Chapter 5

Data Link Layer

Computer
Networking: A Top
Down Approach
6th edition
Jim Kurose, Keith Ross
Addison-Wesley
March 2012

Link Layer 5-1

Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.5 link virtualization:
5.2 error detection, MPLS
correction 5.6 data center networking
5.3 multiple access 5.7 a day in the life of a
protocols web request
5.4 LANs
▪ addressing, ARP
▪ Ethernet
▪ switches
▪ VLANS

Link Layer 5-2

Purpose of the Data Link Layer

Data Link Layer

 Link layer services
❖ Framing: Link-layer protocols encapsulate each network
layer datagram within a link-layer frame before
transmission over the link.
▪ A frame consists of a data field, in which the network-layer
datagram is inserted, and other header fields.
▪ The frame structure is specified by the link-layer protocol.
❖ Link access. A MAC protocol specifies the rules by
which a frame is transmitted onto the link.
▪ For point-to-point links, the MAC protocol is simple – the
sender can send a frame whenever the link is idle.
▪ For multiple nodes sharing a single broadcast link (multiple
access problem), the MAC protocol coordinates the frame
transmissions of the many nodes.

5-4
 Link layer services
❖ Reliable delivery. When a link-layer protocol provides
reliable delivery services, it guarantees to move each
network-layer datagram across the link without error.
▪ Similar to a transport-layer reliable delivery service, a link-
layer reliable delivery service can be achieved with
acknowledgments and retransmissions.
▪ A link-layer reliable delivery service is often used for links
prone to high error rates, such as a wireless link to correct an
error locally – on the link where the error occurs.
❖ Error detection & correction. The link-layer hardware in
a receiving node can incorrectly interchange bits due to
signal attenuation and electromagnetic noise.
▪ Link-layer protocols detect such bit errors by having the
transmitting node include error-detection bits in the frame, and
having the receiving node perform an error check.

5-5
Link layer services
Link layer services
MAC Sublayer
Data encapsulation
❖ Frame assembly before transmission and frame
disassembly upon reception of a frame.
❖ MAC layer adds a header and trailer to the packet
❖ Provides three primary functions:
▪ Frame delimiting – Identifies a group of bits that comprise a
frame, synchronization
▪ Addressing –adds a physical address (MAC address) that
enables a frame to be delivered to a destination node.
▪ Error detection –adds a trailer with a cyclic redundancy
check (CRC) of the frame contents.
Framing
Link layer services
❖ flow control:
▪ nodes on each side of a link have a limited amount of packet
buffering capacity
▪ pacing between adjacent sending and receiving nodes
❖ error detection:
▪ errors caused by signal attenuation, noise.
▪ receiver detects presence of errors:
• signals sender for retransmission or drops frame
❖ error correction:
▪ receiver identifies and corrects bit error(s) without resorting to
retransmission
❖ half-duplex and full-duplex
▪ with half duplex, nodes at both ends of link can transmit, but not at
same time

Link Layer 5-10

Where is the link layer implemented?
❖ in each and every host
❖ link layer implemented in
“adaptor” (aka network host schematic
interface card NIC)
▪ Ethernet card, PCMCI card,
application
transport
802.11 card network cpu memory

▪ implements link, physical

link

layer host
bus
❖ attaches into host’s system link
controller (e.g., PCI)
buses physical
physical
❖ combination of hardware, transmission

software, firmware
network adapter
card

11
Types of Errors
Single bit
An error occurs
Error
when a bit is altered
between
transmission and Burst Error – 2 or more bits changed
reception
• Binary 1 is
transmitted and
binary 0 is received
• Binary 0 is
transmitted and
binary 1 is received

5-12
Error Detection Process

Data Link Layer 5-13

 two-dimensional bit parity:
Example: Parity checking ❖ detect and correct single bit
 A parity bit is added to every errors
data unit so that the total
number of 1s is even (or odd for
odd-parity).
 A simple parity-check code can
detect an odd number of errors.

single bit parity:

❖detect single bit
errors
Two-dimensional bit parity
TO Read, Internet Checksum and ❖Detect up to 3 bit errors
CRC
Multiple access links, protocols
two types of “links”:
❖ point-to-point
▪ PPP for dial-up access
▪ point-to-point link between Ethernet switch, host
❖ broadcast (shared wire or medium)
▪ Older Ethernet
▪ upstream Hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC)
▪ 802.11 wireless LAN

shared wire (e.g., shared RF shared humans at a

cabled Ethernet) (e.g., 802.11 WiFi) RF cocktail party
(satellite) (shared air,
acoustical)
Link Layer 5-15
Multiple Access problem
Issues with broadcast (shared wire or medium)
❖ two or more simultaneous transmissions by nodes:
interference
▪ collision if node receives two or more signals at the same
time

multiple access protocol

❖ distributed algorithm that determines how nodes share channel,
i.e., determine when node can transmit

5-16
MAC Protocols

Round Reservation/ Contention

channel
robin partitioning
• All stations
contend for
time
• Each • Divide medium
• Good for bursty
station into slots
traffic
• Good for stream
given turn traffic • Simple to
to implement
transmit • Tends to
collapse under
data heavy load
 Round Robin
❖ Each (RR)
station in turn is given the opportunity to transmit.
❖ During that opportunity, the station may decline to
transmit or may transmit subject to a specified upper
bound, usually expressed as a maximum amount of data
transmitted or time for this opportunity.
❖ When done, the station relinquishes its turn, and the right
to transmit passes to the next station in logical sequence.
❖ Control of sequence may be centralized or distributed.
❖ Polling is an example of a centralized technique.
❖ When many stations have data to transmit over an
extended period of time, RR techniques are very efficient.
❖ If only a few stations have data to transmit over an
extended period of time, there is a huge overhead in
passing the turn from station to station, because most of
the stations will not transmit but simply pass their turns.
5-18
 RESERVATION
❖ Stream traffic is characterized by lengthy and fairly
continuous transmissions; examples are voice
communication, telemetry, and bulk file transfer.
❖ For stream traffic, reservation techniques are well
suited.
❖ In general, for these techniques, time on the medium is
divided into slots, much as with synchronous TDM.
❖ A station wishing to transmit reserves future slots for
an extended or even an indefinite period.
❖ Again, reservations may be made in a centralized or
distributed fashion.

5-19
 CONTENTION
 Bursty traffic is characterized by short, sporadic
transmissions; interactive terminal-host traffic.
 For bursty traffic, contention techniques are usually
appropriate. With these techniques, no control is
exercised to determine whose turn it is;
 All stations contend for time in a way that can be rough
and tumble. These techniques are distributed in nature.
 Their principal advantage is that they are simple to
implement and, under light to moderate load, efficient.
 For some of these techniques, however, performance
tends to collapse under heavy load.
 Although both centralized and distributed reservation
techniques have been implemented in some LANs, R-R
and contention techniques are more common.
5-20
Channel partitioning MAC protocols
TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access
❖ each station gets fixed length slot
❖ unused slots go idle

6-slot 6-slot
frame frame
1 3 4 1 3 4

FDMA: frequency division time

multiple access
frequency bands
❖ channel spectrum divided
into frequency bands
❖ each station assigned fixed
frequency band
 Channel partitioning MAC protocols
F/
TDMA
2G Cellular
Networks

CDMA: Code division multiple access

Transmissions are combined on the same channel at the same time but are
separated by codes

3G Cellular
Networks

Data Link Layer 5-22

Random Access Protocols

Characteristics Contention-Based Technologies

• Stations can transmit at any time • CSMA/CD for 802.3 Ethernet
• Collision exist networks
• How to detect collisions • CSMA/CA for 802.11 wireless
• how to recover from collisions networks
(e.g., via delayed • ALOHA
retransmissions)
• There are mechanisms to resolve
contention for the media
CSMA/CD
3.
2. 4.
If the If a collision
1. After
medium is is detected,
transmitting
If the busy, transmit a
the jamming
medium is continue brief
signal, wait
jamming
idle, to listen signal to
a random
transmit; until the amount of
assure that
time,
otherwise, channel is all stations
referred to
go to step idle, then know that
as the
2 transmit there has
backoff, then
been a
immediate collision and
attempt to
ly transmit
cease
again
transmission
“Taking turns” MAC protocols

Characteristics Controlled Access Technologies

• Only one station can transmit at a

time
• Token Ring (IEEE
• Devices wanting to transmit must 802.5)
wait their turn
• No collisions
• Fiber Distributed Data
• May use a token passing method Interface (FDDI)
“Taking turns” MAC protocols
channel partitioning MAC protocols:
▪ share channel efficiently and fairly at high load
▪ inefficient at low load: delay in channel access,
1/N bandwidth allocated even if only 1 active
node!
random access MAC protocols
▪ efficient at low load: single node can fully utilize
channel
▪ high load: collision overhead
“taking turns” protocols
look for best of both worlds!
Link Layer 5-26
“Taking turns” MAC protocols
polling:
❖ master node “invites”
slave nodes to transmit data
in turn pol
l
❖ typically used with
“dumb” slave devices maste
❖ concerns: data r
▪ polling overhead
▪ latency
▪ single point of slave
failure (master) s

Link Layer 5-27

“Taking turns” MAC protocols
token passing:
T
❖ control token passed
from one node to next
sequentially.
❖ token message (nothing
❖ concerns: to send)
▪ token overhead T
▪ latency
▪ single point of failure
(token)

data
Link Layer 5-28
Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.5 link virtualization:
5.2 error detection, MPLS
correction 5.6 data center networking
5.3 multiple access 5.7 a day in the life of a
protocols web request
5.4 LANs
▪ addressing, ARP
▪ Ethernet
▪ switches
▪ VLANS

Link Layer 5-29

MAC addresses and ARP

❖ MAC (or LAN or physical or Ethernet) address:

▪ function: used ‘locally” to get frame from one interface to
another physically-connected interface (same network, in
IP-addressing sense)
▪ 48 bit MAC address (for most LANs) burned in NIC ROM,
also sometimes software settable
▪ e.g.: 1A-2F-BB-76-09-AD

hexadecimal (base 16) notation

(each “number” represents 4 bits)

Link Layer 5-30

 LAN addresses and ARP
each adapter on LAN has unique LAN address

1A-2F-BB-76-09-
AD

LAN
(wired or adapter
wireless)
71-65-F7-2B-08-
53 58-23-D7-FA-20-B0

0C-C4-11-6F-E3-98

Link Layer 5-31

 ARP: Address Resolution Protocol
Question: how to determine
interface’s MAC address, ARP table: each IP node (host,
router) on LAN has table
knowing its IP address?
▪ IP/MAC address
mappings for some LAN
137.196.7.7 nodes:
8 < IP address; MAC address; TTL>
▪ TTL: time after which
1A-2F-BB-76-09-
137.196.7.2 AD
3 137.196.7.1 address mapping will be
4
forgotten (typically 20
LAN min)
71-65-F7-2B-08-
53 58-23-D7-FA-20-B0

0C-C4-11-6F-E3-98
137.196.7.8
8

Link Layer 5-32

arp table – arp -a

Data Link Layer 5-33

ARP Operation
ARP Operation (cont.)
ARP Operation (cont.)
ARP Operation (cont.)
ARP Operation (cont.)
 Addressing: routing to another LAN
walkthrough: send datagram from A to B via R
▪ focus on addressing – at IP (datagram) and MAC layer (frame)
▪ assume A knows B’s IP address
▪ assume A knows IP address of first hop router, R (how?)
▪ assume A knows R’s MAC address (how?)

A B
R
111.111.111.111
222.222.222.22
74-29-9C-E8-FF-
29-BD-D2-C7-56-
4
55
222.222.222.22 2A
1A-23-F9-CD-06-
0
9B
111.111.111.112 111.111.111.110 222.222.222.22
CC-49-DE-D0-AB- E6-E9-00-17-BB- 88-B2-2F-54-1A-
1
7D 4B 0F

Link Layer 5-39

Addressing: routing to another LAN
❖ A creates IP datagram with IP source A, destination B
❖ A creates link-layer frame with R's MAC address as dest, frame
contains A-to-B IP datagram
MAC src: 74-29-9C-E8-FF-55
MAC dest: E6-E9-00-17-BB-
4B IP src: 111.111.111.111
IP dest:
222.222.222.222
IP
Eth
Phy

A B
R
111.111.111.111
222.222.222.22
74-29-9C-E8-FF-
29-BD-D2-C7-56-
4
55
222.222.222.22 2A
1A-23-F9-CD-06-
0
9B
111.111.111.112 111.111.111.110 222.222.222.22
CC-49-DE-D0-AB- E6-E9-00-17-BB- 88-B2-2F-54-1A-
1
7D 4B 0F

Link Layer 5-40

Addressing: routing to another LAN
❖ frame sent from A to R
❖ frame received at R, datagram removed, passed up to IP

MAC src: 74-29-9C-E8-FF-55

MAC dest: E6-E9-00-17-BB-
IP src: 111.111.111.111
4B IP dest:
IP src: 111.111.111.111
IP dest: 222.222.222.222
222.222.222.222
IP IP
Eth Eth
Phy Phy

A B
R
111.111.111.111
222.222.222.22
74-29-9C-E8-FF-
29-BD-D2-C7-56-
4
55
222.222.222.22 2A
1A-23-F9-CD-06-
0
9B
111.111.111.112 111.111.111.110 222.222.222.22
CC-49-DE-D0-AB- E6-E9-00-17-BB- 88-B2-2F-54-1A-
1
7D 4B 0F

Link Layer 5-41

Addressing: routing to another LAN
❖ R forwards datagram with IP source A, destination B
❖ R creates link-layer frame with B's MAC address as dest, frame
contains A-to-B IP datagram

MAC src: 1A-23-F9-CD-06-9B

MAC dest: 49-BD-D2-C7-56-
2A IP src: 111.111.111.111
IP dest:
222.222.222.222 IP
IP Eth
Eth Phy
Phy

A B
R
111.111.111.111
222.222.222.22
74-29-9C-E8-FF-
29-BD-D2-C7-56-
4
55
222.222.222.22 2A
1A-23-F9-CD-06-
0
9B
111.111.111.112 111.111.111.110 222.222.222.22
CC-49-DE-D0-AB- E6-E9-00-17-BB- 88-B2-2F-54-1A-
1
7D 4B 0F

Link Layer 5-42

Addressing: routing to another LAN
❖ R forwards datagram with IP source A, destination B
❖ R creates link-layer frame with B's MAC address as dest, frame
contains A-to-B IP datagram
MAC src: 1A-23-F9-CD-06-9B
MAC dest: 49-BD-D2-C7-56-
2A IP src: 111.111.111.111
IP dest:
222.222.222.222
IP
Eth
Phy

A B
R
111.111.111.111
222.222.222.22
74-29-9C-E8-FF-
29-BD-D2-C7-56-
4
55
222.222.222.22 2A
1A-23-F9-CD-06-
0
9B
111.111.111.112 111.111.111.110 222.222.222.22
CC-49-DE-D0-AB- E6-E9-00-17-BB- 88-B2-2F-54-1A-
1
7D 4B 0F

Link Layer 5-43

MAC and IP
MAC Address
❖ This address does not change
❖ Similar to the name of a person
❖ Known as physical address because physically
assigned to the host NIC
IP Address
❖ Similar to the address of a person
❖ Based on where the host is actually located
❖ Known as a logical address because assigned
logically
❖ Assigned to each host by a network administrator
End-to-End Connectivity, MAC,
and IP
IP Packet Encapsulated in an Ethernet Frame
Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.7 a day in the life of a
5.2 error detection, web request
correction
5.3 multiple access
protocols
5.4 LANs
▪ addressing, ARP
▪ Ethernet
▪ switches
▪ VLANS

Link Layer 5-46

LLC and MAC Sublayers
Ethernet
▪ One of the most widely used LAN technologies
▪ Operates in the data link layer and the physical layer
▪ Family of networking technologies defined in the IEEE
802.2 and 802.3 standards
▪ Supports data bandwidths of 10, 100, 1000, 10,000,
40,000, and 100,000 Mb/s (100 Gb/s)
Ethernet Standards
▪ Define Layer 2 protocols and Layer 1 technologies
▪ Two separate sub layers of the data link layer to operate –
Logical Link Control (LLC) and the MAC sublayers
LLC and MAC Sublayers (cont.)
Ethernet Frame

Preamble and Start Length/Type Field – Data and Pad

Frame Delimiter Fields Defines the exact length Fields –
– of the frame’s data field; Contains the
Used for describes which encapsulated data
synchronization protocol is from a higher layer;
between the sending implemented. an IPv4 packet.
and receiving devices.
802.3 Ethernet standards: link & physical layers

❖ many different Ethernet standards

▪ they have common MAC protocol and frame format
▪ different speeds: 2 Mbps, 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1Gbps,
10G bps
▪ different physical layer media: fiber, cable

MAC protocol
application and frame format
transport
network 100BASE-TX 100BASE-T2 100BASE-FX
link 100BASE-T4 100BASE-SX 100BASE-BX
physical

copper (twister fiber physical layer

pair) physical layer
Link Layer 5-50
❖ The first part refers to the speed of the standard: 10,
100, 1000, or 10G, for 10 Mbps, 100 Mb, Gb, and 10
Gb Ethernet, respectively.
❖ “BASE” refers to baseband Ethernet, meaning that the
physical media only carries Ethernet traffic;
▪ Almost all of the 802.3 standards are for baseband Ethernet.
❖ The final part of the acronym refers to the physical
media itself;
▪ Ethernet is both a link-layer and a physical-layer
specification.
▪ It is carried over a variety of physical media including
coaxial cable, copper wire, and fiber.
❖ Generally, a “T” refers to twisted-pair copper wires.

5-51
Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.7 a day in the life of a
5.2 error detection, web request
correction
5.3 multiple access
protocols
5.4 LANs
▪ addressing, ARP
▪ Ethernet
▪ switches
▪ VLANS

Link Layer 5-52

 Ethernet switch
❖ It’s a link-layer device: takes an active role
▪ store, forward Ethernet frames
▪ Performs switching and filtering based only on the
MAC address
▪ Builds a MAC address table that it uses to make
forwarding decisions
▪ Depends on routers to pass data between IP
subnetworks
❖ transparent
▪ hosts are unaware of presence of switches
❖ plug-and-play, self-learning
▪ switches do not need to be configured
▪ Table is built automatically, dynamically, and autonomously –
without any intervention from a network admin or from a
configuration protocol. Link Layer 5-53
Switch: multiple simultaneous transmissions
❖ hosts have dedicated, direct A
connection to switch
C’ B
❖ switches buffer packets
❖ Ethernet protocol used on each 6 1 2
incoming link, but no collisions;
❖ Switches are full duplex – any 5 4 3
switch interface can send and
receive at the same time. B’ C

▪ each link is its own collision

domain A’
❖ switching: A-to-A’ and B-to-B’ switch with six interfaces
can transmit simultaneously, (1,2,3,4,5,6)
without collisions

Link Layer 5-54

Switch forwarding table
A
Q: how does switch know A’
reachable via interface 4, B’ C’ B
reachable via interface 5? 1
6 2
❖ A: each switch has a switch
table, each entry: 5 4 3

▪ (MAC address of host, interface B’ C

to reach host, time stamp)
▪ looks like a routing table! A’
Q: how are entries created, switch with six interfaces
maintained in switch table? (1,2,3,4,5,6)
▪ something like a routing
protocol?
Link Layer 5-55
Switch: self-learning Source: A
Dest: A’

A A A’
❖ A switch learns which
hosts can be reached B
C’
through which interfaces
▪ when frame received, 6 1 2
switch “learns”
location of sender: 5 4 3
incoming LAN segment
▪ records sender/location B’ C
pair in switch table
A’

MAC addr interface TTL

A 1 60 Switch table
(initially empty)

Link Layer 5-56

Switch: frame filtering/forwarding
when frame received at switch:

1. record incoming link, MAC address of sending host

2. index switch table using MAC destination address
3. if entry found for destination
then {
if destination on segment from which frame arrived
then drop frame
else forward frame on interface indicated by entry
}
else flood /* forward on all interfaces except arriving
interface */

Link Layer 5-57

Self-learning, forwarding: example Source: A
Dest: A’

A A A’
❖ frame destination, A’,
B
location unknown: flood C’

1
❖ destination A location 6 2

known: selectively send A A’

5 4 3

on just one link B’ C

A’ A

A’

MAC addr interface TTL

A 1 60 switch table
A’ 4 60 (initially empty)

Link Layer 5-58

Interconnecting switches
❖ switches can be connected together
S4

S1
S3
A S2
F
D I
B C
G H
E

Q: sending from A to G - how does S1 know to

forward frame destined to G via S4 and S3?
❖ A: self learning! (works exactly the same as in
single-switch case!)
Link Layer 5-59
Self-learning multi-switch example
Suppose C sends frame to I, I responds to C

S4

S1
S3
A S2
F
D I
B C
G H
E

❖ Q: show switch tables and packet forwarding in S1, S2, S3,

S4

Link Layer 5-60

Institutional network
mail server
to external
network
router web server

IP subnet

Link Layer 5-61

Switches vs. routers
application
transport
both are store-and-forward:
▪ routers: network-layer
datagram network
frame link
devices (examine network- physical link frame
layer headers) physical
▪ switches: link-layer devices
(examine link-layer switch
headers)
network datagram
both have forwarding tables: link frame
▪ routers: compute tables physical
using routing algorithms, IP application
addresses transport
▪ switches: learn forwarding network
table using flooding, link
learning, MAC addresses physical

Link Layer 5-62

Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs)
▪ Lack of traffic isolation.
All broadcast traffic must
still traverse entire LAN.
Limiting scope of such
broadcast traffic would
improve LAN performance.
• It’d also enhance security/
privacy & efficiency
▪ Inefficient use of switches.
If instead of 3 groups, the
❖ The config in fig is institution had 10 groups,
hierarchical for modern 10 first-level switches
institution LANs but would be required. Single
switch can’t provide traffic
has some drawbacks: isolation.

5-63
VLANs: motivation
❖ Managing users. If CS user
moves office to SE, but
wants to connect to CS
switch, the physical
cabling must be changed to
connect the user to a
different switch.
❖ Fortunately, each of these
Computer
Computer difficulties can be handled
Science Software
Engineering
Engineering by a switch that supports
VLANs

Link Layer 5-64

 port-based VLAN: switch ports
VLANs grouped (by switch management
software) so that single physical
switch ……
Virtual Local
1 7 9 15
Area Network 2 8 10 16

switch(es) supporting
VLAN capabilities can … …
be configured to Software Engineering Computer
define multiple virtual (VLAN ports 1-8) Science
(VLAN ports 9-15)
LANS over single … operates as multiple virtual switches
physical LAN
infrastructure. 1 7 9 15
2 8 10 16

… …

Software Engineering Computer

(VLAN ports 1-8) Science
(VLAN ports 9-16)
Link Layer 5-65
 Port-based VLAN
router
❖ traffic isolation: frames
to/from ports 1-8 can only
reach ports 1-8
▪ can also define VLAN based on
MAC addresses of endpoints, rather
than switch port 1 7 9 15

2 8 10 16

❖ dynamic membership: ports

can be dynamically assigned … …
among VLANs Software Engineering Computer
(VLAN ports 1-8) Science
(VLAN ports 9-15)
❖ forwarding between VLANS: done
via routing (just as with separate
switches)
▪ in practice vendors sell combined
switches plus routers

Link Layer 5-66

VLANS spanning multiple switches

1 7 9 15 1 3 5 7

2 8 10 16 2 4 6 8

… …

Software Engineering Computer Ports 2,3,5 belong to SE VLAN

(VLAN ports 1-8) Science Ports 4,6,7,8 belong to CS
(VLAN ports 9-15) VLAN

❖ trunk port: carries frames between VLANS defined over

multiple physical switches
▪ frames forwarded within VLAN between switches can’t be vanilla
802.1 frames (must carry VLAN ID info)
▪ 802.1Q protocol adds/removes additional header fields for frames
forwarded between trunk ports

Link Layer 5-67

❖ The 802.1Q frame consists of the standard Ethernet
frame with a four-byte VLAN tag added into the header
that carries identity of VLAN to which frame belongs.
❖ VLAN tag is added into a frame by the switch at
sending side of a VLAN trunk, parsed, and removed by
the switch at the receiving side of the trunk.
❖ VLAN tag itself consists of:
▪ A 2-byte Tag Protocol Identifier (TPID) field (with a fixed
hexadecimal value of 81-00),
▪ A 2-byte Tag Control Information field that contains a 12-bit
VLAN identifier field, and a 3-bit priority field that is similar
in intent to the IP datagram TOS (Type of Service) field.

5-68
802.1Q VLAN frame format
type

preamble dest. source data (payload) CRC

address address 802.1 frame

type

dest. source
preamble
address address
data (payload) CRC 802.1Q frame

2-byte Tag Protocol Identifier Recomputed

(value: 81-00) CRC

Tag Control Information (12 bit VLAN ID field,

3 bit priority field like IP TOS)

Link Layer 5-69

Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.7 a day in the life of a
5.2 error detection, web request
correction
5.3 multiple access
protocols
5.4 LANs
▪ addressing, ARP
▪ Ethernet
▪ switches
▪ VLANS

Link Layer 5-70

Synthesis: a day in the life of a web request
❖ journey down protocol stack complete!
▪ application, transport, network, link
❖ putting-it-all-together: synthesis!
▪ goal: identify, review, understand protocols (at all
layers) involved in seemingly simple scenario:
requesting www page
▪ scenario: student attaches laptop to campus network,
requests/receives www.google.com

Link Layer 5-71

 A day in the life: scenario

browse DNS server

r
Comcast network
68.80.0.0/13

school network
68.80.2.0/24

web
page

web server Google’s network

64.233.169.105 64.233.160.0/19

Link Layer 5-72

A day in the life… connecting to the Internet
DHCP DHC ❖ connecting laptop needs to
P
DHCP
DHCP UDP
get its own IP address, addr
DHCP IP of first-hop router, addr of
Eth DNS server: use DHCP
Phy
DHCP

❖ DHCP request encapsulated

in UDP, encapsulated in IP,
DHC
DHCP
DHCP P
encapsulated in 802.3
DHCP UDP Ethernet
DHCP IP router
Eth (runs DHCP) ❖ Ethernet frame broadcast
Phy (dest: FFFFFFFFFFFF) on
LAN, received at router
running DHCP server
❖ Ethernet demuxed to IP
demuxed, UDP demuxed to
DHCP
Link Layer 5-73
A day in the life… connecting to the Internet
DHCP DHC ❖ DHCP server formulates
DHCP P DHCP ACK containing
DHCP UDP client’s IP address, IP
DHCP IP address of first-hop router
Eth for client, name & IP
Phy address of DNS server
❖ encapsulation at DHCP
DHCP DHC server, frame forwarded
DHCP P (switch learning) through
DHCP UDP LAN, demultiplexing at
DHCP IP router client
Eth (runs DHCP)
DHCP ❖ DHCP client receives
Phy
DHCP ACK reply

Client now has IP address, knows name & addr of

DNS
server, IP address of its first-hop router
Link Layer 5-74
A day in the life… ARP (before DNS, before HTTP)
DNS DNS ❖ before sending HTTP request, need
DNS UDP IP address of www.google.com:
DNS
ARP
IP DNS
ARP query Eth
Phy ❖ DNS query created, encapsulated in
UDP, encapsulated in IP,
encapsulated in Eth. To send frame
ARP
to router, need MAC address of
ARP reply Eth
Phy router interface: ARP
router ❖ ARP query broadcast, received by
(runs DHCP) router, which replies with ARP
reply giving MAC address of
router interface
❖ client now knows MAC address
of first hop router, so can now
send frame containing DNS
query
Link Layer 5-75
A day in the life… using DNS DNS
DNS UDP DNS server
DNS IP
DNS DNS DNS Eth
DNS UDP DNS Phy
DNS IP
DNS Eth
Phy
DNS
Comcast network
68.80.0.0/13

router ❖ IP datagram forwarded from

(runs DHCP) campus network into comcast
❖ IP datagram containing DNS network, routed (tables created by
query forwarded via LAN RIP, OSPF, IS-IS and/or BGP
switch from client to 1st hop routing protocols) to DNS server
router ❖ demux’ed to DNS server
❖ DNS server replies to client
with IP address of
www.google.com
Link Layer 5-76
A day in the life…TCP connection carrying HTTP
HTTP
HTTP
SYNACK
SYN TCP
SYNACK
SYN IP
SYNACK
SYN Eth
Phy

❖ to send HTTP request, client

first opens TCP socket to
web server
router ❖ TCP SYN segment (step 1 in 3-
(runs DHCP)
SYNACK
SYN TCP way handshake) inter-domain
SYNACK
SYN IP routed to web server
SYNACK
SYN Eth
Phy ❖ web server responds with TCP
SYNACK (step 2 in 3-way
web server handshake)
64.233.169.105 ❖ TCP connection established!

Link Layer 5-77

A day in the life… HTTP request/reply
HTTP
HTTP HTTP ❖ web page finally (!!!) displayed
HTTP
HTTP TCP
HTTP
HTTP IP
HTTP
HTTP Eth
Phy

❖ HTTP request sent into TCP

socket
router ❖ IP datagram containing HTTP
HTTP HTTP (runs DHCP)
HTTP TCP
request routed to
HTTP IP www.google.com
HTTP Eth ❖ web server responds with
Phy HTTP reply (containing web
page)
web server
64.233.169.105 ❖ IP datagram containing HTTP
reply routed back to client
Link Layer 5-78
Chapter 5: Summary
❖ principles behind data link layer services:
▪ error detection, correction
▪ sharing a broadcast channel: multiple access
▪ link layer addressing
❖ instantiation and implementation of various link
layer technologies
▪ Ethernet
▪ switched LANS, VLANs
▪ virtualized networks as a link layer: MPLS
❖ synthesis: a day in the life of a web request

Link Layer 5-79

Chapter 5: let’s take a breath
❖ journey down protocol stack complete (except
PHY)
❖ solid understanding of networking principles,
practice
❖ ….. could stop here …. but lots of interesting
topics!
▪ wireless
▪ multimedia
▪ security
▪ network management

Link Layer 5-80