CS 210

Introduction to Computer Networks

application
transport
network
data link
physical

The Internet – Network Structure

Adapted from “Computer Networking – a Top-Down Approach”
© 1996-2012 by J.F Kurose and K.W. Ross, All Rights Reserved

Questions
• What/Why of access & core networks?
• How to connect to an access network? At
home/school/work?
• What/Why of DSL/Cable modem?
• What are the TWO key functions of network
core?
• How does the structure of the Internet look
like?
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 A Closer Look at Network Structure:
mobile network
• network edge:
– hosts: clients and servers global ISP

– servers often in data centers

home
• network core: network
regional ISP
– interconnected routers
– network of networks

❖ edge: access networks

▪ Wired or wireless
❖ core: core networks institutional
network
▪ Routers and data
communication links 3

Access Networks
Q: How to connect end
systems to edge
router?
• residential access nets
• institutional access networks
(school, company)
• mobile access networks

considerations:
• bandwidth (bits per second) of
access network?
• shared or dedicated?

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 Access Net: Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL)
central office telephone
network

DSL splitter
modem DSLAM

ISP
voice, data transmitted
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
❖ < 2.5 Mbps upstream transmission rate (typically < 1 Mbps)
❖ < 24 Mbps downstream transmission rate (typically < 10
Mbps) 5

Access Net: Cable

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: different channels transmitted

in different frequency bands
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Page 3
 Access Net: Cable
cable headend

…
cable splitter cable modem
modem CMTS termination system

data, TV transmitted at different

frequencies over shared cable ISP
distribution network

❖ HFC: hybrid fiber coax

▪ asymmetric: up to 300 Mbps downstream transmission rate,
20 Mbps upstream transmission rate
❖ network of cable, fiber attaches homes to ISP router
▪ homes share access network to cable headend
▪ unlike DSL, which has dedicated access to central office
7

Access Net: Home Network

wireless
devices

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

cable or DSL modem

wireless access router, firewall, NAT

point (54/150/300 Mbps)
wired Ethernet (100 Mbps/1 Gbps)
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Page 4
 Enterprise Access Networks

institutional link to
ISP (Internet)
institutional router

Ethernet institutional mail,

switch web servers

• typically used in companies, universities, etc…

▪ 10 Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps transmission rates
▪ today, end systems typically connect into Ethernet switch
9

Wireless Access Networks

• shared wireless access network connects end system to router
– via base station aka “access point”
wireless LANs: wide-area wireless access
▪ within building (100 ft) ▪ provided by telco (cellular)
▪ 802.11 n/ac (WiFi 4/5): up to operator, 10’s km
0.6/3.5 Gbps transmission rate ▪ between 1 and 10 Mbps
▪ WiFi 6: up to 9.6 Gbps ▪ GPRS, 3G, 3.9G (LTE), 4G, 5G

To the Internet to the Internet

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Page 5
 Network Core: Two Key Functions
routing: determines source-destination route taken by packets
▪ routing algorithms
forwarding: move packets from router’s input to appropriate
router output

routing algorithm

local forwarding table

header value output link
0100 3 1
0101 2
0111 2 3 2
1001 1

dest address in arriving

packet’s header 11

11

Internet Structure: Network of Networks

• End systems connect to Internet via access

ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
– Residential, company and university ISPs
• Access ISPs in turn must be interconnected
– So that any two hosts can send packets to each
other
• Resulting network of networks is very complex
– Evolution was driven by economics and national
policies
• Let’s take a stepwise approach to describe
current Internet structure
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Page 6
 Internet Structure: Network of Networks
access access
net net
access
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

Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them

together? 13

13

Internet Structure: Network of Networks

Option: connect each access ISP to every other access ISP?
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

connecting each access ISP

access
net
to each other directly access
net

doesn’t scale: O(N2)

access
net connections. access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

14

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Page 7
 Internet Structure: Network of Networks
Option: connect each access ISP to a global transit ISP? Customer and provider
ISPs have economic agreement.
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

global
access
access
net ISP net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

15

15

Internet Structure: Network of Networks

• But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be
competitors ….
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net
ISP A

access access
net ISP B net

access
ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

16

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Page 8
 Internet Structure: Network of Networks
• But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be
competitors …. which must be interconnected
access access
Internet exchange point
net net
access
net
access
access net
net

access
IXP access
net
net
ISP A

access IXP access

net ISP B net

access
ISP C
net
access
net

access peering link

net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

17

17

Internet Structure: Network of Networks

• and regional networks may arise to connect access nets to
ISPs
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net

access
IXP access
net
net
ISP A

access IXP access

net ISP B net

access
ISP C
net
access
net

access
net regional net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

18

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Page 9
 Internet structure: Network of Networks
• … and content providers (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Akamai )
may run their own network, to bring services, content close to
end users
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net

access
IXP access
net
net
ISP A

Content provider network

access IXP access
net ISP B net

access
ISP C
net
access
net

access
net regional net
access
net
access access
net access net
net
19

19

Internet Structure: 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 network (e.g, Google): private network that connects it
data centers to the Internet, often bypassing tier-1,
20

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Page 10
 Tier-1 ISP: e.g. Sprint
POP: point-of-presence

to/from backbone

peering
… … …
…

…
to/from customers

21

21

Quote of the Day

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