Lightweight path maximum transmission unit for wireless multicast overlay

A device comprising:

• an interface configured to enable network communications;
• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors coupled to the interface and the memory, and configured to:
• detect that an IPv4 multicast packet is to be transmitted from a wireless local area network controller to a plurality of wireless access points;
• embed the IPv4 multicast packet in an IPv6 multicast packet;
• transmit the IPv6 multicast packet to the plurality of wireless access points;
• extract the IPv4 multicast packet from the IPv6 multicast packet;
• and
• transmit the IPv4 multicast packet from the plurality of wireless access points.

A method comprising:

• sending, by a wireless local area network controller, respective messages to wireless access points that are in communication with the wireless local area network controller and that are members of a same multicast group;
• receiving respective responses from at least a subset of the wireless access points;
• based on the respective responses, determining a path maximum transmission unit to use to send multicast packets to each of the wireless access points;
• and
• sending, by the wireless local area network controller, multicast packets to the wireless access points, wherein a size of the multicast packets is in accordance with the path maximum transmission unit.

A device comprising:

• an interface configured to enable network communications;
• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors coupled to the interface and the memory, and configured to:
• send, by a wireless local area network controller, respective messages to wireless access points that are in communication with the wireless local area network controller and that are members of a same multicast group;
• receive respective responses from at least a subset of the wireless access points;
• based on the respective responses, determine a path maximum transmission unit to use to send multicast packets to each of the wireless access points;
• and
• send, by the wireless local area network controller, multicast packets to the wireless access points, wherein a size of the multicast packets is in accordance with the path maximum transmission unit.