JOURNAL OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS, VOLUME 29, ISSUE 2, FEBRUARY 2015

12

Automated Teaching Step-by-Step the

Operations of TCP/IP Model (A-Step-TPC/IP)
Jameson Mbale and Mali Orient
Abstract In the telecommunication industry, the operations of TCP/IP protocols play an instrumental row in the transmission
of information in the form of packets or frames from one network to another. To start with, at the source host, a transmittable
message was composed and passed through the various protocol layers where headers, such as TCP, IP and network were
added or attached. Whereas, at the receiving host, the same headers were consequently removed until only the original message reached the destination. Such a process was absolute to visualise by the students for they did not tangibly see the mechanism involved. It was in view of that the Automated Teaching Step-by-Step the Operation of TCP/IP Model, in this work abbreviated as A-Step-TCP/IP, was conceived to simplify the understanding of the concepts involved in this operation. An experiment
in form of a test was done, by dividing a class into two groups. The Control Group which did not use the model as teaching aid
had fifty three point three three percent (53.33%) failure rate. For the Regular Group, all the students had hundred percent
(100%) passing rate. Such results proved the effectiveness of the model.

Index Terms Step-TCP/IP, headers, protocol layers, transmittable message.

1 INTRODUCTION

HE Automated Teaching Step-by-Step the Operation

of TCP/IP Model, in this work abbreviated as A-
Step-TCP/IP, was envisaged to simplfy the teach-
ing/learning of the concepts involved in this operation.
The model gave a clear mechanism which showed the
transmission of message in the network from the sender
to the receiver. The model demonstrated step-by-step the
mechanism in which the message was passed down the
protocol layers, and the headers were added. Conse-
quently, as the message was passed upwards, the corre-
sponding headers were detached or removed.
The A-Step-TCP/IP simulation model was developed
using the JAVA programming language. When the user
ran the simulation prompted for the message to be keyed
in. Thereafter, the system displayed the whole process of
adding and detaching headers as discussed above. Also, a
clear A-Step-TCP/IP flow chart showing the composing
and movement of the message was discussed in detail in
this work.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

In the sub-Saharan region the telecommunication teach-
ing resources are very scarce especially in the remote ter-
tiary institutions. In some of these institutions, they learn
such technologies but the equipment involved is not
available. Hence, in the absence of both the technology
infrastructure and the teaching aids it becomes absolutely
difficult to the learners who are encountering such a sce-

nario for the first time. These students have no clue of

where to start their conceptualisation of the new concepts
they are encountering without any tangible evidence. As
such, teaching of high level sophisticated technology like
that of telecommunication becomes a challenge. For in-
stance, teaching the concepts Operations of TCP/IP which
deals with the transformation of unseen transmittable
messages, further the adding and detaching of headers
becomes obsolete to the learners. It is in view of that the
A-Step-TCP/IP model was conceived to provide simula-
tion which would illustrate step-by-step the concepts in-
volved. and movement of the message was discussed in
detail in this work.

1.2 Organisation of the Paper

In The paper was organised in the following parts: Sec-
tion 1 introduced the A-Step-TCP/IP model, highlighting
the mechanism involved in the operations of TCP/IP pro-
tocols. The similar models done by other researchers were
discussed in Section 2. The implementation of the model
was demonstrated in Section 3, where the snapshots of
simulation were displayed. Section 4 gave a comprehen-
sive flow diagram of the A-Step-TCP/IP system, by show-
ing the movement of the transmittable message. Section 5
discussed the analysis of the test results that was given to
the two groups to assess the effectiveness of the model.
Section 6 summarised the functions and benefits of the A-
Step-TCP/IP as a teaching model. accompany your final
submission. Authors are responsible for obtaining any
security clearances.

Jameson Mbale is with the Copperbelt University, Department of Computer

Science, Box 21692, Jambo Drive, Riverside, Kitwe, Zambia.
2 LITERATUR REVIEW
Mali Orient is with Copperbelt University, Department of Computer Science, Jambo Drive, Riverside, Kitwe, Zambia.
The operation of TCP/IP has been discussed by other

scholars. Hence in this work the authors will not re-event

the wheel, but provide a simulation teaching aid which

13

would help the learners conceptualise the concepts of the

operation of TCP/IP.
In [1] he discussed a service data unit (SDU) as all data
from an application that have to flow down through all
five layers at the sender, and up all five layers at the
receiver to reach the correct process on the other system.
He illustrated that each layer on the sending system adds
information to the data it receivesd from the layer above
and passes it all to the layer below. He also talked about
the protocol data unit (PDU), where each layer on the
receiving system unwraps the received message. He even
cited an example of the data link layer where it removed
the wrapper meant for it, used it to decide what it should
do with that data unit, and then passed the remainder up
to the network layer. His overall emphasis on the receiv-
ing end was that each layer examined, used, and stripped
off the information it needed to complete its task, and
passed the remainder up to the next layer until the origi-
nal message was received.
Also, in [1, 2] they discussed the importance of encap-
sulation of one layers information inside another layer as
a key part of how TCP/IP works. They pointed out that
each layer used encapsulation to add the information its
peer needed on the receiving system. They gave an ex-
ample of the network layer which adds a header to the
information it received from the transport at the sender
and passed the whole unit down to the data link layer.
They also highlighted that at the receiver, the network
layer looked at the control information, usually in a head-
er, in the data it received from the data link layer and
passed the remainder up to the other layers for further
processing.
In [3] he demonstrated the operation of TCP/IP by cit-
ing a practical example. He named the sender as host A,
from the source network and receiver as host B, at the
destination network. He began by pointing out that at
host A, the sending process generated a block of data and
passed it to TCP, where it appended control information
known as the TCP header, forming a TCP segment. He
then illustrated that the TCP handed each segment over
to IP, which appended a header of control information to
each segment to form an IP datagram. He further high-
lighted that the network access layer appended its own
header, creating a packet or frame which was then trans-
mitted across the subnet-work to router in this case
named J. He also explained that the packet header con-
tained the information that needed to transfer the data
across the subnet-work. He further discussed that when
the data was received at B, the reverse process occurred,
such that at each layer, the corresponding header was
removed, and the remainder was passed through to the
next higher layer, until the original user data were deliv-
ered to the destination in the Application.
In [4] he discussed both encapsulation and de-capsulation
as one of the important concepts in protocol layering in
network. He explained the encapsulation process that

occurred at the source in the network as the data moved

downwards along the layers where headers were added.
He pointed out that the Application Layer dealt with the
message, which had no header. He said this message was
then passed through to the Transport Layer where the
TCP header was added forming a user datagram or TCP
segment, which contained the identifiers of the source
and destination application programs and the infor-
mation that was needed for the end-to-end delivery of the
message, such as information needed for flow, error con-
trol, or congestion control. He further stated that the user
datagram was then handed to the Internet Layer where
the IP header was added, forming the datagram which
contained the addresses of the source and destination
hosts and some more information used for error checking
of the header, and fragmentation information. He also
indicated that the datagram was passed through to the
Data Link Layer where the network header was added,
forming the frame which contained the link-layer ad-
dresses of the host or the next hop (the router). He then
explained that the frame was passed through to the Phys-
ical Layer where it was transformed into bits that trans-
ported to the next network. He pointed out that it was at
this next network where the de-capsulation took place at
the destination host. He emphasised that it was at this
stage where the process was the reverse of the other such
that in this case headers were removed or detached as
data was delivered to the next-higher layer protocol until
the original message reached the Application Layer. Authors are responsible for obtaining any security clearances.

3 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A-STEP-TCP/IP

MODEL
The A-Step-TCP/IP Model is illustrated in Figure 1,
demonstrating the automated functional mechanism of
encapsulation and de-capsulation of data by adding and
detaching the headers in the next lower and higher proto-
col layers respectively. The A-Step-TCP/IP Model is com-
posed of two vertical downward and upward operational
and functional partitions or components, in this work
referred to as Source-host-Network Process (SHNP) and
Destination-host-Network Process (DHNP).

Figure 1. Snapshot: The A-Step-TCP/IP Model Interface

14

The SHNP, component, is at the source host (the sender),

where the user composes the message. The composed
message is entered by the user in the input box, and
presses the send message button to commence the simula-
tion of the TCP/IP operation in transmitting the data. As
the message is passed through and reaches the next layer,
a particular header is added. When the message arrives at
the physical layer it is converted into bits where it is
transmitted through the media to the next network at the
destination host, in this work referred to as DHNP. At the
next network, the bits are transformed back into the
frames and the message is passed through upwards lay-
ers. At each level the prefixed header is detached until the
original message reached the Application Layer. At this
level the user is prompted to press the receive button in
order to get the original composed message.
Samples of snapshots were taken during the simula-
tion of the A-Step-TCP/IP Model. Figure 2 illustrated an
example of demonstration run on the model. At this junc-
ture, the user keyed-in the information to be composed
into a transmittable message. In this case, at the SHNP,
the user keyed in the following message: Assignment
due 31st January 2015 as demonstrated in Figure 2.

Figure 3. Snapshot: Demonstrated Message Transformed into

Bits at Physical Layer

From
the
SHNP,
the
stream
of
bits:
1100100001110111101111101110000110 were transmitted
through the media to the next network in this work re-
ferred to as DHNP and demonstrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Snapshot: Bits Transmitted to DHNP and Headers Dropped

as Data Moved Upper Layers

Figure 2. Snapshot: Demonstrated the Keying-in of Message and

Headers Added

When the user started keying-in the message, the Press
to Send Message button was automatically active as
demonstrated in the figure. Once the Press to Send Mes-
sage button was pressed, the system started running and
the headers were being added: at transport layer, TCP
header, Internet Layer, the IP header, and Data Link Lay-
er, the Network header as shown in Figure 2.
As the process continued, at the Physical Layer, the
data was transformed into streams of bits as demonstrat-
ed in Figure 3.

At the DHNP, from the Physical Layer, the bit streams
were transformed into the frame in the Data Link Layer.
As the frame moved to the Internet Layer, the Network
header was detached remaining with the datagram. Also,
as the datagram was moved to Transport Layer, the IP
header was removed remaining with the TCP datagram
or TCP segment. The TCP datagram was passed through
to the Application Layer and the TCP header was
dropped remaining with the original message as demon-
strated in Figure 5. Then the dialog window prompted
the message that You have 1 new message. When the
user pressed OK, the Press Read Message button was
active. As the user pressed the later button, then the orig-
inal message Assignment due 31st January 2015 ap-
peared on the output or read window as demonstrated in
Figure 5.

15

Figure 5. Snapshot: Original Message Received by the Recipient at

DHNP

4 DATA FLOW DIAGRAM FOR THE A-STATETCP/MODEL

As discussed in earlier Sections, Figure 6 demonstrated
the flow of the information from the SHNP where the
message was composed and passed through downwards
from one layer to another and at each level a particular
header was added. Similarly, at DHNP, the message kept
on flowing upward and at each layer the headers were
dropped until the original message reached the destina-
tion.

Start
No
Information
Exists

Application
Layer
Yes

Yes

No

Compose(d) Message

Exit

No

No

Tansmit
Message

Drop TCP Header

Yes
Transport
Layer

Yes
Transport
Layer

Yes
Add TCP Header

No

Internet
Layer
Yes
Add IP Header

Drop IP Header
Yes
No
Internet
Layer
Drop Network Header

Data Link
Layer
No
Yes
Add Network Header
No

Physical
Layer

Yes

No

Transform into Bits

Yes
Data Link
Layer

No

Yes
Physical
Layer

No

Layer. At this layer, the system tested if it was the correct

one (layer). If it was not, then the process was restarted.
However, once verified that it was the right layer, then
the information was composed into a transmittable mes-
sage in readiness for sending it across the protocol layers
of SHNP in rout to DHNP. Having composed the mes-
sage, again the system tested whether it was well pack-
aged and worthy sending or not. If it was not worthy
transmission, then the process was exited. Once certified
that it was worthy sending, then the message was passed
through to the next layer, in this case the Transport Layer.
Like the previous layer, this one also was verified if it was
the right layer. If it was not the correct layer, the process
was terminated. However, once verified that it was the
right layer, the TCP Header was attached or added to the
message forming the TCP Segment as explained in the
earlier Sections. Then the TCP Segment was passed
through to the Internet Layer. Similarly, this layer was
tested whether it was the right one or not. If it was not the
correct one, then the process was ended. If the system
verified that it was the correct layer, then the IP Header,
was attached to the message, and at this juncture referred
to as IP Datagram, also already discussed above. Thereaf-
ter, the IP Datagram was sent to the Data Link Layer. Like
others, this layer was tested to be either the right one or
not. If it was not the correct one, then the process was
discarded. When the system verified it to be the intended
layer, then the Network Header was attached to the mes-
sage, in this case known as Network-Level Packet or
Frame. Then the Frame was passed through to the Physi-
cal Layer. Like any other layers discussed above, equally
this one was tested to check if it was the actual one or not.
If it was not the actual one then the process was terminat-
ed. If it was the correct one, then this layer transformed
the Frame into Bits and transferred them to the other
Physical Layer at DHNP as demonstrated in Figure 6.
Likewise, the Physical Layer at DHNP was also tested
to be the correct one or not. If it was not, then the process
was terminated. Once the layer was tested correct, the
data was sent upwards to the Data Link Layer. As already
discussed, and as the message moved upwards, the next
layers were also tested to be the right ones or not. If
found not be the intended ones, similarly the processes
were terminated. On the contrary, if the layers were the
right ones the message was passed to the next layers
where at various protocol layers the subsequent headers
were removed or detached until the original composed
message remained and arrived at the DHNP, marking a
complete flow of the process as demonstrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6. A-Step-TCP/IP Flow Chart

When the system was started, it checked whether there

was any information to be sent from SHNP to DHNP or
not. If there was no information, then the process was
terminated. However, when the information was verified
to be existed, it was passed through to the Application

5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

A class of thirty (30) students was divided into two
groups of fifteen (15) learners. In this work, the groups
were referred to as Control and Regular. A test was ad-
ministered to the two groups to compare the performance

16

between them in order to assess the effectiveness of the

A-Step-TCP/IP Model, as the teaching aid.
The Regular Group was taught using the teaching aid,
the A-Step-TCP/IP Model. During the lectures / lessons of
the Regular Group, the Lecturer ran the A-Step-TCP/IP
Model which provided the simulation of operations of the
TCP/IP. The simulation demonstrated step-by-step the
mechanism involved in this operation. From the simula-
tion, the students could physically see how the infor-
mation was composed to a transmittable massage. They
could also see the movement of the transmittable message
from one protocol layer to the next. They also witnessed
how the headers were added and removed at every pro-
tocol layers until the message reached the destination.
During tutorials, the students from the Regular Groups
practiced on the teaching aid and this consolidated their
understanding of the concepts of the operation TCP/IP.
By seeing the simulation, the students were able to visual-
ise the whole mechanism involved under operations of
TCP/IP.
The Controlled Group was taught without using the
A-Step-TCP/IP Model. The Lecturer just explained the
concepts of Operations of TCP/IP theoretically. During
the lessons, the students from this group struggled to vis-
ualise how the information was composed to the trans-
mittable message. Worse still they could not figure out
how the headers were added and dropped as they (mes-
sages) were passed through from one protocol layer to the
next. The whole Operation TCP/IP concept was just abso-
lute to them.
When the test was administered to the two groups, the
following performance was experienced. Out of the fif-
teen (15) students from Regular Group, the following re-
sults were recorded as depicted from Table 1a: five (5)
students got Distinction, which was thirty three point
three three percent (33.33%) pass rate, also as demonstrat-
ed in Figure 7. Seven (7) obtained Merit, which was forty
six point six seven percent (46,67%) pass rate. Three (3)
managed to get Pass, which was twenty percent (20%)
pass rate, and none failed the test.

TABLE 1 Comparison of Test Results From Two Groups
Table 1a. Regular Group Used Teaching Aid
Results
Distinction Merit
Pass
Fail
No. Students
5
7
3
0

Table 1b. Control Group Did Not Use Teaching Aid
Results
Distinction Merit
Pass
Fail
No. Students
1
2
4
8

Figure 7. Test Results From Regular Group

For the Control Group as shown in Table 1b, the follow-
ing results were obtained: only one (1) got a Distinction,
which was a six point six seven percent (6.67%) pass rate,
also illustrated in Figure 8. Two (2) got a Merit, which
was thirteen point three three percent (13.33) pass rate.
About four (4) got a Pass, which was twenty six point six
seven percent (26.67) pass rate. The majority of eight (8)
failed the test, which was fifty three point three three per-
cent (53.33%) fail rate.

Figure 8. Test Results From Control Group

In comparison of the two groups, it is evident that the

students who were taught using the teaching aid had an
opportunity to physically experience the mechanism of
the A-Step-TCP/IP teaching model. Through the use of
this model, and from the simulation, the students were
able to see the imitation of how the information was
composed to a transmittable message. Also, the learners
had chance to see a replica of various headers that were
added at every protocol layer as the message moved
downwards the process. Similarly, the students witnessed
these added headers, on the reverse being removed at the
same corresponding protocol layers, until the original
message reached the intended destination. The use of
such an animation teaching tool helped the student from
the Regular Group to conceptualise or visualised the
mechanism of the Operations of TCP/IP. This goes with a
saying, which states that What you see is difficulty to

17

forget! Hence, it is true that the demonstrated A-Step-

TCP/IP teaching model, through an animation has given
students a concrete visualisation of the mechanism in-
volved as such they would not forget what they saw.
Contrary to what has been discussed above, the
Control Group which was taught without the use of the
teaching aid, faced a lot of challenges to grasp the con-
cepts, as everything was in abstract or nonconcrete. Dur-
ing the lessons, this group could not see the transfor-
mation of the information into a transmittable message,
apart from hearing it from a teacher mentioning it verbal-
ly. Similarly, the learners could not figure out the features
of the headers that were being added and detached from
the message at every protocol layer. In fact, this addition
and detaching of the headers phenomenon further con-
fused the students as there were no visible and concrete
objects to assimilate with. Much of teaching was just in
theory.

CONCLUSION

The A-Step-TCP/IP Model was envisaged as a teaching

tool to be used during the lessons to give a tangible and
physical demonstration of the Operations of TCP/IP. The
Regular Group was taught using this teaching aid. These
students had an abundant exposure to the mechanism
involved in this model. As a result, the learners were able
to clearly visualise the concepts of the Operations of
TCP/IP, such that by the time they were given a test, they
confidently passed it. In fact, as shown from Table 1a and
Figure 7, no one failed the test in this group, they had
hundred percent pass rate.
The Control Group was taught without using the A-
Step-TCP/IP Model. Students from this group struggled
to understand the lessons as they could not visualise the
concepts of the Operations TCP/IP. The lesson was taught
in theory, and everything was obsolete to the students.
The learners could not figure out the concepts that were
mentioned verbally, without any evidence of the compo-
nents or facilities involved in discussion. For instance, it
was mentioned that, information was transformed into a
transmittable message, but the students could not see or
make sense out of it. Worse still, they were taught that the
transmittable message was passed through the protocol
layers and different headers were added. Further, this
confused the learners for they could not figure out the
physical features of the message and headers in discus-
sion. Hence, this group was deprived of the practical ex-
posure to the teaching aids components and its total
mechanism. In that, it left the learners in a confused state
where they had some difficulties to visualise the concepts
presented in abstract. As such, when the test was admin-
istered, more than half the group which was fifty three
point three percent (53.33%) failed as shown in Figure 8.

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]

[3]
[4]

Protocol and Layers, TP1-Ejercicio5-ingles

The TCP Protocol Suit, Fujitsu Network Communications Inc.
(FNC).
December,
2008,
http://www.fujitsi.com/us/services/telecom/training/edserv
tcpip.pdf
W. Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, Fifth Edition. Prentice Hall, 1997
Chapter 2, Network Models

Jameson Mbale received his PhD Degree in Computer Science
from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), China in 2003. He obtained MSc Degree in Computer Science from Shanghai University in
1966 and B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Zambia (UNZA) in 1993, in Zambia. He also got the Secondary Teachers Deploma in 1985 from Technical and Vocational
Teachers College, in Luanshya, Zambia. He worked as a Lecturer
and Head of Depterment for the Department of Computer Science at
the University of Zambia from 2004 to 2008. He was the Founder of
Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN), for Zambia in
2008. He also served as a Senior Lecturer and later as an Associate
Professor, Head of Department for Computer Science and Acting
Director for Computer Centre at the University of Namibia (UNAM)
from 2008 to 2014. He is the Founder (2010) of the Centre of Excellence in Telecommunications and Information Technology at UNAM.
Currently, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Copperbelt University (CBU), in Zambia from
2004. He is also the Acting Director for Research for the Copperblet
University. His research interest is in: network security, wireless
networking and telecommunications and he has published many
papers in these areas.
Mali Orient is a student in the Department of Computer Science at
the Copperblet University (CBU), in Zambia.