Described are a system and method of transmitting packets over a network having a plurality of nodes. A multicast packet is received by one of the nodes. For a period of time, that one node counts the number of retransmissions of the multicast packet that the node receives from one or more other nodes in the network. When the period of time elapses, the node retransmits the multicast packet if the number of counted retransmissions is less than a predetermined number.