Network Overview

Introduction 1-1
A closer look at network structure:
 network edge: applications
and hosts
 network core:
 routers
 network of networks
 access networks, physical
media: communication links

Introduction 1-2
 The network edge:

 end systems (hosts):

 run application programs
 e.g. Web, email
 at “edge of network”

Introduction 1-3
 The network edge:

 client/server model
 client host requests, receives
service from always-on server
 e.g. Web browser/server;
email client/server

 why such a popular model?

Introduction 1-4
 The network edge:

 peer-peer model:
 minimal (or no) use of
dedicated servers

Introduction 1-5
Internet Services Models
 Connection-oriented service

 Connectionless service

 Applications
 FTP, Internet Phone, Web, Internet radio,
email

Introduction 1-6
Connection-oriented service
 Goal: data transfer between end systems
 handshaking: setup (prepare for) data
transfer ahead of time
 TCP - Transmission Control Protocol
 Internet’s connection-oriented service
 reliable, in-order byte-stream data transfer
• loss: acknowledgements and retransmissions
 flow control:
• sender won’t overwhelm receiver
 congestion control:
• senders “slow down sending rate” when network congested

Introduction 1-7
Connectionless service

Goal: data transfer between end systems

 same as before!
 UDP - User Datagram Protocol :
 connectionless
 unreliabledata transfer
 no flow control
 no congestion control

 What’s it good for?

Introduction 1-8
A Comparison

App’s using TCP:

 HTTP (Web), FTP (file transfer), Telnet
(remote login), SMTP (email)

App’s using UDP:

 streaming media, teleconferencing, DNS,
Internet telephony

Introduction 1-9
The Network Core
 mesh of interconnected
routers
 the fundamental
question: how is data
transferred through net?
 circuit switching:
dedicated circuit per
call: telephone net
 packet-switching: data
sent thru net in
discrete “chunks”

Introduction 1-10
Network Core: Circuit Switching

End-end resources
reserved for “call”
 link bandwidth, switch
capacity
 dedicated resources:
no sharing
 circuit-like
(guaranteed)
performance
 call setup required

 must divide link bw

into pieces...
Introduction 1-11
Introduction 1-12
Circuit Switching: FDM and TDM
Example:
FDM
4 users

frequency

time
TDM

frequency

time
Introduction 1-13
Network Core: Packet Switching

each end-end data stream divided into packets

 user A, B packets share network resources
 each packet uses full link bandwidth
 resources used as needed
resource contention:
 aggregate resource demand can exceed amount
available
 what happens if bandwidth is not available?
 congestion: packets queue, wait for link use
 store and forward: packets move one hop at a time
 Node receives complete packet before forwarding

Introduction 1-14
Packet Switching: Statistical Multiplexing
10 Mb/s
A Ethernet statistical multiplexing C

1.5 Mb/s
B
queue of packets
waiting for output
link

D E

Sequence of A & B packets does not have fixed

pattern  statistical multiplexing.

Introduction 1-15
Packet switching versus circuit switching
Packet switching allows more users to use network!
 1 Mb/s link
 each user:
 100 kb/s when “active”
 active 10% of time

N users
 circuit-switching:
1 Mbps link
 10 users

 packet switching:
 with 35 users,
probability > 10 active
less than .0004
Introduction 1-16
Packet switching versus circuit switching
Is packet switching a “slam dunk winner?”
 Great for bursty data
 resource sharing
 simpler, no call setup

 Excessive congestion: packet delay and loss

 protocols needed for reliable data transfer,
congestion control
 Circuit Switching = Guaranteed behavior
 good for which apps?

Introduction 1-17
Packet-switching: store-and-forward
L
R R R

 Takes L/R seconds to Example:

transmit (push out)  L = 7.5 Mbits
packet of L bits on to  R = 1.5 Mbps
link or R bps
 delay = 15 sec
 Entire packet must
arrive at router before
it can be transmitted
on next link: store and
forward
 delay = 3L/R

Introduction 1-18
Packet-switched networks: forwarding
 Goal: move packets through routers from source to
destination
 datagram network:
 destination address in packet determines next hop
 routes may change during session
 analogy: driving, asking directions
 virtual circuit network:
 each packet carries tag (virtual circuit ID), tag
determines next hop
 fixed path determined at call setup time, remains fixed
thru call
 routers maintain per-call state

Introduction 1-19
Introduction 1-20
Network Taxonomy
Telecommunication
networks

Circuit-switched Packet-switched
networks networks

FDM Networks Datagram

TDM
with VCs Networks

• Datagram network is not either connection-oriented

or connectionless.
• Internet provides both connection-oriented (TCP) and
connectionless services (UDP) to apps.
Introduction 1-21
Access networks and physical media
Q: How to connect end
systems to edge router?
 residential access nets
 institutional access
networks (school,
company)
 mobile access networks

Keep in mind:
 bandwidth (bits per
second) of access
network?
 shared or dedicated?
Introduction 1-22
Residential access: point to point access

 Dialup via modem

 up to 56Kbps direct access to
router (often less)
 Can’t surf and phone at same
time: can’t be “always on”
 ADSL: asymmetric digital subscriber line
 up to 1 Mbps upstream (today typically < 256 kbps)
 up to 8 Mbps downstream (today typically < 1 Mbps)
 FDM: 50 kHz - 1 MHz for downstream
4 kHz - 50 kHz for upstream
0 kHz - 4 kHz for ordinary telephone
Introduction 1-23
Residential access: cable modems

 HFC: hybrid fiber coax

 asymmetric: up to 30Mbps downstream, 2
Mbps upstream
 network of cable and fiber attaches homes to
ISP router
 homes share access to router

 deployment: available via cable TV companies

Introduction 1-24
Cable Network Architecture: Overview

Typically 500 to 5,000 homes

cable headend

home
cable distribution
network (simplified)

Introduction 1-25
Cable Network Architecture: Overview

cable headend

home
cable distribution
network (simplified)

Introduction 1-26
Company access: local area networks
 company/univ local area
network (LAN) connects
end system to edge router
 Ethernet:
 shared or dedicated link
connects end system
and router
 10 Mbs, 100Mbps,
Gigabit Ethernet
 LANs: chapter 5

Introduction 1-27
Wireless access networks
 shared wireless access
network connects end system
to router router
 via base station aka “access
point” base
 wireless LANs: station
 802.11b (WiFi): 11 Mbps

 wider-area wireless access

 provided by telco operator
 3G ~ 384 kbps
mobile
• Will it happen??
hosts
 WAP/GPRS in Europe

Introduction 1-28
Home networks
Typical home network components:
 ADSL or cable modem
 router/firewall/NAT
 Ethernet
 wireless access
point
wireless
to/from laptops
cable router/
cable
modem firewall
headend
wireless
access
Ethernet point

Introduction 1-29
Physical Media
Twisted Pair (TP)
 Bit: propagates between  two insulated copper
transmitter/rcvr pairs wires
 physical link: what lies  Category 3: traditional
between transmitter & phone wires, 10 Mbps
receiver Ethernet
 guided media:
 Category 5:
100Mbps Ethernet
 signals propagate in solid
media: copper, fiber, coax
 unguided media:
 signals propagate freely,
e.g., radio

Introduction 1-30
Physical Media: coax, fiber
Coaxial cable: Fiber optic cable:
 glass fiber carrying light
 two concentric copper
pulses, each pulse a bit
conductors
 high-speed operation:
 bidirectional
 high-speed point-to-point
 baseband: transmission (e.g., 5 Gps)
 single channel on cable  low error rate: repeaters
 legacy Ethernet spaced far apart ; immune
 broadband: to electromagnetic noise
 multiple channel on cable
 HFC

Introduction 1-31
Physical media: radio
 signal carried in Radio link types:
electromagnetic  terrestrial microwave
spectrum  e.g. up to 45 Mbps channels

 no physical “wire”  LAN (e.g., Wifi)

 bidirectional  2Mbps, 11Mbps

 propagation  wide-area (e.g., cellular)

 e.g. 3G: hundreds of kbps
environment effects:
 reflection  satellite
 obstruction by objects  up to 50Mbps channel (or
 interference multiple smaller channels)
 270 msec end-end delay
 geosynchronous versus low
altitude
Introduction 1-32
 Internet structure: network of networks
 roughly hierarchical
 at center: “tier-1” ISPs (e.g., UUNet, BBN/Genuity,
Sprint, AT&T), national/international coverage
 treat each other as equals

Tier-1 providers
also interconnect
Tier-1 at public network
providers
Tier 1 ISP
NAP access points
interconnect (NAPs)
(peer)
privately
Tier 1 ISP Tier 1 ISP

Introduction 1-33
Tier-1 ISP: e.g., Sprint
Sprint US backbone network

Introduction 1-34
 Internet structure: network of networks
 “Tier-2” ISPs: smaller (often regional) ISPs
 Connect to one or more tier-1 ISPs, possibly other tier-2 ISPs

Tier-2 ISPs
Tier-2 ISP pays Tier-2 ISP also peer
Tier-2 ISP privately with
tier-1 ISP for
connectivity to Tier 1 ISP each other,
rest of Internet NAP interconnect
 tier-2 ISP is at NAP
customer of
tier-1 provider Tier 1 ISP Tier 1 ISP Tier-2 ISP

Tier-2 ISP Tier-2 ISP

Introduction 1-35
 Internet structure: network of networks
 “Tier-3” ISPs and local ISPs
 last hop (“access”) network (closest to end systems)

local
ISP Tier 3 local
local local
ISP ISP
ISP ISP
Local and tier- Tier-2 ISP Tier-2 ISP
3 ISPs are
customers of Tier 1 ISP
higher tier NAP
ISPs
connecting
them to rest
Tier 1 ISP Tier 1 ISP Tier-2 ISP
of Internet
local
Tier-2 ISP Tier-2 ISP
ISP
local local local
ISP ISP ISP Introduction 1-36
 Internet structure: network of networks
 a packet passes through many networks!

local
ISP Tier 3 local
local local
ISP ISP
ISP ISP
Tier-2 ISP Tier-2 ISP

Tier 1 ISP
NAP

Tier 1 ISP Tier 1 ISP Tier-2 ISP

local
Tier-2 ISP Tier-2 ISP
ISP
local local local
ISP ISP ISP Introduction 1-37
 How do loss and delay occur?
packets queue in router buffers
 packet arrival rate to link exceeds output link capacity
 packets queue, wait for turn

packet being transmitted (delay)

B
packets queueing (delay)
free (available) buffers: arriving packets
dropped (loss) if no free buffers
Introduction 1-38
Four sources of packet delay
 1. nodal processing:  2. queueing
 check bit errors  time waiting at output
 determine output link link for transmission
 depends on congestion
level of router

transmission
A propagation

B
nodal
processing queueing

Introduction 1-39
Delay in packet-switched networks
3. Transmission delay: 4. Propagation delay:
 R=link bandwidth (bps)  d = length of physical link
 L=packet length (bits)  s = propagation speed in
 time to send bits into medium (~2x108 m/sec)
link = L/R  propagation delay = d/s

Note: s and R are very

different quantities!
transmission
A propagation

B
nodal
processing queueing
Introduction 1-40
Nodal delay
d nodal  d proc  d queue  d trans  d prop

 dproc = processing delay

 typically a few microsecs or less
 dqueue = queuing delay
 depends on congestion
 dtrans = transmission delay
 = L/R, significant for low-speed links
 dprop = propagation delay
 a few microsecs to hundreds of msecs

Introduction 1-41
Packet loss
 queue (aka buffer) preceding link in buffer
has finite capacity
 when packet arrives to full queue, packet is
dropped (aka lost)
 lost packet may be retransmitted by
previous node, by source end system, or not
retransmitted at all

Introduction 1-42
Introduction 1-43