Computer Networks

Transport layer

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What we’ll study
 Transport layer role and services
 Develop/design some simple transport protocol

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Role of Transport Layer
 Provide logical communication
between application processes
running on different hosts application
transport
network
 Run on end hosts data link network
physical data link
 Sender: breaks application network physical

lo
data link

gi
messages into segments,

ca
physical

le
network
and passes to network layer

nd
data link

-e
physical network

nd
data link
 Receiver: reassembles segments physical

tr
an
into messages, passes to network

s
data link

po
application layer physical

rt
application
transport
network
data link
physical

3
Transport Layer Services

Application Layer

Gives services to

Transport Layer
End-to-end
Addressing De/Multiplexing
delivery

Connection Reliable
Control Delivery

Receives/relies services from

Network Layer

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Process-to-process delivery
 Several processes (application programs) can run on both the source
and the destination host

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Analogy
 Two houses, each with a dozen of kids, are located in Eindhoven and
Amsterdam.
 All kids in different houses are relatives (cousins)
 Each kid weekly writes a letter to every other kid in another house
 144 letters/week in total (huge cost)
o Dutch kids would probably use e-mail (low cost)
 In each household there is one kid (Jantje & Pietje, respectively)
responsible for mail collection and mail distribution
 each week they give all the letters to a postal-service mail carrier who makes
daily visits to the house.

 Application message = letters in the envelope

 Processes = cousins
 Hosts (end systems) = houses
 Transport-layer protocol = Jantje & Pietje
 Network-layer protocol = postal service (including mail carriers)

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Addressing
 Data link - MAC address
 Network – IP address
 Transport – port number
 needed to chose among multiple processes running on the
destination host
 The Internet model: 16 bit integer 0 – 65 535
o Client mostly chooses ephemeral port number
o Server mostly uses well-known (permanent) port numbers

ephemeral well-known
port number port number
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Addressing
 Internet Assined Number Authority

 De/Encapsulation

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IP addressing versus port addressing
 destination IP defines the host
 after the host has been selected:
the port number defines one of the processes on this host

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Transport layer MUX & DeMUX
 Transport layer de/multiplexes several processes on the transport
layer protocol

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Connection control
 Connectionless services
 no connection establishment
 packets are not numbered, may be delayed, lost or arrive out of order
 UDP

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Connection control
 Connection-oriented services
 connection established prior to data transmission
 TCP
 What is the difference with respect to the Network layer services?
 transport code runs only on the user’s machine and not in the routers
(usually operated by the carriers)
 Network layer can offer inadequate service (frequent packet loss, routers
crash from time to time); user does not have control over the Network layer

Establishment: Connection termination

three way handshake
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Reliable delivery
 Reliable services
 error control
o Detect and discard corrupted packets.
o Keep track of lost and discarded packets and resend them.
o Recognize duplicate packets and discard them.
 flow control
o Sender doesn’t overwhelm the receiver
 congestion control
o Manage network load within its capacity
 TCP
 Unreliable service
 UDP

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Reliable delivery
 Question: Do we need reliable transport service if the Data
link transport is reliable?

 Yes

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 Thank You!

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