Computer Networking

A Top-Down Approach

Eighth Edition

ITNE231 & ITCE314 Computer Network I

Chapter One – Part #1

Brief Explanation
Related Exercises
Past Exam Questions and Solutions
Exam Tips

This note is specifically for students who buy it only, not allowed to trade it or use it in any
way without the proprietor's consent.

Prepared By: Zahid Muhammed 38981460

The Internet: a “nuts and bolts” view

The internet is a global system of interconnected devices (billions of devices that

are connected together) or we can say is a network infrastructure that provides
services to distributed applications.

The internet can be divided into hosts, packet switches, communication links,
and networks.

Packet switches: These devices forward packets

(chunks of data) between each other, between
Hosts (end systems) hosts, and across the network. Two types of packet
switches: routers and switches.

Communication links: these

communication links connect routers, switches, Networks: collection of devices
and end systems. Examples of communication (hosts, routers, switches, links)
links are fiber optic, twisted pair, copper, managed by an organization
coaxial, radio spectrum, and satellite.

• The internet is a “network of networks.”

• The sending and receiving information among routers, switches, and end devices
(hosts) is controlled by protocols (everything that happens inside the network is
governed by protocols) that’s why protocols are everywhere in the network!
Examples of these protocols are HTTP, TCP, UDP, IP, Skype, 4G, Wi-Fi, Ethernet

Router: a network layer device that connects and forward packets between different networks.
(More in chapters 4 and 5)

Switch: a link layer device that connects different devices within a network, enabling them to talk
and exchange data packets with each other locally within the network. (More in chapter 6)
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RFC: request for comment (documents contain technical specifications and notes for the internet)
What is the Protocol?

Human protocol: Network protocol:

• What is the time? • Nodes (any device that can connect to

• I have a question. the internet) rather than humans.
• Introduction • All communication activities in the
• Go to UOB internet is governed by protocols.

Internet protocol: is a set of rules and standards for communication that specify
the format, and order of data exchanged among network entities (routers,
switches, and end systems).

A closer Look into the Internet Structure

Network edge:
Access networks, physical media:
• Clients can be desktops, laptops,
• Wired communication links
smartphones, cars, cameras, etc.…
(fiber, coaxial twisted pair,
• Servers are powerful machines that
copper)
provide services to clients and are
• Wireless communication links
often located in data centers why?
(radio spectrum, wireless access
for scaling.
point satellite).

Network core:

• Interconnected routers: routers connected with

each other and to the internet.
• Network of networks: the internet

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Access networks: cable-based access

frequency division multiplexing (FDM): different channels transmitted in

different frequency bands (more details, later).
cable headend

…
Cable splitter cable modem
modem CMTS termination system

data, TV transmitted at different

frequencies over a shared cable ISP
distribution network.

Illustration
As we see in this figure cable-based access transmits the data and TV frequencies over
a shared cable which means this shared cabled can be used by many end systems at
the same time over a distributed network. In the above figure, there are 6 end systems
that use the same cable to transmit the data and TV frequencies at the same time.

➢ HFC (hybrid fiber coax): Combination of fiber optic and coaxial cable, why? This
combination is based on the transmission mode to become a unified path to deliver
voice, cable TV, and other digital interactive solutions and services. HFC is asymmetric,
the transmission rate up to 4 Mbps to 1.2 Gbps downstream (download), and 30-100
Mbps upstream (upload) transmission rate.

➢ CMTS: a piece of equipment, typically located in a cable company's headend or hub

site which is used to provide high-speed data services, such as cable Internet or Voice
over Internet Protocol, to cable modems.

➢ Splitter: used to split the cable singles into two or more devices.

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Access networks: Digital subscriber line (DSL)

DSL is a technology or a method that is used by home users and small organizations to
provide access to the internet and transmit data over an existing telephone line.
central office
telephone network

DSL modem splitter DSLAM

voice, data transmitted. at ISP

different frequencies over DSL access
dedicated line to central multiplexer
office
Illustration
As we see in this figure digital subscriber line (DSL) transmits the data and TV
frequencies over a dedicated cable which means this dedicated cabled cannot be
used by many end systems at the same time over a distributed network (vice versa
of shared cable). In the above figure, there is only one end system that use the same
cable to transmit the data and TV frequencies at the same time.

How does the DSL provide network access to home users and small organizations?

1) The DSL is going to communicate first with the DSLAM that is located in the central
office over an existing telephone line (the central office is located at the telephone
company access network)
2) The DSLAM then will communicate with the internet service provider (ISP) to provide
network access to the home user or small organizations.

The DSL transmission rates are also asymmetric, 24-52 Mbps dedicated downstream, and
3.5 Mbps dedicated upstream.
For your knowledge
• The existing telephone line is carrying analog signals (frequencies), not digital signals
(binary), thus we need a DSL modem to convert from digital to analog signals when
the computer is sending, and from analog to digital when the computer is receiving.

• When the DSL is transmitting the data, it takes the data and transmits it into high
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frequency tons for transmission over an existing telephone line to the central office.
Access networks: home, and wireless networks

This is what a typical home network might look like, there is a cable or DSL modem
coming in/out from the telephone company access network or central office connected
to the cable modem or a router that has both wired and wireless links to devices within
the home. These links are typically wired ethernet which runs typically at 100 Mbps or
Gbps transmission rate and Wi-Fi which runs at tens or hundreds of Mbps. Often the
router and the modem (Wi-Fi and ethernet) are all combined into one box. Finally, we
have the hosts (end systems) that we talked about them at the beginning of this chapter.

A shared wireless access network that connects the end system to the router through
the base station also known as “access point.”

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) Wide-area cellular access networks

▪ typically, within or around buildings ▪ provided by mobile, cellular

(~100 ft) network operator (10’s km)
▪ 802.11b/g/n (Wi-Fi): 11, 54, 450 Mbps ▪ 10’s Mbps
transmission rate
▪ 4G cellular networks (5G coming)

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Access networks: enterprise, and data center networks

a mix of wired and wireless link technologies, connecting a mix of routers and switches.

Definitions
Ethernet: Wired access at 100 Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10Gbps that uses twisted
pair copper wire to connect end systems to an ethernet switch or router.

.
Wi-Fi: Wireless access point at 11, 54, 450 Mbps

Data center networks: high bandwidth links (10s to 100s Gbps) that connect hundreds
to thousands of servers together, and to the internet.

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Hosts: sends packets of data

How a sender sends a packet of data into the access network? Let’s see the following
scenario:

two packets, L bits each

2 1

host
R: link transmission
rate
See the host in this figure which is sending data into the first hop switch with considering
the sending function. The host has some data it wants to send (let’s say a large file) what
does the host do here? Well, the host is going to take the data it wants to send and break
it into smaller chunks of data knowns as packets (it will add some additional information
to each chunk of data in what is called a packet header). A packet (header + data) will
have a length of L bits). The host then transmits this L bits packet into the access network
at transmission rate R (transmission rate R measured in bits per second).

R is referred to as transmission rate, capacity, or bandwidth (that

is the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted at a time.

More simply… host sending function:

▪ Takes application message.

▪ Breaks the message into smaller chunks, known as packets, of length L bits.
▪ Transmits the resulting packet into access network at transmission rate R.

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Related exercises: Questions

Q1. Hosts are connected by a network of:

a) Routers and switches

b) Servers and communication links
c) Communication links and packet switches
d) Collection of networks

Q2. What part of the internet are end systems found?

a) Network of networks
b) Network edge
c) Network core
d) Packet switches

Q3. Multiple end systems (hosts) that exchange data with each other are called:

a) Internet infrastructure
b) Network of networks
c) Distributed applications
d) Network core

Q4. PCs, smartphones, and other mobile devices are one of the two groups of:

a) Packet switches
b) Clients
c) End systems
d) Servers

Q5. Powerful machines that store and distribute Web pages, stream videos, and relay
e-mail make up one of the two kinds of:

a) Servers
b) Packets switches
c) Clients
d) Internet applications

Q6. The network that physically connects hosts to the first router is called:

a) Communication links
b) Switches
c) Access network
d) Network core

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Q7. Exchanging information amount packet switches and end devices is governed by:

a) Servers
b) Network
c) Protocols
d) Algorithms

Q8. HFC combination of:

a) Twisted pair & copper cables

b) Fiber optic and straight-through cables
c) Coaxal cable and crossover cables
d) Fiber optic and coaxal cables

Q9. What is the difference between the DSL modem and cable-based access? (Brief
answer)

Q10. Why the downstream transmission rate is bigger than upstream transmission
rate?

Q11. List four types of access networks

Q12. Give one real-world example of the internet protocol.

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Related exercises: Solutions

Q1. C Q2. B Q3. C Q4. B Q5. A Q6. C Q7. C

Q8. D

Q9.

DSL Cable based access

Transmits data and voice in Transmits data and voice in

different frequencies over exiting, different frequencies over shared
dedicated telephone line to the line to the CMTS.
central office DSLAM.

Asymmetric transmission rates 40 Asymmetric transmission rates 24-

Mbps – 1.2 Gbps downstream, and 54 Mbps downstream, and 3.5 – 16
30 – 100 Mbps upstream Mbps upstream

Q10. Because most of the people are consumers, not producers (they download more
than they upload).

Q11. Home, wireless, enterprise, and data center networks.

Q12. When we make a request to a web server from our computer, we are going to type
the URL of that web server into our web browser search box, then our computer is going
to send a connection request to that web server and wait for reply.

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Past Exam: Questions and Solutions

Q1. A link's speed expressed in bps refers to:

a) Outbound rate
b) Transmission rate
c) Data-rate units
d) Bandwidth
e) Both b&d

Q2. _____________ is the source or destination of a message transmitted over the

network.

a) End system
b) Router
c) Host
d) Both a&c
e) Cable

Q3. What is protocol?

Is a set of rules and standards for communication that specify the format, and
order of data exchanged among network entities (routers, switches, and hosts)

Exam Tips:

• Understand the differences between hosts, packet switches, and communication links (wired and
wireless).
• Understand the difference between DSL model and cable-based access.
• Take an overview of the four types of network access (Home, wireless, enterprise, and data center
networks)

End of Part One

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