IP multicasting for wireless mobile hosts

We consider the problem of efficient multicast support for mobile wireless hosts in TCP/IP networks. We summarize techniques supporting multicasting and mobility, along with their constraints and interactions, and explore architectural alternatives for solutions to the combined problem that remain compatible with the existing architecture. We propose a new mechanism for group management, optimized for point-to-point links. We also discuss three proposed multicast delivery mechanisms and compare them with respect to efficiency on wireless networks and impact on host software.