MLD versions and interoperability requirements

If routers run different versions of MLD, they negotiates the lowest common version of MLD that is supported on their subnet and operate in that version.

Version 1

Specified in RFC 2710, Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) for IPv6, was the first deployed version and included low leave latency, that is, a reduction in the time it takes for a multicast router to learn that there are no longer any members of a group present on an attached network.

Version 2

Specified in RFC 3810, Multicast Listener Discovery Version 2 (MLDv2) for IPv6, adds support for source filtering, that is, the ability for a system to report interest in receiving packets only from specific source addresses, as required to support Source-Specific Multicast.

Multicast (SSM)), or from all but specific source addresses, sent to a multicast address. MLDv2 must keep state per group per attached network. This group state consists of a filter mode, a list of sources, and various timers. For each attached network running MLD, a multicast router records the wanted reception state for that network.