ECTE 182 Internet Technology 1

Topic 01 An Overview of Computer Network

What is a computer network?

Simple and general answer : A computer network is a group of computers that are interconnected to share hardware, software and data. But then
How do we connect these computers together ? How does these computers communicate with each other ? How can we make sure the communication is smooth and flawless ? How do we make sure the communication is private and secure ?

The study of networking courses is generally to understand the above questions and to answer them.
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Data Communications
The essence of computer network is to allow data communications. Goal: convey information How to do it?
Hand signal, smoke, light, .?

Characteristics
Delivery/Reliability Accuracy Timeliness Jitter

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Whats a computer network?

Establishing a communication channel

Information

Wired (copper, fiber) Wireless (electromagnetic, infra-red)

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A home network

Internet Service Provider

ADSL, Cable Modem, Dial-Up, WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) (56 Kbit/s 40 Mbit/s)

- Wireless (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, USB (wired/wireless)) - Wired (Firewire, USB, Ethernet (10/100/1000/10000 Mbps)).

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Internet structure: network of networks

Tier-2 ISPs: smaller (often regional) ISPs
Connect to one or more tier-1 ISPs, possibly other tier-2 ISPs

Tier-2 ISP pays tier-1 ISP for connectivity to rest of the Internet i.e., tier-2 ISP is customer of tier-1 provider
Service Level Agreement Throughput, Delay, Jitter, Loss

Tier-2 ISP

Tier-2 ISP

Tier 1 ISP

Tier 1 ISP
Tier-2 ISP

Tier 1 ISP
Tier-2 ISP

Tier-2 ISP

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Internet structure: network of networks

A packet passes through many networks!

local ISP

Tier 3 ISP

local ISP Tier 1 ISP

Tier-2 ISP Problems?

local ISP Tier-2 ISP

local ISP

Tier 1 ISP
Tier-2 ISP

Tier 1 ISP
Tier-2 ISP

Tier-2 ISP local ISP

local ISP

local ISP

local ISP
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Network of Networks
Another View
Wide Area Network
MAN
LAN LAN LAN LAN LAN

MAN
LAN LAN

MAN
LAN LAN LAN

MAN
LAN LAN

LAN Local Area Network MAN Metropolitan Local Area Network

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WAN Wide Area Network PAN Personal Area Network

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Category of Networks
Body Area Networks Personal Area Networks Local Area Network
Privately owned, links computer in a single building or office Fixed transmission media and topology; e.g., Wireless LANs

Metropolitan Area Network

Covers a town or city E.g., cable TV, wireless MANs (WiMAX)

Wide Area Network

Between continents Satellites or oceanic fiber links.
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Physical Structure
Types of Connection

Point-to-Point

Multipoint
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Physical Structure
Topology
Mesh Each computer has a dedicated line to all stations Number of links: N(N-1)/2, N is # of nodes. Lots of cabling Dedicated line, simultaneous transmissions Good fault tolerance Good privacy Star

Hub

Hub relays data from all stations No point-to-point communications Cheaper than mesh Single point of failure Easy to isolate link fault

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Physical Structure
Topology
Bus Backbone laid on most efficient path Less cabling than mesh or star Break in backbone link disables the network Difficult to isolate fault Only one station can be using the backbone at any given time bus is a shared resource

Ring

Messages goes from station to station in one direction Each station repeats received message Only one station can be transmitting at any given time. Simpler fault isolation
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Physical Structure
Topology

Hybrid
Hub

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Local Area Networks

Dedicated

Shared

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Break

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Information Flow
simplex

Time t1 Time t2

Half-Duplex

Duplex
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Packets
information

0010110101010101010101

Packet

Header

Payload

Inserted by protocol

Your data
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Analogy
Given a 500 page book, and 1000 standard 90x140mm envelopes. Problem:
How do you send the book to your friend Bill Gates at Microsoft Corp, One Microsoft Way, Washington, USA? Assume free postage and handling.

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Packets/Envelopes
Header information Source address Destination address Time to live Length of header and payload Timestamp Security information Packet type

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The Internet
A Packet Switched Network

Sprint Your ISP Telstr a

Level3

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Whats a protocol?
human protocols: whats the time? I have a question introductions network protocols: machines rather than humans all communication activities in Internet specific msgs sent are governed by specific actions taken when msgs protocols received, or other events protocols define format, order of msgs sent and received among network entities, and actions taken on msg transmission, receipt21 ECTE182

Whats a protocol?

Hi Hi
Got the time?

connection req connection response

Get http://www.uow.edu.au

2:00 time
Human
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<file>

Computer
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What does a protocol specify?

A set of rules that govern data communications
Syntax. Fields in the header, and their size. Semantics The meaning of each bit in the packet Timing When data should be sent, and how fast?

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A simple protocol
Computer-A Filename: ecte182.zip Got it! Heres bit 1 to 1000 Got it! Heres bit 1001 to 2000 I only received bits 1001 to 1500 Heres bit 1500 to 2000 again
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Computer-B

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A Routing Example
search: ecte182

R Your ISP R R

Optus

AT&T

Sprint

Telstra

Level 3

R Google

Routing Problems How to get to Google? Which way is the best route? How to find out which way is best?
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R Router

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Who standardize protocols?

Why do it? To ensure interoperation between machines developed by different vendors.
E.g., Bluetooth, Motorola Samsung

Standards creation committees

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standards Sector (ITU-T) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Electronic Industries Association (EIA) Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

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IETF (www.ietf.org)
Protocol engineering and development arm of the Internet Society ( founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet
related standards, education, and policy)

Includes designers, operators, vendors and researchers. Open to anyone Produces two types of document
Internet drafts - no formal status Request For Comment (RFC) are official documents.

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IETF Working Group

This is where the IETF primarily get its work done Working group focused by charter agreed between chair(s) and area director
restrictive charters with deliverables and milestones working groups closed when their work is done

Charter approved by Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) with IAB (Internet Architecture Board) advice Area Director with IESG has final say on charter & chair(s)

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IETF Working Group

rough consensus and running code... no formal voting - can do show of hands - but no count does not require unanimity disputes resolved by discussion mailing list and face-to-face meetings
most work happens on mailing lists all decisions must be verified on mailing list face-to-face discussion to resolve disagreements

ECTE182 Source: IETF Slides presented to newcomers.

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ICANN
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages
IP addresses Uniqueness Domain names .com, .edu, .net, etc Port numbers

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Summary
Key Concepts
Internet Network of Networks Topologies: mesh, bus, star, hybrid Simplex, half-duplex, full duplex LAN, MAN, WAN Packets Packet switched networks Protocols Standardization

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