Computer Networks

COL 334/672
Towards building a computer network
Slides adapted from KR slides
Tarun Mangla
Sem 1, 2024-25
What is a Computer Network?
§ Computer Network: A set of
interconnected computers that can
communicate with each other
§ Traditional Networks Keystrokes
• Serial lines connecting dumb terminals to
mainframe
• Other networks?
• Characteristics: single-use networks with
specialized data or devices Carry voice data
§ Key distinction: Computer networks are
built to carry different kinds of data and
for general-purpose hardware

Broadcast video
The Internet: a network of networks
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
Internet Evolution
1969 2022

This class: how/why did the Internet evolve into this kind of structure?
How to Build a Computer Network?
From first principles..
§ Let’s build a network with two machines

§ How do we connect n machines

How to Build a Computer Network?
From first principles..
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
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
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
Access networks
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
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)
Cellular access networks
Shared wireless access network connects end system to base
station
§ provided by mobile, cellular network operator (10’s km)
§ 10’s Mbps
§ 4G/5G cellular networks

to Internet

Introduction: 1-12
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
§ IITD network infrastructure
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
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
net
access
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
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?

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

access
access net
net

connecting each access ISP to

…

…
each other directly doesn’t scale:

…
access
O(N2) connections. access
…

net net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
… access
… net
access …
net access net
net
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Option: connect each access ISP to one global transit ISP?
Customer and provider ISPs have economic agreement.
… access
net
access
net …
access
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
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be competitors ….

… access
net
access
net …
access
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: 1-19
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
net
access
net …
access
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
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and regional networks may arise to connect access nets to ISPs

… access
net
access
net …
access
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: 1-21
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and regional networks may arise to connect access nets to ISPs

… access
net
access
net …
access
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: 1-22
3-tier Internet Architecture
§ Tier-1 ISP
• Global reach access access
net net
• Don’t pay for transit access
net
access
access net
• E.g., TATA Communications, AT&T access
net
IXP access
net ISP A net

§ Tier-2 ISP

…
• Customer for some networks access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

• Providers or peers for others access ISP C

net
• E.g., ?
access
net
access
regional ISP
§ Tier-3 ISP
net
… … access
access access net
net access net
• Only act as customers net

• E.g., ?

Is it that neat?
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Content provider networks (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Akamai)
may run their own network.. But why?
Moreover, tier-1 ISPs are also hosting content
..to bring services, content close to end users

access … access
net
access
net …
This has led to flattening
net
access
access net
net
of the Internet access
IXP access
net ISP A net

…
Content provider network
access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access
net
ISP C
acces
net
access
net
… regional ISP … access
access net
access
net access net
net
Google: Lord of Peering!
§ Google has been peering
directly with access networks
§ Open peering policy
§ Explains Google loads so fast!
§ Is it a win-win for both the
access network and Google?
• Economic for access network
• Performance for customers
• Greater control over traffic
Summary
§ Explored the structure of the Internet, network of networks

§ Distributed networks (scalability, manageability, economic reasons)

• Implications on other aspects of Internet design

§ 3-tiered architecture: tier-1, tier-2, and tier-3 service providers

§ Recent times, flattening of Internet due to:

• Tier-1 hosting content
• Content providers running large networks

§ Next class: how do you send data over distributed networks?