Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What are the three message delivery options and how do they differ?
Unicast is one-to-one, multicast is one-to-a-group, broadcast is one-to-all — broadcast exists only in IPv4; IPv6 drops it and adds anycast instead.
* The four delivery options compared from a single sender. *
| Delivery Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Unicast | One-to-one communication - message sent to a single destination |
| Multicast | One-to-many communication - message sent to a specific group, but not all devices |
| Broadcast | One-to-all communication - message sent to all devices on the network |
Important note: Broadcasts are used in IPv4 networks but are NOT an option for IPv6. IPv6 uses "Anycast" as an additional delivery option instead.
Go deeper:
Multicast — the one-to-group option, and why it replaces broadcast in IPv6.- Anycast — the one-to-nearest option IPv6 adds.
- Broadcasting (networking) — one-to-all and why it's confined to a broadcast domain.