Data Link Protocols

Relates to Lab 2.

This module covers data link layer issues, such as local area networks
(LANs) and point-to-point links, Ethernet, and the Point-to-Point Protocol
(PPP).

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TCP/IP Suite and OSI Reference Model

• The TCP/IP protocol stack does

not define the lower layers of a Application
complete protocol stack Layer

• In this lecture, we will address how Transport

the TCP/IP protocol stacks Layer
Network
interfaces with the data link layer Layer
(Data) Link
Layer

Logical Link
Control (LLC) Sublayer in
Local Area
Media Access Networks
Control (MAC)
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Data Link Layer

• The main tasks of the data link layer are:

• Transfer data from the network layer of one machine to
the network layer of another machine
• Convert the raw bit stream of the physical layer into
groups of bits (“frames”)

Network Network
Layer Layer
Data Link Data Link
Layer Layer
Physical Physical
Layer Layer

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Two types of networks at the data link layer
– Broadcast Networks: All stations share a single
communication channel
– Point-to-Point Networks: Pairs of hosts (or routers) are
directly connected

Broadcast Network Point-to-Point Network

• Typically, local area networks (LANs) are broadcast and wide area
networks (WANs) are point-to-point

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Local Area Networks

• Local area networks (LANs) connect computers within a

building or a enterprise network
• Almost all LANs are broadcast networks
• Typical topologies of LANs are bus or ring or star
• We will work with Ethernet LANs. Ethernet has a bus or star
topology.

Bus LAN Ring LAN

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MAC and LLC

• In any broadcast network, the stations must ensure that only

one station transmits at a time on the shared communication
channel
• The protocol that determines who can transmit on a broadcast
channel are called Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol
• The MAC protocol are implemented
in the MAC sublayer which is the to Network Layer

lower sublayer of the data link layer Logical Link

Control
• The higher portion of the data link Medium Access

Layer
Data Link
layer is often called Logical Link Control
Control (LLC) to Physical Layer

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IEEE 802 Standards

•IEEE 802 is a family of standards for LANs, which defines

an LLC and several MAC sublayers
IEEE 802 standard
IEEE Higher
Reference Layer
802.1 Model
Logical Link
802.2 Control Data Link
Medium Layer
Access
802.11
802.3

802.4

802.5

Control
Physical Physical
Layer Layer

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Ethernet

• Speed: 10Mbps -10 Gbps

• Standard: 802.3, Ethernet II (DIX)

• Most popular physical layers for Ethernet:

• 10Base5 Thick Ethernet: 10 Mbps coax cable
• 10Base2 Thin Ethernet: 10 Mbps coax cable
• 10Base-T 10 Mbps Twisted Pair
• 100Base-TX 100 Mbps over Category 5 twisted pair
• 100Base-FX 100 Mbps over Fiber Optics
• 1000Base-FX 1Gbps over Fiber Optics
• 10000Base-FX 1Gbps over Fiber Optics (for wide area links)

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Bus Topology

• 10Base5 and 10Base2 Ethernets has a bus topology

Ethernet

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Star Topology

• Starting with 10Base-T, stations are connected to a hub in a

star configuration

Hub

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Ethernet Hubs vs. Ethernet Switches

• An Ethernet switch is a packet switch for Ethernet frames

• Buffering of frames prevents collisions.
• Each port is isolated and builds its own collision domain
• An Ethernet Hub does not perform buffering:
• Collisions occur if two frames arrive at the same time.

Hub Switch
CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD

CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD

HighSpeed
Backplane
CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD

CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD CSMA/CD

Input Output
Buffers Buffers

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Ethernet and IEEE 802.3: Any Difference?

• There are two types of Ethernet frames in use, with subtle

differences:
• “Ethernet” (Ethernet II, DIX)
• An industry standards from 1982 that is based on the first
implementation of CSMA/CD by Xerox.
• Predominant version of CSMA/CD in the US.
• 802.3:
• IEEE’s version of CSMA/CD from 1985.
• Interoperates with 802.2 (LLC) as higher layer.

• Difference for our purposes: Ethernet and 802.3 use different

methods to encapsulate an IP datagram.

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Ethernet II, DIX Encapsulation (RFC 894)

802.3 MAC

destination source
type data CRC
address address

6 6 2 46-1500 4

0800 IP datagram

2 38-1492

0806 ARP request/reply PAD

2 28 10

0835 RARP request/reply PAD

2 28 10

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IEEE 802.2/802.3 Encapsulation (RFC 1042)

802.3 MAC 802.2 LLC 802.2 SNAP

destination source DSAP SSAP cntl org code

length type data CRC
address address AA AA 03 0

6 6 2 1 1 1 3 2 38-1492 4

- destination address, source address: 0800 IP datagram

MAC addresses are 48 bit
2 38-1492
- lengt h : frame length in number of bytes
- DSAP, SSAP : always set to 0xaa 0806 ARP request/reply PAD

- Ctrl: s et t o 3 2 28 10
- org code: set to 0
- type field identifies the content of the 0835 RARP request/reply PAD

data field 2 28 10
- CRC: cylic redundancy check

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Point-to-Point (serial) links

• Many data link connections are point-

to-point serial links:
– Dial-in or DSL access connects hosts to
access routers
– Routers are connected by Access
high-speed point-to-point links Router
Modems

• Here, IP hosts and routers are Dial-Up Access

connected by a serial cable

• Data link layer protocols for point-to- Router

point links are simple:
Router
– Main role is encapsulation of IP datagrams
– No media access control needed
Router Router

Point-to-Point Links
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Data Link Protocols for Point-to-Point links

• SLIP (Serial Line IP)

• First protocol for sending IP datagrams over dial-up links (from
1988)
• Encapsulation, not much else
• PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol):
• Successor to SLIP (1992), with added functionality
• Used for dial-in and for high-speed routers
• HDLC (High-Level Data Link) :
• Widely used and influential standard (1979)
• Default protocol for serial links on Cisco routers
• Actually, PPP is based on a variant of HDLC

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PPP - IP encapsulation

• The frame format of PPP is similar to HDLC and the 802.2 LLC frame
format:
flag addr ctrl protocol data CRC flag
7E FF 03 7E
1 1 1 2 <= 1500 2 1

0021 IP datagram

C021 link control data

8021 network control data

• PPP assumes a duplex circuit

• Note: PPP does not use addresses
• Usual maximum frame size is 1500
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Additional PPP functionality

• In addition to encapsulation, PPP supports:

– multiple network layer protocols (protocol multiplexing)
– Link configuration
– Link quality testing
– Error detection
– Option negotiation
– Address notification
– Authentication

• The above functions are supported by helper protocols:

– LCP
– PAP, CHAP
– NCP

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PPP Support protocols

• Link management: The link control protocol (LCP) is

responsible for establishing, configuring, and negotiating a
data-link connection. LCP also monitors the link quality and is
used to terminate the link.

• Authentication: Authentication is optional. PPP supports two

authentication protocols: Password Authentication Protocol
(PAP) and Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol
(CHAP).

• Network protocol configuration: PPP has network control

protocols (NCPs) for numerous network layer protocols. The IP
control protocol (IPCP) negotiates IP address assignments
and other parameters when IP is used as network layer.

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Switched networks

• Some data link technologies can be used to build

complete networks, with their own addressing, routing, and
forwarding mechanisms. These networks are often called
switched networks.
• At the IP layer, a switched network may like a point-to-
point link or like a broadcast link
R1 R2

Point-to-point link Point-to-point link

H2

Switched network
of data link layer
switches

H1 R3

Ethernet
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Switched networks

Data link layer technologies:

– Switched Ethernet
– ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
– Frame Relay
– Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)

• Some switched networks are intended for enterprise networks

(Switched Ethernet), wide area networks (MPLS, Frame
Relay), or both (ATM)

• Some switched networks have a complete protocol suite.

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