ABSTRACT
This chapter gives a general survey of multicast protocols in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). After giving a brief summary of two multicast protocols in wired networks — shortest path multicast tree protocol and core-based tree multicast protocol — we point out limitations of these protocols when they are applied in the highly dynamic environment of MANETs. Four multicast protocols — On-Demand Multicast Routing Protocol (ODMRP), Multicast Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector Routing Protocol (Multcast AODV), Forwarding Group Multicast Protocol (FGMP), and Core-Assisted Mesh Protocol — are discussed in detail with a focus on how the limitations of multicast protocols in wired networks are overcome. A brief overview of other multicast protocols in MANETs is provided. The chapter ends with two important related issues: QoS multicast and reliable multicast in MANETs.
