In a Dante network, what is the function of IGMP Snooping when enabled?

In a Dante network, enabling IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) Snooping plays a crucial role in managing multicast traffic. Specifically, its primary function is to optimize multicast group membership. When IGMP Snooping is activated, network switches become aware of which devices are members of which multicast groups. This awareness allows the switches to intelligently direct multicast traffic only to those ports that have devices interested in that traffic, rather than flooding all ports.

By reducing unnecessary multicast traffic throughout the network, IGMP Snooping enhances the efficiency of data flow and alleviates bandwidth congestion. It prevents the scenario where multicast packets are sent to all devices in the network, which could overwhelm devices not interested in that specific traffic. Consequently, enabling IGMP Snooping is essential for ensuring that multicast streams are delivered only to the appropriate receivers, thus optimizing the overall performance of the Dante network.