COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

8th April 2014

Provisional results: 23rd May
Allegation period:
DEPARTAMENT D’ENGINYERIA TELEMÀTICA Final results:
Professors: Jordi Casademont, Xavier Hesselbach
• Examination duration: 1h 50min. • Mobile Phones, Smartphones, … must be powered off
• Erroneous test answers deduct 1/3 points • You cannot use programmable calculators
Student Name:

TEST (5 points):

1. A data traffic source has generated the following 7. Related to IEEE 802.11 networks, it is false that:
sequence of fixed size packets, at arrival time a) The RTS/CTS mechanism reduces the probability of
ta(k)={0,20,22} µs, k=1,2,3, over a constant bit rate packet collision.
connection of 100 Kpps (pps = packets per second), b) The RTS/CTS mechanism reduces the channel time
controlled by an UPC function using GCRA. Calculate the wasted in collisions.
tolerance required to let all the packets be conform. c) The RTS/CTS mechanism minimizes the harmful effects
a) Tolerance < 3 µs of hidden terminal situations.
b) 3 <= Tolerance < 6 µs d) The RTS/CTS mechanism increments the control
c) 6 <= Tolerance < 9 µs overhead of IEEE 802.11networks.
d) Tolerance > 9 µs
8. Related to IEEE 802.11 networks, it is false that:
2. How many VC12 can be allocated in an STM-1, already a) It is possible to have two BSS's in the same room using
supporting 6 VC11, 2 VC2 and 1 VC3? the same channel.
a) Number < 24 b) It is possible to have one mobile station using a 802.11b
b) 24 <= Number < 30 coding rate and one mobile station using a 802.11n coding
c) 30<= Number < 33 rate associated to the same AP.
d) Number > 33 c) IEEE 802.11n standard can reach up to 600 Mbps but
using 2 channels simultaneously.
3. Concerning SDH, it is true that: d) If all previous statements are true mark this answer.
a) An ADM and a Cross-Connect are different names for
the same type of device. 9. Related to IEEE 802.11 networks, it is false that:
b) An Ethernet flow can not be supported by SDH. a) Nodes increment CW (Collision Window) after a
c) IP traffic can not be transmitted by SDH. transmission error.
d) If all previous statements are false mark this answer. b) The value of SIFS is related to TX⇔RX turnaround
times.
4. In xDSL technologies, it is true that: c) Synchronization is carried out using Beacon frames and
a) Using conventional telephone wires, the bit rate can not be performed in 802.11 ad-hoc networks.
deployed can reach 1 Gbps according to the Shannon limit. d) If all previous statements are true mark this answer.
b) HDSL can support voice calls from POTS.
c) VDSL2 can support 500 Mbps download. 10. The Average Jain Fairness Index (f) of a normalized
d) If all previous statements are false mark this answer. window equal to 2 for the sequence of transmitted packets
ABABBBB in a network with two nodes, accomplishes that:
5. In optical access technologies, it is true that: a) 0,80 ≤ f
a) In FTTH, the NIU and the ONU are located in the same b) 0,75 ≤ f < 0,80
place. c) 0,70 ≤ f < 0,75
b) The PON networks are highly dependent of the d) f < 0,70
modulation type.
c) No standards are released yet to define the nominal
frequencies for DWDM. Sol:
d) If all previous statements are false mark this answer. 1-c
2-c
6. Related to IEEE 802.11 networks, it is true that: 3-d
a) Having an equal fixed Collision Window (CW) for all 4-a
stations decreases the fairness of the network compared 5-a
when using an exponential CW as in DCF. 6-c
b) Incrementing the number of nodes does not affect the 7-a
collision probability. 8-d
c) If the propagation delay between nodes of a BSS is 9-c
bigger than one slot, the collision probability will be 10-b
increased.
d) Decrementing the average length of the payload data,
increases the saturation throughput of the network.
Problem 1 (2,5 points): Consider a 802.11g WLAN network that has two mobile stations (MS) and an Access Point (AP).
Suppose that both MS are always willing to transmit data packets. The payload of MS_1 is 500 Bytes and the payload of MS_2
is 1500 Bytes. Processing and propagation times are negligible.

a) If both MS use RTS/CTS and a data rate of 54 Mbps, compute the maximum throughput that each MS can get. Consider that
Prob_collision = Prob_error = 0. Take into account backoffs.

We calculate the transmission time of both packets that include for each one:

t_tx = DIFS + Backoff average + RTS + SIFS + CTS + SIFS + DATA + SIFS + ACK

Things to take into account:

- Each packet has 26 µs of PHY header + (2 bytes of service + MAC + DATA + 1 byte of tail)/54 Mbps
- MAC header of data packets do not use the fourth address field. Therefore, it has a length of 30 Bytes.
- Backoff average = 15,5 * 9 µs = 139,5 µs
- Throughput of one MS is Payload / total time of transmission (sum of both packets).

Then:
t_tx_500 = 388,90 µs
t_tx_1500 = 537,05 µs

Throughput_500 = 4,32 Mbps

Throughput_1500 = 12,96 Mbps

b) Which aspects of the previous calculation do we improve using Bianchi's formula?

- It takes into account time lost when all MS are in backoff state and nobody transmits.
- It takes into account time lost in collisions, with an accurate probability of collision.
- It takes into account that backoff window doubles every time MS are involved in a collision.

c) Using Bianchi's formula compute the saturation throughput of the previous network if we know that the probability that a
station transmits in a randomly chosen slot time is 10%.

τ = 0,1; n = 2;
Ptr = 0,19
Ps = 0,95
E[P] = Average payload = 1000 Bytes = 8000 bits
σ = slot = 9 µs
Ts = Average transmission time = 462,98 µs
Tc = Collision time (without backoff) = DIFS + RTS = 57,4 µs
S = 15,80 Mbps
Problem 2 (2,5 points): In a network of the future with the physical topology of the figure, all the links are full duplex with 100
Mbps in each way. The user A has contracted a bidirectional connection with the user B with a guaranteed bandwidth of 10
Mbps (in both ways). The user C has contracted also a guaranteed bandwidth with the user B of 20 Mbps upload, and 5 Mbps
download.
The remaining bandwidth in all links is distributed fairly among all the existing connections.

a) Describe clearly the algorithm to distribute the remaining bandwidth.

b) Calculate the allocated bandwidth for the following connections:

i. Bidirectionals:
• A!"E
• A!"B
• D!"C
ii. Unidirectionals:
• C"B
• D"E

c) Calculate the unused bandwidth in all links (for every way in each link).

A E
#1 #3

#4
#2
C
D B
1.

a) Max-Min criteria:

In each link, calculate the Fair Bandwidth = Available Bandwidth / Number of

connections in this link.
From this set of values, determine the bottlenecked links, and calculate for each
connection, the Fair Bandwidth = (Available Bandwidth – Sum of Bandwidth of
bottlenecked connections) / (Number of connections in this link – Number of
bottlenecked connections).
Then, redo, the fair allocation in all links in order to determine new bottlenecks, and
redo the process until the bandwidth of the last connection can be calculated.

b) 2 cases considered: From “left to right” communications, and from “right to left”. The links
are full-duplex.

Once the guaranteed bandwidths are allocated, the remaining are:

From “left to right”:

A E
100-10=90

100-10-20=70

100-10-20=70
100

C
D B

Considering all the requests, one bottleneck is in link #3: BW = 70/4 = 17.5 Mbps.
All the connections except DC are bottlenecked.
BW for AE, AB, CB, DE = 17.5 Mbps.
BW for DC = (100 – 17.5)/(2-1) = 82.5 Mbps.

From “right to left”:

A E
100-10= 90

100-10-5=85
100-10-5=85
100

C
D B
 Considering all the requests, one bottleneck is in link #3: BW = 85/2 = 42.5 Mbps.
All the connections except DC are bottlenecked.
BW for EA, BA = 42.5 Mbps.
BW for CD = 100 Mbps.

c) Remaining bandwidth:

From “left to right”:

Link #1: 90 -17.5-17.5 = 55 Mbps

Link #2: 100- 82.5-17.5 = 0
Link #3: 0
Link #4: 70 – 17.5 – 17.5 = 35 Mbps.

From “right to left”:

Link #1: 90 – 42.5 – 42.5 = 5 Mbps

Link #2: 0
Link #3: 0
Link #4: 85 – 42.5 = 42.5 Mbps.
--o--
Problem 3 (2,5 points): Define the structure, fully compatible with the existing E1 from the Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy,
supporting video channels at 640 Kbps.

a) How many video channels can be supported? (Justify the answer).

640 Kbps is 10x64 Kbps. Since E1 has 30 voice channels " 3 video channels can be allocated, with exactly the same format.
(That means that every video channel is using 10 voice channels).

b) Calculate the bit rate of the signalling channel associated to every video channel.

As one video channel uses the space of 10 voice channels, it will have the signaling space of these 10 voice channels.
In E1, one voice channel has 4 signaling bits every 16 frames (125µs x 16), that is 4 bits every 2 ms = 2 Kbps.
So, the signaling data rate of one video channel will be 20 Kbps.
 ADDITONAL INFORMATION:

IEEE
Std 802.11-2007 LOCAL AND METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORKS:SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

# QoS (+)CF-Poll frame refers to all four QoS data subtypes with CF-Poll: the QoS CF-Poll frame,
subtype 1110; the QoS CF-Ack+CF-Poll frame, subtype 1111; the QoS Data+CF-Poll frame,
subtype 1010; and the QoS Data+CF-Ack+CF-Poll frame, subtype 1011.
# QoS (+)Null frame refers to all three QoS data subtypes with Gno dataH: the QoS Null (no data)
frame, subtype 1100; the QoS CF-Poll (no data) frame, subtype 1110; and the QoS CF-Ack+CF-Poll
frame, subtype 1111.
# QoS +CF-Ack frame refers to the three QoS data subtypes that include G+CF-AckH: the QoS
Data+CF-Ack frame, subtype 1001; QoS Data+CF-Ack+CF-Poll frame, subtype 1011; and QoS CF-
Ack+CF-Poll frame, subtype 1111.
# Whereas (QoS) CF-Poll frame refers to the QoS CF-Poll frame, subtype 1110, and the CF-Poll
frame, subtype 0110.

Reserved fields and subfields are set to 0 upon transmission and are ignored upon reception.

7.1.2 General frame format

2007 LOCAL AND METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORKS:SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
The MAC frame format comprises a set of fields that occur in a fixed order in all frames. Figure 7-1 depicts
the general MAC frame format. The first three fields (Frame Control, Duration/ID, and Address 1) and the
lds within the Frame
last field (FCS) Control field
in Figure 7-1ofconstitute
control frames are setframe
the minimal as illustrated
format in
andFigure 7-5. in all frames, including
are present
reserved types and subtypes. The fields Address 2, Address 3, Sequence Control, Address 4, QoS Control,
and Frame Body are present only in certain frame types and subtypes. Each field is defined in 7.1.3. The
B15
format of each of the individual subtypes of each frame type is defined in 7.2. The components of
management frame bodies are defined in 7.3. The formats of management frames of subtype Action are
Type Subtype To From More Retry Pwr More Protected Order
defined in 7.4 DS DS Frag Mgt Data Frame

Pwr
Control
The Frame Subtype
Body field is0 of 0
variable size.0 The maximum
0 0
frame body size is0 determined
0 by the maximum
Mgt
MSDU size (2304 octets) plus any overhead from security encapsulation.
2 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

IEEE
Figure 7-56Frame Control field subfield
PART values withinLAN
11: WIRELESS control frames
MAC AND PHY SPECIFICATIONS Std 802.11-2007

TS frame format 7.2.1.2 CTS frame format

format for the RTS frame is as defined in Figure
The 7-6.
frame format for the CTS frame is as defined in Figure 7-7.
Figure 7-19MAC frame format

LOCAL AND METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORKS:SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

7.1.3 Frame fields

ame format
7.1.3.1 Frame Control field

TheACK
t for the Frame Control
frame is as field consists
defined of the
in Figure following subfields: Protocol Version, Type, Subtype, To DS,
7-8.
From DS, More Fragments, Retry, Power Management, More Data, Protected Frame, and Order. The format
Figure 7-66RTS frame Figure 7-75CTS frame
of the Frame Control field is illustrated in Figure 7-2.

ield of the RTS frame is the address of the When STA, the
on the
CTSWM,frame that is thean
follows intended
RTS frame,immediate
the RA field of the CTS frame is copied from the TA field of
B0
f the pending B1 B2 data
directed B3or management
B4 B7 B8
frame. B9
the immediately B10
previous B11RTS frame B12 toB13 which theB14 CTS is a B15
response. When the CTS is the first frame in a
Protocol Toframe exchange,
From the
More RA field is set
Pwr to the
MoreMAC Protected of the transmitter.
address
eld is theVersion
address of the STA transmitting
Type Subtype theDS RTS frame.
DS Frag Retry Mgt Data Frame Order
For all CTS frames sent in response to RTS frames, the duration value is the value obtained from the
TS frames sent by non-QoS STAs,
Figure the duration
7-8?ACK framevalue field
Duration is the of
time,
the inimmediately
microseconds, required
previous RTSto frame, minus the time, in microseconds, required to
he pending
Bits : data
2 or management
2 frame,
4 plus one CTS frame,
1transmit 1the CTSplus one ACK
1 frame and
1 frame,
its 1 plus
SIFS three
interval.
1 SIFS
If the1 calculated
1 duration includes a fractional microsecond,
If the calculated duration includes a fractionalthat microsecond,
value is that value
rounded up to isthe
rounded
next up to integer.
higher the next
the ACK
eger. For allframe
RTS frames
SIFS=10
is−copied
sentfrom
by STAs
µs.Address
the under EDCA,2 field of the immediately
following a contention previous
access directed
of the channel,
Figure
t, BlockAckReq
on control,
value is set in the Slot time
BlockAck
−following = control,
manner: 9 µs. or 7-29Frame
PS-Poll control Control
frame.field
At a non-QoS STA, if the CTS is the first frame in the exchange and the pending data or management frame
− DIFS = SIFS + 2 * Slot time
the NAV protection is desired for only the first or soleacknowledgment,
requires frame in the TXOP, the duration
the duration valuevalue is time, in microseconds, required to transmit the pending
is the
sent by non-QoS STAs,− Backoffif the More Fragments
window [0bit
=data wasslot
-or31] set to 0 in the Frame Control field of
time
t to the time, in microseconds, required to transmit the pending
management frame,
frame, plus onetwo
plus CTS frame,
SIFS plus plus one ACK frame. At a non-QoS STA, if the CTS is
intervals
previous60 directed data or management frame, the duration value is set to Copyright 0. In all other
© 2007ACK
IEEE. All rights reserved.
e ACK frame if required, plus three SIFS intervals. the first frame in the exchange and the pending data or management frame does not require
on value is the value obtained from the Duration/ID field of the immediately previous data,
herwise, the duration value is set to theframe acknowledgment,
remaining duration of thethe duration value is the time, in microseconds, required to transmit the pending data or
-Poll, BlockAckReq, or BlockAck minus the time, inTXOP.
microseconds, required to
management frame, plus one SIFS interval. If the calculated duration includes a fractional microsecond, that
K frame and its SIFS interval. If the calculated duration includes athe
fractional microsecond,
S frames
ded up tosent
the under HCCA,
next higher the duration valuevalue
integer. is setistorounded up to
one of the followingnextvalues:
higher integer.
the pending frame is the final frame, the duration value is set to the time, in microseconds,
For all CTS frames sent by STAs as the first frame in the exchange under EDCA, the duration value is set in
quired
frametoformat
transmit the pending frame, plus one CTS frame, plus one ACK frame if required, plus
ree SIFS intervals. the following manner:

tthe
forpending frame
the PS-Poll is notisthe
frame final frame
as defined M If the
in the 7-9.
in Figure TXOP, the NAV
durationprotection
value isisset
desired
to thefor only the first or sole frame in the TXOP the duration value is set
remaining
ration of the TXOP. to
M The time, in microseconds, required to transmit the pending frame, plus one SIFS interval, plus
the response frame (ACK or Block Ack), plus an additional SIFS interval, if there is a response
frame, or
M The time, in microseconds, required to transmit the pending frame, plus one SIFS interval, if
there is no response frame.
M Otherwise, the duration value is set to the remaining duration of the TXOP.
 Packet arrival time ta(k) Packet arrival time ta(k)

X´ X -(ta(k) -LCT)
yes
TAT< ta(k)?

no TAT ta(k) yes

X´<0?
yes
no conforming
TAT>ta(k)+L? no X´ 0
packet
no no conforming yes
X´>L?
TAT TAT+ I packet
conforming packet no
X X´+I
LCT ta(k)
GCRA (I, L) conforming packet

X Leaky bucket counter value.

I Increase X´ Auxiliary variable.
L Limit LCT Last Compliance Time.
TAT Theoretical Arrival Time

*N
139264 Kbps
STM-N AUG AU-4 VC-4 C-4

*3 TUG-3 TU-3 VC-3

*3 44736 Kbps
*7 34368 Kbps
AU-3 VC-3 C-3

*1 6312 Kbps
*7 TUG-2 TU-2 VC-2 C-2

*3 2048 Kbps
TU-12 VC-12 C-12

*4
1544 Kbps
TU-11 VC-11 C-11