What is multicast packet?

A multicast packet is a type of network packet that is sent from one sender to multiple specific recipients simultaneously. Unlike unicast packets, which target a single recipient, or broadcast packets that reach all devices in a network, multicast packets are directed to a group of devices that have joined a specific multicast group. This method is efficient for applications like streaming media or online gaming, where the same data needs to be delivered to multiple users without overloading the network. Devices listen for multicast packets using IP addresses assigned to these multicast groups.