What does IGMP stand for?

The term IGMP stands for Internet Group Management Protocol. This protocol is used by devices on an IP network to report their multicast group memberships to neighboring routers. IGMP enables efficient routing of multicast traffic, allowing a single packet to be sent to multiple recipients without requiring a separate copy for each one. This protocol operates on the Network Layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model, and it plays a vital role in supporting multicast applications such as video conferencing and streaming media.

Understanding IGMP's primary purpose helps highlight its significance in network management and the handling of multicast transmissions. In contrast, the other options listed do not correspond to any recognized protocol. They either imply functions that are unrelated to the management of multicast groups or use terms that are not part of the established terminology in network protocols.