CEN 531 Computer Networks

Lecture 1

Dr. Abdulmohsen Mutairi

Department of Computer Engineering

College of Computer and Information Sciences

King Saud University

 Topics
• Introduction

• Network Components

• Example of Networks

• Layered Protocol Architecture

• Reference Models
 Scope of the course
• Overview of computer networks, features and components.

• OSI and Internet layered models.

• Physical layer: signal concepts, channel limits, transmission media, modulation

& multiplexing.

• Data link layer: framing, error control, ARQ, Multiple Access, Switching,
Spanning trees.

• Network layer: Circuit and Packet Switching, Routing algorithms, Forwarding, IP

protocol, addressing.

• Transport Layer: Sockets, UDP, TCP.

• Congestion Control.

• Admission Control and Quality of service.

• Application Layer: DNS, Email, Web, HTTP.

• Content Distribution Networks (CDNs), P2P, Real-time, Streaming media.

 Course Learning Outcomes
1. Understand network architecture, network features and OSI layered
services.
2. Analyze the performance of network protocols at different layers.
3. Apply network-related protocols such as encoding, modulation,
framing, error control, routing, queuing, flow control and how the
network implements these concepts.
4. Relate the architecture of the Internet to the networking protocols
and layers.
5. Decide appropriate network protocols and parameters for different
applications.
6. Explain the operation of a range computer networking applications
such as email, web, and peer-to-peer file-sharing.
7. Learn the operation and architecture of the various multiplexing
techniques, and be able to design simple data multiplexing
systems.
 Course references

• Primary:
1. Andrew Tanenbaum and David Wetherall, "Computer
Networks", 5th edition, Pearson, 2011. ISBN: 0132126958
2. Lecture Notes.
• Supplementary:
1. Dimitri Bertsekas and Robert Gallager, "Data Networks", 2nd
Edition, Prentice Hall, 1992, ISBN-10: 0132009161.
2. William Stallings, "Data and Computer Communications", 8th
Edition, Prentice Hall, 2007, ISBN-13: 9780132433105.
3. James Kurose and Keith Ross, "Computer Networking: A Top-
Down Approach", 6th Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2013 ISBN-10:
0132856204 | ISBN-13: 9780132856201.
 Notes
Homeworks:
• Will be assigned through the course website on LMS.

Absences will be recorded every lecture!

Grading policy:
• Homework/Quizzes : 10%
• Midterm Exam 1: 25%
• Project: 25%
• Final Exam: 40%
 Acknowledgment
• Slide material from :
1. Andrew Tanenbaum and David Wetherall, "Computer Networks", 5th edition, Pearson,
2011. ISBN: 0132126958
2. William Stallings, "Data and Computer Communications", 8th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2007,
ISBN-13: 9780132433105.
3. James Kurose and Keith Ross, "Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach", 6th
Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2013, ISBN-13: 9780132856201.

• Most of the slides are based on the textbook’s slides and Professor
David Wetherall’s video course (University of Washington - Seattle)
which is also based on the textbook slides.
 Topics
• Introduction

• Network Components

• Example of Networks

• Layered Protocol Architecture

• Reference Models
 Network Components

Component Function Example

Application, or app, user Uses the network Skype, iTunes, Amazon
Host, or end-system, edge
Supports apps Laptop, mobile, desktop
device, node, source, sink
Router, or switch, node, Relays messages Access point, cable/DSL
hub, intermediate system between links modem
Link, or channel Connects nodes Wires, wireless
 Parts of a Network

app

host router link

 Types of Links

Full-duplex
• Bidirectional

Half-duplex
• Bidirectional

Simplex
• unidirectional
 Wireless Links

Message is broadcast
• Received by all nodes in range
 A Small Network

Connect a couple of computers

Next, a large network …

Source: Internet2
 Network names by scale

Networks can be classified by their scale:

Scale Type Example

Vicinity PAN (Personal Area Network) Bluetooth (e.g., headset)
Building LAN (Local Area Network) WiFi, Ethernet
City MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) Cable, DSL
Country WAN (Wide Area Network) Large ISP
Planet The Internet (network of all networks) The Internet!
 Personal Area Network

Connect devices over the range of a person

Example of a Bluetooth (wireless) PAN:
 Local Area Networks
Connect devices in a home or office building
Called enterprise network in a company

Wireless LAN Wired LAN with

with 802.11 switched Ethernet
 Metropolitan Area Networks

Connect devices over a metropolitan area

Example MAN based on cable TV:
 Wide Area Networks (1)
Connect devices over a country
Example WAN connecting three branch offices:
 Wide Area Networks (2)
An ISP (Internet Service Provider) network is also a WAN.
Customers buy connectivity from the ISP to use it.
 Wide Area Networks (3)
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a WAN built from virtual
links that run on top of the Internet.
 Topics
• Introduction

• Network Components

• Example of Networks

• Layered Protocol Architecture

• Reference Models
 Example Networks

Commonly known by type of

technology or their purpose

[see how many you can give]

 Example Networks (2)

WiFi (802.11)

Enterprise / Ethernet

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Cable / DSL

Mobile phone / cellular (2G, 3G, 4G)

Bluetooth

Telephone

Satellite ...
 Internet (1)

Before the Internet was the ARPANET, a decentralized,

packet-switched network based on Baran’s ideas.

Nodes are IMPs,

or early routers,
linked to hosts

56 kbps links

ARPANET topology in Sept 1972.

 Internet (2)

The early Internet used NSFNET (1985-1995) as its

backbone; universities connected to get on the Internet

T1 links
(1.5 Mbps)

NSFNET topology in 1988

 Internet (3)

The modern Internet is more complex:

• ISP networks serve as the Internet backbone
• ISPs connect or peer to exchange traffic at IXPs
• Within each network routers switch packets
• Between networks, traffic exchange is set by
business agreements
• Customers connect at the edge by many means
− Cable, DSL, Fiber-to-the-Home, 3G/4G wireless, dialup
• Data centers concentrate many servers (“the cloud”)
• Most traffic is content from data centers (esp. video)
• The architecture continues to evolve
 Internet (4)

Architecture of the Internet

 3G Mobile Phone Networks (1)

3G network is based on spatial cells; each cell provides

wireless service to mobiles within it via a base station
 3G Mobile Phone Networks (2)
Base stations connect to the core network to find other
mobiles and send data to the phone network and Internet
 3G Mobile Phone Networks (3)

As mobiles move, base stations hand them off from one

cell to the next, and the network tracks their location

Handover
 Wireless LANs (1)

In 802.11, clients communicate via an AP (Access

Point) that is wired to the rest of the network.
 RFID and Sensor Networks (1)

Passive UHF RFID networks everyday objects:

− Tags (stickers with not even a battery) are placed on objects
− Readers send signals that the tags reflect to communicate
 RFID and Sensor Networks (2)

Sensor networks spread small devices over an area:

− Devices send sensed data to collector via wireless hops
 Topics
• Introduction

• Network Components

• Example of Networks

• Layered Protocol Architecture

• Reference Models
 Networks Need Modularity
The network does much for apps:
• Make and break connections
• Find a path through the network
• Transfers information reliably
• Transfers arbitrary length information
• Send as fast as the network allows
• Shares bandwidth among users
• Secures information in transit
• Lets many new hosts be added
• …
 Networks Need Modularity
The network does much for apps:
• Make and break connections
• Find a path through the network
• Transfers information reliably
We need a form
• Transfers arbitrary length information
of modularity, to
• Send as fast as the network allows
help manage
• Shares bandwidth among users
complexity and
• Secures information in transit
support reuse
• Lets many new hosts be added
• …
 Protocols and Layers
Protocols and layering is the main structuring
method used to divide up network functionality
• Each instance of a protocol layer talks virtually to its
peer using the protocol
• Each instance of a protocol layer uses only the services
of the lower layer
 Protocols and Layers (2)
Protocols are horizontal, layers are vertical

Instance Peer
Protocol X
of protocol X X instanc
X e
Service
Lower provided by
layer Protocol Y
instance
Y Y
(of
protocol
Y) Node 1 Node 2
 Protocols and Layers (3)

Set of protocols in use is called a protocol stack

 Protocols and Layers (4)

Protocols you’ve probably heard of:

• TCP, IP, 802.11, Ethernet, HTTP, SSL, DNS, … and
many more

An example protocol stack

• Used by a web browser on a host that is wirelessly
connected to the Internet
 Protocols and Layers (5)

Protocols you’ve probably heard of: Browser

• TCP, IP, 802.11, Ethernet, HTTP, SSL,
DNS, … and many more HTTP

TCP
An example protocol stack
• Used by a web browser on a host that is IP
wirelessly connected to the Internet 802.11
 Encapsulation
Encapsulation is the mechanism used to effect
protocol layering
• Lower layer wraps higher layer content, adding its own
information to make a new message for delivery
• Like sending a letter in an envelope; postal service
doesn’t look inside
 Encapsulation (2)

Message “on the wire” begins to look like an onion

• Lower layers are outermost
HTTP HTTP

TCP HTTP TCP

IP TCP HTTP IP

802.11 IP TCP HTTP 802.11

 Encapsulation (3)

HTTP HTTP HTTP HTTP

TCP HTTP TCP TCP TCP HTTP

IP TCP HTTP IP IP IP TCP HTTP

802.11 IP TCP HTTP 802.11 802.11 802.11 IP TCP HTTP

(wire)

802.11 IP TCP HTTP

 Encapsulation (4)
Normally draw message like this:
• Each layer adds its own header

802.11 IP TCP HTTP

First bits on the wire Last
bits
More involved in practice
• Trailers as well as headers, encrypt/compress contents
• Segmentation (divide long message) and reassembly
 Demultiplexing
Incoming message must be passed to the
protocols that it uses

SMTP HTTP DNS

TCP UDP

IP ARP

Ethernet

??
 Demultiplexing (2)

Done with demultiplexing keys in the headers

SMTP HTTP DNS

TCP port number TCP UDP

IP protocol field IP ARP

Ethertype value Ethernet Incoming

Host
message
Ethernet IP TCP HTTP
 Advantage of Layering
Information hiding and reuse

Browser Server Browser Server

HTTP HTTP HTTP HTTP

or
 Advantage of Layering (2)
Information hiding and reuse

Browser Server Browser Server

HTTP HTTP HTTP HTTP

TCP TCP TCP TCP
or
IP IP IP IP
802.11 802.11 Ethernet Ethernet
 Advantage of Layering (3)
Using information hiding to connect different
systems

Browser Server

HTTP HTTP
TCP TCP
IP IP
802.11 Ethernet
 Advantage of Layering (4)
Using information hiding to connect different systems
Browser Server

HTTP HTTP
IP TCP HTTP
TCP TCP
IP IP IP IP
802.11 802.11 Ethernet Ethernet

802.1 IP TCP HTT Ethernet IP TCP HTTP

1 P
 Disadvantage of Layering
Adds overhead
• But minor for long messages

Hides information
• App might care whether it is running over wired or
wireless!
 TCP/IP Overhead Example

Consider a 4-layer protocol implementation with application, TCP, IP, and Ethernet layers in
that order (top to bottom). Each layer requires a header except the Ethernet layer, which
requires a header and trailer. The application header is 16 bytes in length, TCP header 20
bytes, IP header 20 bytes, and let the Ethernet header be 14 bytes, and the trailer 4 bytes
(ignore the preamble and gap).

Question:
• Assume a maximum data field for an Ethernet frame of 1500 bytes. What is the
overhead (in %) for a 4096-byte application message?

Hint: the message must be segmented into multiple frames and be careful of how you
consider the data field in the Ethernet frame.
 Topics
• Introduction

• Network Components

• Example of Networks

• Layered Protocol Architecture

• Reference Models
 A Little Guidance Please …
What functionality should we implement at which
layer?
• This is a key design question
• Reference models provide frameworks that guide us »
 OSI “7 layer” Reference Model
A principled, international standard, to connect
systems
• Influential, but not used in practice.

– Provides functions needed by users

– Converts different representations
– Manages task dialogs
– Provides end-to-end delivery
– Sends packets over multiple links
– Sends frames of information
– Sends bits as signals
 Internet Reference Model
A four layer model based on experience; omits some OSI
layers and uses IP as the network layer.

Application – Programs that use network service

Transport – Provides end-to-end data delivery

Internet – Send packets over multiple networks
Link – Send frames over a link
 Internet Reference Model (2)
With examples of common protocols in each layer

7 Application
4 Transport
3 Internet

2/1 Link
 Internet Reference Model (3)
IP is the “narrow waist” of the Internet
• Supports many different links below and apps above

7 Application SMTP HTTP RTP DNS

4 Transport TCP UDP
3 Internet IP

Ethernet 3G
2/1 Link
Cable DSL 802.11
 Hybrid Model
It is based on the TCP/IP model but we call out the
physical layer and look beyond Internet protocols.
This model will be used in this course
 Standards Bodies

Where all the protocols come from!

• Focus is on interoperability
Body Area Examples
ITU Telecom G.992, ADSL
H.264, MPEG4
IEEE Communications 802.3, Ethernet
802.11, WiFi
IETF Internet RFC 2616, HTTP/1.1
RFC 1034/1035, DNS
W3C Web HTML5 standard
CSS standard
 Layer-based Names
For units of data:

Layer Unit of Data

Application Message
Transport Segment
Network Packet
Link Frame
Physical Bit
 Layer-based Names (2)
For devices in the network:

Repeater (or hub) Physical Physical

Switch (or bridge) Link Link

Network Network
Router
Link Link
 Layer-based Names (3)
For devices in the network:

App App
Proxy or Transport Transport
middlebox Network Network
or gateway
Link Link

But they all

look like this!
 A Note About Layers
They are guidelines, not strict
• May have multiple protocols working together in one
layer
• May be difficult to assign a specific protocol to a layer