Final answer:
The well-known internet layer protocol designed to manage the multicasting of packets is the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). IGMP enables routers to determine which hosts belong to a multicast group and forward packets only to the joined hosts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The well-known internet layer protocol designed to manage the multicasting of packets is the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). IGMP is used by hosts to report their multicast group memberships to any neighboring multicast routers.
IGMP operates at the network layer of the Internet Protocol (IP) suite and enables efficient multicasting by allowing routers to determine which hosts belong to a multicast group. This allows routers to forward multicast packets only to the hosts that have joined the group.
For example, suppose there is a streaming service that wants to send video content to multiple users simultaneously. By using IGMP, the service can send a single stream of data to a multicast group address, and only the users who have joined that group will receive the video packets, reducing network congestion and improving efficiency.