Networks (ACENT)
>email  :  
>
>web    :  http://cersa.admu.edu.ph/
>phone  :  63(2)4266001-5925/5904
>
>Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are master of your fate
>and captain of your soul.
>
>

                                   Regards
                                   Marshall Eubanks

 
   Multicast Technologies, Inc.
   Phone : 703-293-9601          Fax     : 703-293-9609     
   e-mail : 

     http://www.on-the-i.com         

 Test your network for multicast : 
http://www.multicasttech.com/mt/
Check the status of multicast in real time : 
http://www.multicasttech.com/status/index.html

Marshall Eubanks