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Class java.net.MulticastSocket 

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----java.net.DatagramSocket
           |
           +----java.net.MulticastSocket
public class MulticastSocket
extends DatagramSocket
The multicast datagram socket class is useful for sending and receiving IP multicast packets. A MulticastSocket is a (UDP) DatagramSocket, with additional capabilities for joining "groups" of other multicast hosts on the internet.

A multicast group is specified by a class D IP address, those in the range 224.0.0.1 to 239.255.255.255, inclusive, and by a standard UDP port number. One would join a multicast group by first creating a MulticastSocket with the desired port, then invoking the joinGroup(InetAddress groupAddr) method: 

 // join a Multicast group and send the group salutations
 ...
 byte[] msg = {'H', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'};
 InetAddress group = InetAddress.getByName("228.5.6.7");
 MulticastSocket s = new MulticastSocket(6789);
 s.joinGroup(group);
 DatagramPacket hi = new DatagramPacket(msg, msg.length,
                             group, 6789);
 s.send(hi);
 // get their responses! 
 byte[] buf = new byte[1000];
 DatagramPacket recv = new DatagramPacket(buf, buf.length);
 s.receive(recv);
 ...
 // OK, I'm done talking - leave the group...
 s.leaveGroup(group);
When one sends a message to a multicast group, all subscribing recipients to that host and port receive the message (within the time-to-live range of the packet, see below). The socket needn't be a member of the multicast group to send messages to it.

When a socket subscribes to a multicast group/port, it receives datagrams sent by other hosts to the group/port, as do all other members of the group and port. A socket relinquishes membership in a group by the leaveGroup(InetAddress addr) method. Multiple MulticastSocket's may subscribe to a multicast group and port concurrently, and they will all receive group datagrams.

Currently applets are not allowed ot use multicast sockets.

Constructor Index

o MulticastSocket()
Create a multicast socket.
o MulticastSocket(int)
Create a multicast socket and bind it to a specific port.

Method Index

o getInterface()
Retrieve the address of the network interface used for multicast packets.
o getTTL()
Get the default time-to-live for multicast packets sent out on the socket.
o joinGroup(InetAddress)
Joins a multicast group.
o leaveGroup(InetAddress)
Leave a multicast group.
o send(DatagramPacket, byte)
Sends a datagram packet to the destination, with a TTL (time- to-live) other than the default for the socket.
o setInterface(InetAddress)
Set the outgoing network interface for multicast packets on this socket, to other than the system default.
o setTTL(byte)
Set the default time-to-live for multicast packets sent out on this socket.

Constructors

o MulticastSocket 
 public MulticastSocket() throws IOException
Create a multicast socket.

o MulticastSocket 
 public MulticastSocket(int port) throws IOException
Create a multicast socket and bind it to a specific port.

Parameters:
local - port to use

Methods

o setTTL 
 public void setTTL(byte ttl) throws IOException
Set the default time-to-live for multicast packets sent out on this socket. The TTL sets the IP time-to-live for DatagramPackets sent to a MulticastGroup, which specifies how many "hops" that the packet will be forwarded on the network before it expires.

The ttl is an unsigned 8-bit quantity, and so must be in the range 0 < ttl <= 0xFF .

Parameters:
ttl - the time-to-live
o getTTL 
 public byte getTTL() throws IOException
Get the default time-to-live for multicast packets sent out on the socket.

o joinGroup 
 public void joinGroup(InetAddress mcastaddr) throws IOException
Joins a multicast group.

Parameters:
mcastaddr - is the multicast address to join
Throws: IOException
is raised if there is an error joining or when address is not a multicast address.
o leaveGroup 
 public void leaveGroup(InetAddress mcastaddr) throws IOException
Leave a multicast group.

Parameters:
mcastaddr - is the multicast address to leave
Throws: IOException
is raised if there is an error leaving or when address is not a multicast address.
o setInterface 
 public void setInterface(InetAddress inf) throws SocketException
Set the outgoing network interface for multicast packets on this socket, to other than the system default. Useful for multihomed hosts.

o getInterface 
 public InetAddress getInterface() throws SocketException
Retrieve the address of the network interface used for multicast packets.

o send 
 public synchronized void send(DatagramPacket p,
                               byte ttl) throws IOException
Sends a datagram packet to the destination, with a TTL (time- to-live) other than the default for the socket. This method need only be used in instances where a particular TTL is desired; otherwise it is preferable to set a TTL once on the socket, and use that default TTL for all packets. This method does not alter the default TTL for the socket.

Parameters:
p - is the packet to be sent. The packet should contain the destination multicast ip address and the data to be sent. One does not need to be the member of the group to send packets to a destination multicast address.
ttl - optional time to live for multicast packet. default ttl is 1.
Throws: IOException
is raised if an error occurs i.e error while setting ttl.
See Also:
send, receive 
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