Chapter

1
Introduction

Computer Networking: A
Top-Down Approach
8th edition
Jim Kurose, Keith Ross
Pearson, 2020
Introduction: 1-1
Chapter 1: introduction
Chapter goal: Overview/roadmap:
§ Get “feel,” “big picture,” § What is the Internet? What is a
introduction to terminology protocol?
• more depth, detail later in § Network edge: hosts, access network,
course physical media
§ Network core: packet/circuit switching,
internet structure
§ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
§ Protocol layers, service models
§ History

Introduction: 1-2
The Internet: a “nuts and bolts” view
Billions of connected mobile network
computing devices: national or global ISP
§ hosts = end systems
§ running network apps at
Internet’s “edge”

Packet switches: forward

local or
packets (chunks of data) Internet
regional ISP
§ routers, switches
home network content
Communication links provider
network datacenter
§ fiber, copper, radio, satellite network

§ transmission rate: bandwidth

Networks enterprise
§ collection of devices, routers, network
links: managed by an organization
Introduction: 1-3
“Fun” Internet-connected devices
Tweet-a-watt:
monitor energy use

bikes

Pacemaker & Monitor

Amazon Echo Web-enabled toaster +

IP picture frame
weather forecaster
Internet
refrigerator
Slingbox: remote cars
control cable TV
Security Camera AR devices
sensorized, scooters
bed

Others?
mattress

Gaming devices
Internet phones Fitbit
Introduction: 1-4
The Internet: a “nuts and bolts” view
mobile network
4G
§ Internet: “network of networks” national or global ISP

• Interconnected ISPs
§ protocols are everywhere Skype
IP
Streaming
video
• control sending, receiving of
messages local or
regional ISP
• e.g., HTTP (Web), streaming video,
Skype, TCP, IP, WiFi, 4G, Ethernet home network content
provider
HTTP network
Internet standards datacenter
§ network
Ethernet
• RFC: Request for Comments
TCP
• IETF: Internet Engineering Task enterprise
Force network

WiFi
Introduction: 1-5
The Internet: a “services” view
§ Infrastructure that provides mobile network

services to applications: national or global ISP

• Web, streaming video, multimedia

teleconferencing, email, games, e- Streaming
commerce, social media, inter- Skype video
connected appliances, … local or
regional ISP
§ provides programming interface
to distributed applications: home network content
provider
• “hooks” allowing sending/receiving HTTP network datacenter

apps to “connect” to, use Internet network

transport service
• provides service options, analogous enterprise
to postal service network

Introduction: 1-6
What’s a protocol?
Human protocols: Network protocols:
§ “what’s the time?” § computers (devices) rather than humans
§ “I have a question” § all communication activity in Internet
§ introductions governed by protocols

Rules for: Protocols define the format, order of

… specific messages sent messages sent and received among
… specific actions taken network entities, and actions taken
when message received,
or other events on message transmission, receipt

Introduction: 1-7
What’s a protocol?
A human protocol and a computer network protocol:

Hi TCP connection
request
Hi TCP connection
response
Got the
time? GET http://gaia.cs.umass.edu/kurose_ross
2:00
<file>
time

Q: other human protocols?

Introduction: 1-8
Chapter 1: roadmap
§ What is the Internet?
§ What is a protocol?
§ Network edge: hosts, access network,
physical media
§ Network core: packet/circuit
switching, internet structure
§ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
§ Security
§ Protocol layers, service models
§ History
Introduction: 1-9
A closer look at Internet structure
mobile network

Network edge: national or global ISP

§ hosts: clients and servers

§ servers often in data centers
local or
regional ISP

home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-10
A closer look at Internet structure
mobile network

Network edge: national or global ISP

§ hosts: clients and servers

§ servers often in data centers
local or
Access networks, physical media: regional ISP

§wired, wireless communication links home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-11
A closer look at Internet structure
mobile network

Network edge: national or global ISP

§ hosts: clients and servers

§ servers often in data centers
local or
Access networks, physical media: regional ISP

§wired, wireless communication links home network content

provider
network datacenter

Network core: network

§ interconnected routers
§ network of networks enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-12
Access networks and physical media
Q: How to connect end systems mobile network

to edge router?
national or global ISP

§ residential access nets

§ institutional access networks (school,
company)
local or
§ mobile access networks (WiFi, 4G/5G) regional ISP

home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-13
Access networks: cable-based access
cable headend

cable splitter
modem

C
O
V V V V V V N
I I I I I I D D T
D D D D D D A A R
E E E E E E T T O
O O O O O O A A L

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Channels

frequency division multiplexing (FDM): different channels transmitted in

different frequency bands
Introduction: 1-14
Access networks: cable-based access
cable headend

cable splitter cable modem

modem CMTS termination system
data, TV transmitted at different
frequencies over shared cable
distribution network ISP

§ HFC: hybrid fiber coax

• asymmetric: up to 40 Mbps – 1.2 Gbps downstream transmission rate, 30-100 Mbps
upstream transmission rate
§ network of cable, fiber attaches homes to ISP router
• homes share access network to cable headend
Introduction: 1-15
Access networks: digital subscriber line (DSL)
central office telephone
network

DSL splitter
modem DSLAM

voice, data transmitted ISP

at different frequencies over DSL access
dedicated line to central office multiplexer

§ use existing telephone line to central office DSLAM

• data over DSL phone line goes to Internet
• voice over DSL phone line goes to telephone net
§ 24-52 Mbps dedicated downstream transmission rate
§ 3.5-16 Mbps dedicated upstream transmission rate
Introduction: 1-16
Access networks: home networks
Wireless and wired
devices

to/from headend or
central office
often combined
in single box

cable or DSL modem

WiFi wireless access router, firewall, NAT

point (54, 450 Mbps)
wired Ethernet (1 Gbps)
Introduction: 1-17
Wireless access networks
Shared wireless access network connects end system to router
§ via base station aka “access point”

Wireless local area networks Wide-area cellular access networks

(WLANs) § provided by mobile, cellular network
§ typically within or around operator (10’s km)
building (~100 ft) § 10’s Mbps
§ 802.11b/g/n (WiFi): 11, 54, 450 § 4G cellular networks (5G coming)
Mbps transmission rate

to Internet
to Internet
Introduction: 1-18
Access networks: enterprise networks

Enterprise link to
ISP (Internet)
institutional router
Ethernet institutional mail,
switch web servers

§ companies, universities, etc.

§ mix of wired, wireless link technologies, connecting a mix of switches
and routers (we’ll cover differences shortly)
§ Ethernet: wired access at 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps
§ WiFi: wireless access points at 11, 54, 450 Mbps
Introduction: 1-19
Access networks: data center networks
mobile network
§ high-bandwidth links (10s to 100s national or global ISP
Gbps) connect hundreds to thousands
of servers together, and to Internet

local or
regional ISP

home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

Courtesy: Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing enterprise

Center (mghpcc.org) network

Introduction: 1-20
Host: sends packets of data
host sending function:
§ takes application message
§ breaks into smaller chunks, two packets,
known as packets, of length L bits L bits each

§ transmits packet into access

network at transmission rate R 2 1

• link transmission rate, aka link host

capacity, aka link bandwidth R: link transmission rate

packet time needed to L (bits)

transmission = transmit L-bit =
delay packet into link R (bits/sec)
Introduction: 1-21
Links: physical media
§ bit: propagates between Twisted pair (TP)
transmitter/receiver pairs
§ two insulated copper wires
§ physical link: what lies • Category 5: 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps Ethernet
between transmitter & • Category 6: 10Gbps Ethernet
receiver
§ guided media:
• signals propagate in solid
media: copper, fiber, coax
§ unguided media:
• signals propagate freely,
e.g., radio

Introduction: 1-22
Links: physical media
Coaxial cable: Fiber optic cable:
§ two concentric copper conductors § glass fiber carrying light pulses, each
pulse a bit
§ bidirectional
§ high-speed operation:
§ broadband: • high-speed point-to-point
• multiple frequency channels on cable transmission (10’s-100’s Gbps)
• 100’s Mbps per channel § low error rate:
• repeaters spaced far apart
• immune to electromagnetic noise

Introduction: 1-23
Links: physical media
Wireless radio Radio link types:
§ signal carried in various § Wireless LAN (WiFi)
“bands” in electromagnetic • 10-100’s Mbps; 10’s of meters
spectrum § wide-area (e.g., 4G cellular)
§ no physical “wire” • 10’s Mbps over ~10 Km
§ broadcast, “half-duplex” § Bluetooth: cable replacement
(sender to receiver)
• short distances, limited rates
§ propagation environment
effects: § terrestrial microwave
• reflection • point-to-point; 45 Mbps channels
• obstruction by objects § satellite
• Interference/noise • up to 45 Mbps per channel
• 270 msec end-end delay
Introduction: 1-24
Chapter 1: roadmap
§ What is the Internet?
§ What is a protocol?
§ Network edge: hosts, access network,
physical media
§ Network core: packet/circuit
switching, internet structure
§ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
§ Security
§ Protocol layers, service models
§ History
Introduction: 1-25
The network core
§ mesh of interconnected routers mobile network
national or global ISP
§ packet-switching: hosts break
application-layer messages into
packets
• network forwards packets from one local or
router to the next, across links on regional ISP

path from source to destination home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-26
 Two key network-core functions

routing algorithm Routing:

Forwarding: local forwarding table
local forwarding table
§ global action:
header value output link determine source-
§ aka “switching” 0100
0101
3
2 destination paths
§ local action: 0111 2
taken by packets
move arriving 1001 1

packets from § routing algorithms

router’s input link 1
to appropriate
router output link 3 2
11
01

destination address in arriving

packet’s header
Introduction: 1-27
routing

Introduction: 1-28
 forwarding
forwarding

Introduction: 1-29
 Packet-switching: store-and-forward

L bits
per packet
3 2 1
source destination
R bps R bps

§ packet transmission delay: takes L/R seconds to One-hop numerical example:

transmit (push out) L-bit packet into link at R bps § L = 10 Kbits
§ store and forward: entire packet must arrive at § R = 100 Mbps
router before it can be transmitted on next link § one-hop transmission delay
= 0.1 msec

Introduction: 1-30
Packet-switching: queueing
R = 100 Mb/s
A C

D
B R = 1.5 Mb/s
E
queue of packets
waiting for transmission
over output link

Queueing occurs when work arrives faster than it can be serviced:

Introduction: 1-31
Packet-switching: queueing
R = 100 Mb/s
A C

D
B R = 1.5 Mb/s
E
queue of packets
waiting for transmission
over output link

Packet queuing and loss: if arrival rate (in bps) to link exceeds
transmission rate (bps) of link for some period of time:
§ packets will queue, waiting to be transmitted on output link
§ packets can be dropped (lost) if memory (buffer) in router fills up
Introduction: 1-32
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
mobile network
§ hosts connect to Internet via access national or global ISP
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
§ access ISPs in turn must be
interconnected
• so that any two hosts (anywhere!) local or
regional ISP
can send packets to each other
home network
§ resulting network of networks is content
provider
very complex network datacenter
network

• evolution driven by economics, enterprise

national policies network

Let’s take a stepwise approach to describe current Internet structure

Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?

access
… access
net
access
net …
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

…
…

access access
net net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
… access access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-34
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?

access
… access
net
access
net …
net
access
access
net
… … net

access
access net
net

connecting each access ISP to

…
…

each other directly doesn’t scale:

…
O(N2) connections.
access access
…

net net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
access
… net
… access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-35
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Option: connect each access ISP to one global transit ISP?
Customer and provider ISPs have economic agreement.

access
… access
net
access
net …
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

…
…

global
access
net
ISP access
net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
… access access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-36
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be competitors ….

access
… access
net
access
net …
net
access
access net
net
access
access
ISP A
net
net

…
…

access
net ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
… access access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-37
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be competitors …. who will
want to be connected
Internet exchange point
access
… access
net
access
net …
net
access
access net
net
IXP access
access
ISP A
net
net

…
…

access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
peering link
access
net
… access access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-38
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and regional networks may arise to connect access nets to ISPs

access
… access
net
access
net …
net
access
access net
net
IXP access
access
ISP A
net
net

…
…

access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net regional ISP access
net
… access access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-39
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and content provider networks (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Akamai) may
run their own network, to bring services, content close to end users
… access
… access
net
access
net

net
access
access net
net
IXP access
access
ISP A
net
net

…
…

Content provider network

access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net regional ISP access
net
… access access …
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-40
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”

Tier 1 ISP Tier 1 ISP Google

IXP IXP IXP
Regional ISP Regional ISP

access access access access access access access access

ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP

At “center”: small # of well-connected large networks

§ “tier-1” commercial ISPs (e.g., Level 3, Sprint, AT&T, NTT), national & international coverage
§ content provider networks (e.g., Google, Facebook): private network that connects its
data centers to Internet, often bypassing tier-1, regional ISPs
Introduction: 1-41
Thank you

Introduction: 1-42