Introduction to Data Networks

Introduction to Data Networks

Main Menu 1 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Objective
At the end of this chapter, you will be able to identify
the differences between switched and leased lines
and choose between the two given a deployment
scenario and describe VoIP technology, its benefits
and the tradeoffs involved in ensuring speech
quality.

Main Menu 2 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Scope
 Switched and Leased Lines
 Circuit Switching
 Packet Switching
 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
 Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
 Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and ISDN

Main Menu 3 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

 An important parameter about the lines is whether
they are public switched lines or not. Voice grade
and digital lines can either be switched through
public exchanges (central offices) or permanently
connected.
 Facilities for switching broadband channels are in
operation in some countries, although most
broadband channels today are permanent
connections (point-to-point).

Main Menu 4 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

 When you dial a friend and talk to him on the
telephone, you speak over a line connected by means
of the public exchanges.
 This line, referred to as a "public" or "switched"
line, could be used for the transmission of data.
 Alternatively, a "private" or "leased" line could be
connected permanently or semi-permanently
between the transmitting machines.

Main Menu 5 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

Pros and Cons of Leased Lines
 Leased voice lines have certain advantages for data
transmission over switched telephone connections.
The advantages are summarized as follows :
 If it is to be used for more than a given number of
hours per day, the leased line is less expensive than
the switched line. If it is used for only an hour or so
per day then it is more expensive .
 The break-even point depends on the actual charges
which in turn depend on the mileage of the circuit,
but it is likely to be of the order of several hours per
day .
Main Menu 6 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

 Because the leased line is permanently connected
there need be no delay associated with switching
times. Leased lines are therefore better than
telephone switching systems for applications
requiring fast access to a distant computer .
 Private lines can be specially treated or
"conditioned" to compensate for the distortion that is
encountered on them. The common carriers charge
extra for conditioning. In this way the number of
data errors can be reduced, or, alternatively, a higher
transmission rate can be made possible.
Main Menu 7 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

 Switched voice lines usually carry signaling within
the bandwidth that would be used for data. Data
transmission machines must be designed so that the
form in which the data are sent cannot interfere with
the common carrier's signaling .
 The leased line may be less perturbed by noise and
distortion than the switched line. The switching
circuits and mechanisms can cause impulse noise that
results in errors in data.

Main Menu 8 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

 With a leased line the user is often able to attach his
own performance monitoring and network
management devices to the circuit .

Main Menu 9 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

Functions of a Switching Office (Telephone Exchange)
The basic functions performed by a switching office
are the same whether it is manual,
electromechanical, or electronic. The basic stages
that a call must go through are as follows:
 When the subscriber picks up her telephone, the

office must detect that service is needed. In an

automatic office, the dialing tone is switched to that
line, and the mechanism waits for the subscriber to
dial.
Main Menu 10 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Switched and Leased Lines

 The dialed telephone number must now be used to
set up an interconnection path. The number is
received as a train of pulses from a rotary dial or
train of frequency pairs from a push-button
telephone. These signals cause the equipment to set
up a path through the exchange to the appropriate
outgoing line.

Main Menu 11 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Circuit Switching
 When we place a telephone call, the switching
equipment within the system seeks out a physical
"copper" (include fiber and radio) path all the way
from our telephone to the receiver telephone. This
technique is called circuit switching .,
 An important property of circuit switching is the
need to set up an end-to-end path before any
information (voice or data) can be sent. The lapsed
time as most of us know between end of dialing and
start of ringing can be more than 5 seconds .

Main Menu 12 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Circuit Switching
 During this time the telephone system is hunting for
a copper path. Once the call is set up (the called
party answers), a dedicated path between both ends
exist and will continue to exist until the call is
terminated circuit switching was primarily designed
and used for voice switching.
 However, as we have seen is session 1 there are
fundamental differences between voice traffic and
data traffic. In order to facilitate better and more
efficient data transmission, another type of switching
called packet switching came into being called
“Packet Switching”.

Main Menu 13 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Packet Switching
• Packet: A group of Binary digits including data
and control signaling which is switched as a
composite whole. The data call control signals and
possibly error control information are arranged in
a specified format. Packets may be thought of as
envelopes into which data are placed .
• Packed switching: The transmission of data by
means of addressed packets, whereby a
transmission channels is occupied for the duration
of transmission of the packet only.
Main Menu 14 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Packet Switching
Operation of a Packet switched network
 A packet-switched network is made up of three main

elements: Network Computers, the Host computers,

and Terminals. A network computer has two main
functions :
 Firstly, it acts as a link between the network and the

data-processing equipment, which uses the network.

Secondly, it carries out the switching operation,
determining the route by which the data will be sent
and transmitting them.
Main Menu 15 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Packet Switching
 The customer's computers that the network serves
are called host computers. When one host computer
sends data to another, it passes the data with a
destination address to its local network computer .
 The network computer formats the data into one or
more blocks, called packets.
 Each packet contains the control information needed
to transmit the data correctly. The packets are
transmitted from one network computer to another
until they reach their destination .
Main Menu 16 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Packet Switching
 The final network computer strips the transmission-
control information from the packets, assembles the
data, and passes them to the requisite host computer.
 A network computer receiving a packet places it in a
queue to await attention. When it reaches the head of
the queue, the computer examines its destination
address, selects the next network computer on the
route, and places the packet in an output queue for
that destination .

Main Menu 17 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Packet Switching
Comparison between Circuit Switching and Packet
Switching :

Main Menu 18 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Voice over Internet Protocol

 The public telephone network and the equipment
that makes it possible are taken for granted in most
parts of the world. Availability of a telephone and
access to a low-cost, high-quality worldwide
network is considered to be essential in modern
society (telephones are even expected to work when
the power is off).
 Anything that would jeopardize this is usually
treated with suspicion.

Main Menu 19 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Voice over Internet Protocol

 VoIP can be defined as the ability to make telephone
calls (i.e., to do everything we can do today with the
PSTN) and to send data over IP-based data networks
with a suitable quality of service (QoS) and a much
superior cost/benefit.

Main Menu 20 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Voice over Internet Protocol

Benefits of VoIP :
 Cost Reduction .

 Simplification .

 Consolidation .

Main Menu 21 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Voice over Internet Protocol

Acceptable Speech Quality and Costs Vs Quality
Tradeoffs :
 The goal for developers is to add telephone calling

capabilities (both voice transfer and signaling) to IP-

based networks and interconnect these to the public
telephone network and to private voice networks in
such a way as to maintain current voice quality
standards and preserve the features everyone expects
from the telephone .

Main Menu 22 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Integrated Services Digital Network

 For the greater part of the last century, the primary
international telecommunication infrastructure was
the Public Switched Telephone System. Anticipating
considerable user demand for an end-to-end digital
service,
 The worlds telephone companies got together along
with the Consultative Committee on International
Telegraphy and Telephony (CCITT) to build a new
fully digital, circuit-switched telephone system .

Main Menu 23 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Integrated Services Digital Network

 This new system, called Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN), was created with the main aim of
integrating voice and non-voice traffic.
 The key ideal behind ISDN is that of the digital bit
pipe, a conceptual pipe between the customer and
the carrier through which bits flow. Whether the bits
originated from a digital telephone, a digital
terminal; a digital facsimile machine or some other
device is irrelevant. All that matters is that bits can
flow through the pipe in both directions.

Main Menu 24 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Summary
 A switched line offers connectivity using the
resources of the PSTN on an as and when required
basis while a leased line reserves the resources
permanently irrespective of whether you use it or
not. Hence a switched line is cheaper and less
reliable than a leased line .
 Circuit switching statically reserves the required
bandwidth in advance, whereas packet switching
acquires and releases it, as it is needed .

Main Menu 25 of 26
Introduction to Data Networks

Summary
 VoIP can be defined as the ability to make telephone
calls (i.e., to do everything we can do today with the
PSTN) and to send facsimiles over IP-based data
networks with a suitable quality of service (QoS)
and a much superior cost/benefit.

Main Menu 26 of 26