EC 521
Communication Networks
Lecture 1
Introduction
Text book
• Behrouz A. Forouzan “Data Communications
and Networking” 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill
Text
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Grading
Class Performance/Attendance: 10%
Midterm #1 (7th Week): 30%
Midterm #2 (12th Week): 20%
Final Exam: 40%
Outlines:
Introduction
Data communications
Introduction to Networks
Network Categories
Protocols and Layers
Information, Data and Signals
Data - A representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a
formalized manner suitable for communication,
interpretation, or processing by human beings or by
automatic means
Information - The meaning that is currently assigned to data
by means of the conventions applied to those data
Signals are electric or electromagnetic encoding of data
7
Information, Data and Signals
8
Data Communications
Data communication
Exchange of data between two devices
Via some form of transmission medium
Fundamental characteristics of data communication
Delivery
Accuracy
Timeliness
Jitter : Variation in the packet arrival time
Telecommunication: communication at a distance
(‘tele’ in Greek=‘far”)
Data Communications 1-9
Five Components of Data Communication
Message: Information(data) to be communicated
Sender
Receiver
Transmission medium: Physical path by which a
message travels
Protocol: A set of rules that govern data communication
Data Communications 1-10
Direction of Data Flow
1.11
Data Flow
Simplex
Unidirectional
As on a one-way street
Half-duplex
Both transmit and receive possible, but not at the same time
Like a one-lane road with two-directional traffic
Walkie-talkie
Full-duplex
Transmit and receive simultaneously
Like a two-way street, telephone network
Channel capacity must be divided between two directions
Data Communications 1-12
NETWORKS
A network is the interconnection of a set of
devices capable of communication. In this
definition, a device can be a host such as a large
computer, desktop, laptop, workstation, cellular
phone, or security system. A device in this
definition can also be a connecting device such as
a router a switch, a modem that changes the form
of data, and so on.
Network Criteria
A network must be able to meet a certain number of
criteria. The most important of these are
performance, reliability, and security.
Types of connection
Types of connection
Point-to-point
Dedicated link between two devices
The entire capacity of the channel is reserved
Ex) Microwave link, TV remote control
Multipoint
More than two devices share a single link
There is a procedure to control the access to the medium
(Multiple Access Protocol) to prevent collision
Capacity of the channel is either
Spatially shared: Devices can use the link simultaneously
Timeshare: Users take turns
Physical Topology
Mesh Topology
Dedicated point-to-point link
to every other nodes
A mesh network with n nodes
has n(n-1)/2 links. A node has
n-1 I/O ports (links)
Advantages:
No traffic problems, robust,
security, easy fault identification
& isolation
Failure of one link doesn’t affect
other communications
Disadvantages: Excessive
number of links
Star Topology
Dedicated point-to-point link only to a central controller,
called a hub
Hub: broadcasts the received message to all destinations
Hub acts as an exchange: No direct traffic between devices
Advantages:
Ease of installation
Smaller number of links
Less expensive
Disadvantages:
Dependency of the whole on one single point, the hub.
Very limited Geographical area
Bus Topology
One long cable that links all nodes
tap, drop line, cable end
limit on the # of devices, distance between nodes
Advantages: Easy installation, less cabling, and cheap
Disadvantages: no fault isolation, a fault or break in the bus
stops all transmission
Ring Topology
Dedicated point-to-point link only with the two nodes on each sides
One direction, repeater
Advantages: less cabling
Disadvantage: Unidirectional traffic, a break in the ring cab disable
the entire network
Hybrid Topology
Example: Main star topology with each branch connecting
several stations in a bus topology
To share the advantages from various topologies
NETWORKS TYPES
After defining networks in the previous section and
discussing their physical structures, we need to
discuss different types of networks we encounter in
the world today.
The criteria of distinguishing one type of network
from another is difficult and sometimes confusing. We
use a few criteria such as size, geographical coverage,
and ownership to make this distinction.
Categories of Networks
Local Area Network (LAN)
A local area network (LAN) is usually privately owned and
connects some hosts in a single office, building, or campus.
Depending on the needs of an organization, a LAN can be as
simple as two PCs and a printer in someone’s home office, or it
can extend throughout a company and include audio and video
devices.
Each host in a LAN has an identifier, an address, that uniquely
defines the host in the LAN.
A packet sent by a host to another host carries both the source
host’s and the destination host’s addresses.
An Isolated LAN in the past and today
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Designed to extend to an entire city
Cable TV network, a company’s connected LANs
Owned by a private or a public company
Wide Area Network
A wide area network (WAN) is also an connection of devices
capable of communication.
However, there are some differences between a LAN and a WAN:
A LAN is normally limited in size; a WAN has a wider
geographical span, spanning a town, a state, a country, or even
the world.
A LAN interconnects hosts; a WAN interconnects connecting
devices such as switches, routers, or modems.
A LAN is normally privately owned by the organization that
uses it; a WAN is normally created and run by communication
companies and leased by an organization that uses it.
A Point-to-Point WAN
A Switched WAN
An internetwork made of
two LANs and one WAN
A heterogeneous network made of WANs and LANs
Protocols and Layers
Protocol Layers (1)
Protocol layering is the main structuring method
used to divide up network functionality.
• Each protocol instance
talks virtually to its peer
• Each layer communicates
only by using the one
below
• Lower layer services are
accessed by an interface
• At bottom, messages are
carried by the medium
Protocol Layers (2)
• Example: the philosopher-
translator-secretary
architecture
• Each protocol at different
layers serves a different
purpose
Protocols and Layers
What functionality should we
implement at which layers?
CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
TCP/IP PROTOCOL SUITE
A word we hear all the time when we talk
about the Internet is protocol. A protocol
defines the rules that both the sender and
receiver and all intermediate devices need to
follow to be able to communicate effectively.
When communication is simple, we may
need only one simple protocol; when the
communication is complex, we need a
protocol at each layer, or protocol layering.
2.38
Layers in the TCP/IP protocol suite
2.39
Layers in the TCP/IP protocol suite
CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
Layered Architecture
To show how the layers in the TCP/IP
protocol suite are involved in
communication between two hosts, we
assume that we want to use the suite in a
small internet made up of three LANs
(links), each with a link-layer switch. We
also assume that the links are connected
by one router, as shown in the Figure:
2.41
Communication through an internet
Layers in the TCP/IP Protocol Suite
After the above introduction, we briefly
discuss the functions and duties of layers in
the TCP/IP protocol suite. Each layer is
discussed in detail in the next five parts of the
book. To better understand the duties of each
layer, we need to think about the logical
connections between layers. The following
Figure shows logical connections in our
simple internet.
2.43
Logical connections between layers in TCP/IP
Logical connections
2.44
Identical objects in the TCP/IP protocol suite
Identical objects (messages)
Identical objects (segment or user datagram)
Identical objects (datagram) Identical objects (datagram)
Identical objects (frame) Identical objects (frame)
Identical objects (bits) Identical objects (bits)
2.45
Encapsulation / Decapsulation
2.46
Questions
