Types of Broadcast Network
Last Updated :
07 Oct, 2024
In a computer network, there are multiple devices known as nodes connected together. There are multiple ways through which we can transmit data between these connected nodes. Transmission can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many. This transmission of data in the network is known as casting. Casting is of three types.
What is Broadcasting?
Broadcasting in networking is the process of sending a single message or data packet to all devices on a network. Unlike sending data to one specific device (called unicast) or a group of devices (called multicast), broadcasting ensures that every device within a network segment receives the message.
Types of Broadcasting
- Unicast
- Broadcast
- Multicast
Let's study these types of transmission networks in detail.
What is Unicast?
Unicast transmission is defined as a type of transmission of data in which data is transferred from one node( single sender node) to another node( single receiver node). Unicast transmission is a type of one-to-one communication. The sender node is from one network whereas the receiver node belongs to another. Let's understand the concept of unicast with the help of an example.
As shown in the above diagram, we have two networks. Network A and Network B. Network A has a source host A and network B has destination host B. The data is transmitted from host A to host B.
- Source IP Address: 10.1.2.3
- Destination IP Address: 20.12.2.4
What is Broadcast?
Broadcast is defined as a type of transmission where data is transmitted from one source node to all other destination nodes. Broadcast transmission is a type of one to all communication approach. Broadcast transmission is used where all other present nodes need to see the data transmitted from the source. It is used in protocols such as Routing Information Protocol(RIP) and Address Resolution Protocol(ARP). There are two types of broadcast transmission networks.
Types of Broadcast Network
There are two types of Broadcast Network
- Direct Broadcast
- Limited Broadcast
What is Direct Broadcast?
Direct Broadcasting is a type of transmission where one node from a network sends the data packet to all available nodes in another network. This type of broadcast is used when all the receiving hosts from another network require the same data. Direct Broadcast can be achieved by setting all the host ID part bits of receiving node's address to one. Direct Broadcast is used by television networks for the transmission of audio and videos. Let's see the example of direct broadcast.
As shown in the above example, we have two networks, Network A and Network B. Host A from Network A wants to transmit data to all the nodes in Network B.
- Source IP address: 11.2.3.1
- Destination IP address: 20.255.255.255
What is Limited Broadcast?
Limited Broadcast is defined as a type of transmission of data where the source host sends the data packets to all the other available nodes connected in the same network. The limited broadcast can be achieved by setting 1 for all the 32 bits of receiving IP address. Let's see with an example.
As shown in the above figure, We have a single network of devices. All the devices are connected to the same network. The sending host sends the data packets to all the other nodes in the same network.
- Source IP address: 11.2.3.1
- Destination IP address: 255.255.255.255
What is Multicast?
Multicast is defined as a type of transmission of data where one or more sending hosts sends the data packets to one or more receiving hosts in another network. This type of transmission is known as one-to-many communication. Class D of IP address is reserved for multicast groups. Multicast is more efficient than unicast when multiple nodes want to receive the same data. Let's see the example of multicast transmission.
As shown in the above figure, we have two networks A and B. Sending host A belongs to one network and multiple receiving hosts from network B. Examples where multicast transmission is used are:
- Video conference
- Internal Streaming
- Sending an email or WhatsApp message to a group of people
Difference Between Direct Broadcast and Limited Broadcast
Direct Broadcast and Limited Broadcast are the two sub-types of broadcast. Both work according to one communication approach but differs with respect to some properties. Let's see the difference between them.
Parameter | Direct Broadcast | Limited Broadcast |
|---|
Definition | Direct Broadcasting is a type of transmission where one node from a network sends the data packet to all available nodes in another network. | Limited Broadcast is defined as a type of transmission of data where the source host sends the data packets to all the other available nodes connected in the same network. |
Number of networks involved | Direct Broadcast consists of two networks. Sending hosts from one network and receiving hosts from another network. | Limited Broadcast consists of only one network. ie. Both sending hosts and receiving hosts are from the same network. |
Example
| - Source IP address: 11.2.3.1
- Destination IP address: 20.255.255.255
| - Source IP address: 11.2.3.1
- Destination IP address: 255.255.255.255
|
Application
| Direct Broadcast is used in Television networks for the transmission of audio and videos.
| A Limited Broadcast network is used in Local Area Network(LAN). |
Conclusion
Broadcasting is a way of sending information to multiple devices at once in a network. There are different types, like unicast (one-to-one), multicast (one-to-many specific devices), and broadcast (one-to-all). Broadcast is useful for sharing the same information with everyone, but it can sometimes cause network congestion if overused.
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