IT 694

Computer Networks
Fundamentals
Week 2-Lecture 1

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What is a computer network?

A set of network elements connected together, that implement a set of

protocols for the purpose of sharing resources at the end hosts

• Three important components:

• Core infrastructure:
• A set of network elements connected together
• Protocols:
• Needed to use the network
•

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What is a computer network?

A set of network elements connected together, that implement a set of

protocols for the purpose of sharing resources at the end hosts

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What’s a protocol?
Human protocols: Network protocols:
 “what’s the time?”  computers (devices) rather than humans
 “I have a question”  all communication activity in Internet governed by
protocols
 introductions

Rules for:
Protocols define the format, order of messages
… specific messages sent sent and received among network entities,
… specific actions taken when and actions taken on message transmission,
message received, or other receipt
events
What’s a protocol?
A human protocol and a computer network protocol:

Hi TCP connection
request
Hi
TCP connection
response
Got the
time? GET http://gaia.cs.umass.edu/kurose_ross
2:00
<file>
time
What do computer networks do?

A computer network delivers data between the end points/hosts

• One and only one task: Delivering the data

• This delivery is done by:

• Chopping the data into packets
• Sending individual packets across the network
• Reconstructing the data at the end points

Evolution of Technology, Infrastructure, protocols, and

purpose

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A closer look at network structure:
• network edge: mobile network
• hosts: clients and servers
• servers often in data centers global ISP

home
 access networks, network
regional ISP
physical media:
wired, wireless
communication
links
 network core:
 interconnected
routers institutional
 network of network

networks 1-7
Access networks: cable-based access
cable headend

cable splitter cable modem

modem CMTS termination system
data, TV transmitted at different
frequencies over shared cable ISP
distribution network

 HFC: hybrid fiber coax

• asymmetric: up to 40 Mbps – 1.2 Gbps downstream transmission rate, 30-100 Mbps
upstream transmission rate
 network of cable, fiber attaches homes to ISP router
• homes share access network to cable headend
Access networks: digital subscriber line (DSL)
central office telephone
network

DSL splitter
modem DSLAM

voice, data transmitted ISP

at different frequencies over DSL access
dedicated line to central office multiplexer

 use existing telephone line to central office DSLAM

• data over DSL phone line goes to Internet
• voice over DSL phone line goes to telephone net
 24-52 Mbps dedicated downstream transmission rate
 3.5-16 Mbps dedicated upstream transmission rate
Links: physical media
 bit: propagates between Twisted pair (TP)
transmitter/receiver pairs  two insulated copper wires
 physical link: what lies between • Category 5: 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps Ethernet
transmitter & receiver • Category 6: 10Gbps Ethernet
 guided media:
• signals propagate in solid media:
copper, fiber, coax
 unguided media:
• signals propagate freely, e.g., radio

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Links: physical media
Coaxial cable: Fiber optic cable:
 two concentric copper conductors  glass fiber carrying light pulses, each pulse a bit
 high-speed operation:
 bidirectional
• high-speed point-to-point transmission (10’s-
 broadband: 100’s Gbps)
• multiple frequency channels on cable  low error rate:
• 100’s Mbps per channel • repeaters spaced far apart
• immune to electromagnetic noise

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The network core
• mesh of interconnected
routers
• packet-switching: hosts
break application-layer
messages into packets
• forward packets from one
router to the next, across
links on path from source
to destination
• each packet transmitted at
full link capacity

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Many mechanisms: What do we mean by …

• Locating a destination? Naming, Addressing

• Finding path to the destination  Routing
• Sending data to the destination  Forwarding
• Failures, reliability,etc.. Distributed routing and congestion control

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How GOOD is a NETWORK?

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What do we look at before commuting to
places?
• Which are the possible routes to take from DAIICT to home?
• Which one is the best?
• How long does it take to reach my home from DAIICT?
• What is the capacity of a road(s) between DAIICT and home?

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Capacity
• How wide is the
road?
• How fat is the tunnel?
• How many cars can
fit at a time?
• One, two, three…?

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 Performance metrics in computer networks!
Capacity is Bandwidth: Number of bits sent per unit time (bits per second, or
bps)
• Depends on

• Hardware Bandwidth
• Network traffic conditions

Time taken is Propagation delay: Time for one bit to move through the link
(seconds)
• Depends on
Hardware
•
• Network traffic conditions Propagation
Delay
• How large is the unit?
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Bandwidth
• Each bit is a pulse of some width.
• For example, each bit on a
• 1-Mbps link is 1 µs wide
• 2-Mbps link is 0.5 µs wide,

• The narrower each bit can become, the higher the bandwidth.
• This means more bits can get inside the tunnel
• So MORE DATA CAN FLOW WITHIN A TIME

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Bandwidth-delay product (BDP)
Number of bits “in flight” at any point of time
(bits)
• Bits sent, but not received
Bandwidth Bandwidth x delay

Propagation
• Same city over a slow link Delay
• Bandwidth: ~100Mbps
• propagation delay: ~0.1ms
• BDP = 10,000 bits (1.25KBytes)
Between cities over fast link:
• Bandwidth: ~10Gbps p, ropagation delay: ~10ms
• BDP = 100,000,000 bits (12.5MBytes)
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Who is the father of the Internet? Who is the father of the World Wide Web?

Vincent Cerf Tim Berners Lee

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Match
• PC • Smart Device
• End • End
• Intermediary • Intermediary

• Printer • Router
• End • End
• Intermediary • Intermediary
• Switch
• Firewall • End
• End • Intermediary
• Intermediary
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A person X recently got a job with a computer support services company in his hometown
Gandhinagar. A customer has asked for someone to come connect their home network to the
Internet. They only have a cable modem. Which of the following devices would X most likely take
with him to complete the task?
• wireless router
• LAN switch
• desktop computer
• firewall appliance

• wireless router

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Match
• PC • Smart Device
• End • End
• Intermediary • Intermediary

• Printer • Router
• End • End
• Intermediary • Intermediary
• Switch
• Firewall • End
• End • Intermediary
• Intermediary
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Source: Cisco Networking Academy

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