ECE 358: Computer Networks

Solutions to Homework #4

Chapter 4 - The Network Layer  

P  4. Consider  the  network  below.    

a.Suppose  that  this  network  is  a  datagram  network.  Show  the  forwarding  table  in  router  
A,  such  that  all  traffic  destined  to  host  H3  is  forwarded  through  interface  3.    
b. Suppose  that  this  network  is  a  datagram  network.  Can  you  write  down  a  forwarding  
table  in  router  A,  such  that  all  traffic  from  HI  destined  to  host  H3  is  forwarded  through  
interface   3,   while   all   traffic   from   H2   destined   to   host   H3   is   forwarded   through  
interface  4?  (Hint:  this  is  a  trick  question.)    
c. Now  suppose  that  this  network  is  a  virtual  circuit  network  and  that  there  is  one  ongoing  
call  between  HI  and  H3,  and  another  ongoing  call  between  H2  and  H3.  Write  down  a  
forwarding   table   in   router   A,   such   that   all   traffic   from   HI   destined   to   host   H3   is  
forwarded   through   interface   3,   while   all   traffic   from   H2   destined   to   host   H3   is  
forwarded  through  interface  4.    
d. Assuming   the   same   scenario   as   (c),   write   down   the   forwarding   tables   in   nodes   B,   C,  
and  D.  

 
Solution:  

a)  For  Router  A,  data  destined  to  host  H3  is  forwarded  through  interface  3.  
Distention  address   Link  interface  
H3   #3  
b) No,  because,  for  datagram  networks,  forwarding  rule  is  only  based  only  on  destination  
address  (not  the  source  address).    
c) One  possible  configuration  for  Router  A  is:  
Incoming  interface   Incoming  VC#     Outgoing  Interface   Outgoing  VC#  
1   12   3   22  
2   63   4   18  
Note,  that  the  two  flows  could  actually  have  the  same  VC  numbers.    
d) One  possible  configuration  is:  for  Router  B  
Incoming  interface   Incoming  VC#     Outgoing  Interface   Outgoing  VC#  
1   22   2   24  

 
 
 For  Router  C  
Incoming  interface   Incoming  VC#     Outgoing  Interface   Outgoing  VC#  
1   18   2   50  
 
For  Router  D  
Incoming  interface   Incoming  VC#     Outgoing  Interface   Outgoing  VC#  
1   24   3   70  
2   50   3   76  
 
 
P  7. Suppose  two  packets  arrive  at  different  input  ports  of  a  router  at  exactly  the  same  time.  
Also  suppose  there  are  no  other  packets  in  the  router.  
a. Suppose   the   two   packets   are   to   be   forwarded   to   two   different   output   ports.   Is   it  
possible  to  forward  the  two  packets  through  the  switch  fabric  at  the  same  time  when  
the  fabric  uses  a  shared  bus?  
b. Suppose   the   two   packets   are   to   be   forwarded   to   two   different   output   ports.   Is   it  
possible  to  forward  the  two  packets  through  the  switch  fabric  at  the  same  time  when  
the  fabric  uses  a  crossbar?  
c.  Suppose   the   two   packets   are   to   be   forwarded   to   the   same   output   port.   Is   it   possible   to  
forward   the   two   packets   through   the   switch   fabric   at   the   same   time   when   the   fabric  
uses  a  crossbar?  
 
Solution:  

a) No,  you  can  only  transmit  one  packet  at  a  time  over  a  shared  bus.  
  1   3  
 
  2   4  
b) Yes,   as   long   as   the   two   packets   use   different   input   busses     and     different   output   busses,  
they  can  be  forwarded  in  parallel.    
  1  
 
2  
  3   4  
 
c) No,   in   this   case   the   two   packets   would   have   to   be   sent   over   the   same   output   bus   at   the  
same  time,  which  is  not  possible.    
 
  1  
 
  2    
3   4  

 
 
 P  9. Consider   the   switch   shown   below.   Suppose   that   all   datagrams   have   the   same   fixed  
length,   that   the   switch   operates   in   a   slotted,   synchronous   manner,   and   that   in   one   time  
slot   a   datagram   can   be   transferred   from   an   input   port   to   an   output   port.   The   switch   fabric  
is  a  crossbar  so  that  at  most  one  datagram  can  be  transferred  to  a  given  output  port  in  a  
time  slot,  but  different  output  ports  can  receive  datagrams  from  different  input  ports  in  a  
single  time  slot.  What  is  the  minimal  number  of  time  slots  needed  to  transfer  the  packets  
shown  from  input  ports  to  their  output  ports,  assuming  any  input  queue  scheduling  order  
you  want?  What  is  the  largest  number  of  slots  needed,  assuming  the  worst-­‐case  scheduling  
order  you  can  devise,  assuming  that  a  non-­‐empty  input  queue  is  never  idle?  

 
Solution:  

The  minimal  number  of  time  slots  needed  is  3.  The  scheduling  is  as  follows.  
Slot  1:  send  X  in  top  input  queue,  send  Y  in  middle  input  queue.        
Slot  2:  send  X  in  middle  input  queue,  send  Y  in  bottom  input  queue  
Slot  3:  send  Z  in  bottom  input  queue.    
 
Largest   number   of   slots   is   still   3.   Actually,   based   on   the   assumption   that   a   non-­‐empty   input  
queue   is   never   idle,   we   see   that   the   first   time   slot   always   consists   of   sending   X   in   the   top   input  
queue   and   Y   in   either   middle   or   bottom   input   queue,   and   in   the   second   time   slot,   we   can  
always  send  two  more  datagram,  and  the  last  datagram  can  be  sent  in  third  time  slot.  

NOTE:   Actually,   if   the   first   datagram   in   the   bottom   input   queue   is   X,   then   the   worst   case   would  
require  4  time  slots.  

 
 
P  10. Consider   a   datagram   network   using   32-­‐bit   host   addresses.   Suppose   a   router   has   four  
links,   numbered   0   through   3,   and   packets   are   to   be   forwarded   to   the   link   interfaces   as  
follows:  
                 Destination  Address  Range                                                                                                                      Link  Interface    
11100000  00000000  00000000  00000000    
                                           through                                                                                                                                                                                0    
11100000  00111111  11111111  11111111    
 
11100000  01000000  00000000  00000000    
                                         through                                                                                                                                                                                    1    
11100000  01000000  11111111  11111111  
 
11100000  01000001  00000000  00000000    
                                         through                                                                                                                                                                                      2    
11100001  01111111  11111111  11111111    
 
                                       otherwise                                                                                                                                                                                  3  
 
a. Provide   a   forwarding   table   that   has   four   entries,   uses   longest   prefix   matching,   and  
forwards  packets  to  the  correct  link  interfaces.    
b. Describe   how   your   forwarding   table   determines   the   appropriate   link   interface   for  
datagrams  with  destination  addresses:    
11001000  10010001  01010001  01010101    
11100001  01000000  11000011  00111100    
11100001  10000000  00010001  01110111  
Solition:  

a)
Prefix Match Link Interface
11100000 00 0
11100000 01000000 1
1110000 2
11100001 1 3
otherwise 3

b) Prefix match for first address is 5th entry: link interface 3

Prefix match for second address is 3nd entry: link interface 2
Prefix match for third address is 4th entry: link interface 3

 
 
P  13. Consider  a  router  that  interconnects  three  subnets:  Subnet  1,  Subnet  2,  and  Subnet  3.  
Suppose  all  of  the  interfaces  in  each  of  these  three  subnets  are  required  to  have  the  prefix  
223.1.17/24.  Also  suppose  that  Subnet  1  is  required  to  support  up  to  60  interfaces,  Subnet  2  
is   to   support   up   to   90   interfaces,   and   Subnet   3   is   to   support   up   to   12   interfaces.   Provide  
three  network  addresses  (of  the  form  a.b.c.d/x)  that  satisfy  these  constraints.  
 
Solution:  
 
The  parent  network  address  is  223.1.17/24.  
24  bits  are  prefix  for  the  network.  8  bits  can  be  used  for  subnet  portions  &  host  portions.  
Start  with  the  largest  required  subnet  (Subnet  2)  
• Subnet  #2    (90  interfaces)  
 
Subnet  
Host  portion  
portion  
128   64   32   16   8   4   2   1  
 
With  7  bits,  we  can  get  128  addresses  (126  usable  host  addresses  +  1  subnet  address  
+  1  subnet  broadcast  address),  which  is  >  90.    
1  bit  is  left  for  the  subnet  portion  (we  can  have  2  subnets,  each  with  128  addresses)  
223.1.17.0/25  (range  223.1.17.0  to  223.1.17.  127)  
223.1.17.128/25  (range  223.1.17.128  to  223.1.17.  255)  
We  assign  one  of  those  subnets  to  our  Subnet  #2  and  further  subnet  the  other  range  
for  out  Subnet  #1  &  Subnet  #3.  
Subnet  #2  223.1.17.128/25        ,    Mask  255.255.255.128  

Subnet  ID    223.1.17.128                        ,  Subnet  broadcast  address    223.1.17.255  

Hosts    223.1.17.129    to    223.1.17.254    

• Subnet  #1    (60  interfaces)  

The  parent  network  223.1.17.0/25    (32-­‐25=  7  bits  can  be  used  for  subnet  portions  &  
and  host  portions)    
 
Prefix   Subnet  
Host  portion  
to  0   portion  
128   64   32   16   8   4   2   1  
We  can  have  2  subnets,  each  with  64  addresses:  
223.1.17.0/26  (range  223.1.17.0    to    223.1.17.  63)  
223.1.17.64/26  (range  223.1.17.64    to    223.1.17.  127)  

 
 
 Subnet  #1  223.1.17.0/26        ,    Mask  255.255.255.0  

Subnet  ID    223.1.17.0                        ,  Subnet  broadcast  address    223.1.17.63  

Hosts    223.1.17.1    to    223.1.17.62    

• Subnet  #3    (12  interfaces)  

The  parent  network  is  223.1.17.64/26  
Prefix   Prefix   Subnet  
Host  portion  
to  0   to  1   portion  
128   64   32   16   8   4   2   1  
We  can  have  4  subnets,  each  with  16  addresses:  
223.1.17.64/28  (range  223.1.17.64    to    223.1.17.  79)  
223.1.17.80/28  (range  223.1.17.80    to    223.1.17.  95)  
223.1.17.96/28  (range  223.1.17.96    to    223.1.17.  111)  
223.1.17.112/28  (range  223.1.17.112    to    223.1.17.  127)  
We  assign  one  of  these  to  our  Subnet  #3  
Subnet  #3  223.1.17.96/28        ,    Mask  255.255.255.96  

Subnet  ID    223.1.17.96                        ,  Subnet  broadcast  address    223.1.17.111  

Hosts    223.1.17.97    to    223.1.17.110  

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
P  16. Consider  a  subnet  with  prefix  128.119.40.128/26.  Give  an  example  of  one  IP  address  (of  
form  xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx)  that  can  be  assigned  to  this  network.  Suppose  an  ISP  owns  the  block  of  
addresses  of  the  form  128.119.40.64/26.  Suppose  it  wants  to  create  four  subnets  from  this  
block,  with  each  block  having  the  same  number  of  IP  addresses.  What  are  the  prefixes  (of  
form  a.b.c.d/x)  for  the  four  subnets?  
 
Solution:  

Any  IP  address  in  range  128.119.40.128  to  128.119.40.191  can  be  an  example.  
 
Four  equal  size  subnets:  
 128.119.40.64/28,  
 128.119.40.80/28,  
 128.119.40.96/28,    
128.119.40.112/28