COMPUTER NETWORK AND

INTERNET
LECTURE 1 Part (1)
Prof. Shakir Hussain
Chapter 1

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

Introduction 1-2
1.1 What’s the Internet: “nuts and bolts” view
• millions of connected
PC computing devices: mobile network
server • hosts = end systems
wireless • running network apps global ISP
laptop
smartphone communication links
 coaxial cable, copper home
wire, optical fiber, radio network
regional ISP
wireless
spectrum, satellite
links  transmission rate:
wired
links bandwidth (bits/second)
 Packet switches: forward
packets (chunks of data)
 routers used in the
router network core institutional
network
 (link-layer) switches used
in access network
Introduction 1-3
1.1 What’s the Internet
: “Fun” internet appliances

Web-enabled toaster +
weather forecaster

IP picture frame
http://www.ceiva.com/

Tweet-a-watt:
monitor energy use

Slingbox: watch,
control cable TV remotely
Internet
refrigerator Internet phones
Introduction 1-4
1.1What’s the Internet: “nuts and bolts” view
mobile network
• Internet: “network of networks”
• Interconnected ISPs (e.g. residential,
corporate, university, WiFi) global ISP

• End systems, packet switches, and

other pieces of the Internet run home
protocols that control sending, network
receiving of msgs regional ISP

• e.g., TCP, IP, HTTP, Skype, 802.11

• Internet standards: Due to inter-
operatability of systems and
products, it’s important that
everyone agree on what each and
every protocol does
• RFC: Request for comments institutional
network
• IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force

Introduction 1-5
1.1 What’s the Internet: a service view
• Infrastructure that provides
mobile network
services to applications:
• Web, VoIP, email, games, e- global ISP
commerce, social nets, …
• provides programming home
interface to apps network
regional ISP
• hooks that allow sending and
receiving app programs to
“connect” to Internet
• provides service options,
analogous to postal service

institutional
network

Introduction 1-6
1.1. What’s the Internet: what’s a protocol?
human protocols: network protocols:
• “what’s the time?” • machines rather than
• “I have a question” humans
• introductions • all communication activity
in Internet governed by
protocols
… specific msgs sent
… specific actions taken protocols define format, order
when msgs received, or of msgs sent and received
other events
among network entities,
and actions taken on msg
transmission, receipt
Introduction 1-7
1.1. What’s the Internet: 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://www.awl.com/kurose-ross
2:00
<file>
time

Q: other human protocols?

Introduction 1-8
1.2 The Network Edge
: A closer look at network structure
• network edge: mobile network

• hosts (cf. application programs)

: clients and servers global ISP

• servers often in data centers

home
network
 access networks: physically regional ISP

connect an end system to the

first router (a.k.a. edge router)
 network core:
 interconnected routers
 network of networks institutional
network

Introduction 1-9
1.2 The Network Edge
: Access networks and physical media
Q: How to connect end
systems to edge router?
• residential access nets
• institutional access networks
(school, company)
• mobile access networks
keep in mind:
• bandwidth (bits per second)
of access network?
• shared or dedicated?

Introduction 1-10
1.2 The Network Edge
Access net: digital subscriber line (DSL)
central office telephone
network

DSL splitter
modem DSLAM

ISP
voice, data transmitted
at different frequencies over DSL access
dedicated line to central office multiplexer

 DSL and cable are the most prevalent types of broadband residential access
 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
 < 2.5 Mbps upstream transmission rate (typically < 1 Mbps)
 < 24 Mbps downstream transmission rate (typically < 10 Mbps)
 The access is said to be “asymmetric”
Introduction 1-11
1.2 The Network Edge
Access net: cable network
cable headend

cable splitter
modem

C
O
V V V V V V N
I I I I I I D D T
D D D D D D A A R
E E E E E E T T O
O O O O O O A A L

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Channels

frequency division multiplexing: different channels transmitted

in different frequency bands
Introduction 1-12
 1.2 The Network Edge
Access net: cable network
cable headend

cable splitter cable modem

modem CMTS termination system
data, TV transmitted at different frequencies over shared
cable distribution network (i.e. every packet sent by the ISP
head end travels downstream on every link to
every home and reverse way, too)

 HFC: hybrid fiber coax

 asymmetric: up to 30Mbps downstream transmission rate, 2
Mbps upstream transmission rate
 network of cable, fiber attaches homes to ISP router
 homes share access network to cable headend
 unlike DSL, which has dedicated access to central office
Introduction 1-13
 1.2 The Network Edge
Access net: home network
wireless
devices

to/from headend or
central office
often combined
in single box

cable or DSL modem

wireless access router, firewall, NAT

point (54 Mbps)
wired Ethernet (100 Mbps)

Introduction 1-14
 1.2 The Network Edge
: Enterprise access networks (Ethernet)

institutional link to
ISP (Internet)
institutional router

Ethernet institutional mail,

switch web servers

• a local area network (LAN) is typically used in companies,

universities, and increasingly home settings
 10 Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps transmission rates
 today, end systems typically connect into Ethernet switch (note: by
far most prevalent access technology)
Introduction 1-15
 1.2 The Network Edge
: Wireless access networks
• shared wireless access network connects end system to router
• via base station aka “access point”
wireless LANs: wide-area wireless access
 within building (100 ft)  provided by telco (cellular)
 IEEE 802.11 Tech. (a.k.a. WiFi) operator, 10’s km
: up to 54 Mbps transmission rate  between 1 and 10 Mbps
 3G, 4G: LTE

to Internet

to Internet
Introduction 1-16
1.2 The Network Edge
Host: sends packets of data (p37 of the textbook)

host sending function: two packets,

L bits each
•takes application message
•breaks into smaller chunks, known
as packets, of length L bits
2 1
•transmits packet into access
network at transmission rate R R: link transmission rate
host
• link transmission rate, aka link
capacity, aka link bandwidth

packet time needed to L (bits)

transmission = transmit L-bit =
delay packet into link R (bits/sec)
1-17
1.2 The Network Edge: Physical media

• bit: propagates between

transmitter/receiver pairs
• physical link: what lies between twisted pair (TP)
transmitter & receiver • two insulated copper wires
• guided media: • least expensive an most
• signals propagate in solid commonly used
media such as copper, fiber,
coax
• unguided media:
• signals propagate freely in
the atmosphere such as
radio spectrum, wireless
LAN

Introduction 1-18
1.2 The Network Edge
Physical media: coax, fiber
coaxial cable: fiber optic cable:
• two concentric copper  glass fiber carrying light pulses, each
pulse a bit
conductors
 high-speed operation:
• common in cable TV  high-speed transmission (e.g., 10’s-
systems 100’s Gpbs transmission rate)
 low error rate:
• bidirectional
 repeaters spaced far apart
• broadband:  immune to electromagnetic noise
• achieves high data  high cost of optical devices such as
transmission rate transmitters, receivers, and switches
• multiple channels on cable
• HFC

Introduction 1-19
1.2 The Network Edge
Physical media: radio
• signal carried in
electromagnetic spectrum
• no physical “wire”
• bidirectional
• depend significantly on the
propagation environment:
• reflection
• obstruction by objects
• interference
Introduction
radio link types:
 terrestrial microwave
 e.g. up to 45 Mbps channels
 LAN (e.g., WiFi)
 11Mbps, 54 Mbps
 wide-area (e.g., cellular)
 3G cellular: ~ few Mbps
 satellite
 Kbps to 45Mbps channel (or
multiple smaller channels)
 270 msec end-end delay
 geosynchronous versus low
altitude
1-20