A method of and system for monitoring traffic in a multicast network including determining at a first time a first packet count representing a quantity of packets associated with a multicast group transmitted from at least one source, and received by a router, determining at a second time a second packet count representing a quantity of packets associated with the multicast group, transmitted from the at least one source, and received by the router, the second time being after the first time, comparing the second packet count to the first packet count, and initiating an alarm in response to the second packet count being less than a predetermined value greater than the first packet count. A status for multiple routers can be obtained, comprising a difference between the quantity of the first and second packet counts, and indicating a warning in response to at least one of the plurality of router status being less than the predetermined value.