Lecture 5

Communication
Fundamentals in Computer
Networks

M. Adnan Quaium
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology
Room – 4A07
Email – adnan.eee@aust.edu
URL- http://adnan.quaium.com/aust/cse4295

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 1

 Topics

◦ Circuit-Switched Networks
◦ From Circuit Switching to Packet Switching
◦ The Principle of Packet Switching
◦ Advantages of Packet Switching
◦ Packet header
◦ Disadvantages of Packet Switching

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 2

 Circuit-Switched Networks
In circuit-switched networks (also called switching networks), the
communication partners have a fixed connection available.

It is set up over a series of switching locations.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 3

 Circuit-Switched Networks

An important example of a circuit-switched network is an

analog telephone network.

● The connection to the desired party is established via the automated

exchanges of the telephone network by dialing a number.
● After the participant on the opposite end has picked up the receiver,
the connection remains active until the receiver is hung up.
● In a telephone network, speech is transmitted between the sender
and the receiver with a more or less constant bandwidth.
The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted per unit of
time over a specific transmission medium is referred to as bandwidth.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 4

 Circuit-Switched Networks

A circuit-switched network offers the communication partners a fixed

data transmission rate at all times. Delay on a network transmission path
is always uniform and remains minimal.

The bandwidth of a connection is always limited by the weakest section of

the route through the network.

If one of the exchanges involved fails, the connection is lost and

communication ends.

In the worst case scenario it can happen that after the failure
of just one exchange, entire subnets of the whole network
become separated and inaccessible.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 5

From Circuit Switching to Packet Switching

The data traffic generated by networked-functioning computers is not

steady in comparision to the normal telephone call, but occurs in varying
clusters of activity, called as bursts.

Bursts occur as intervals of maximum activity on which follow intervals of

inactivity.

How can a fail-safe data flow be ensured in computer

communications, also when exchanges do not work with
absolute reliability or can even fail completely?

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 6

 The Principle of Packet Switching

● Packet switching is based on the principle of the disassembling the

message to be sent into individual data packets.
● After disassembly (fragmentation), the packets can be transported
over the communication network individually and independent of one
another.
● The route taken by the individual packets is not fixed from the outset.
● The sender only determines the path to the next exchange.
● On the receiver’s side the data packets are subsequently reassembled
back into the original message.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 7

 The Principle of Packet Switching

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 8

 The Principle of Packet Switching

● Special routing algorithms serve to find the best path through the
network.
● On their path through the network, packets can able to avoid any
congestion and interference occurring at the exchanges.
● Although their way might be longer, they can reach their target faster
than packets traveling on a shorter but blocked path. In addition, the
entire network can also be utilized.
● A connection is never occupied for a long time and as a result all
potential senders have equal and fair access to the network.

No user can block a connection for a long time as happens in

circuit-switched networks.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 9

 The Principle of Packet Switching

In packet switching it is necessary that it be possible for data

packets to be buffered for as long as is necessary at the
network exchange.

● Every packet switch has its own intermediate storage (input buffer and
output buffer) for its incoming and outgoing data lines.
● If an incoming packet is to be forwarded via an output that is
momentarily occupied with sending another packet, the packet is
buffered in the output buffer until the output is free again.
● This type of exchange is thus called store-and-forward.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 10

 The Principle of Packet Switching

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 11

 The Principle of Packet Switching

● The latency that occurs is variable and depends on the network load.

● If a data packet cannot be accepted or forwarded because the input or

output buffer is full packet loss occurs. Either the incoming packet or a
packet from the output buffer is discarded.

● The order in which the packets are sent from the output buffer
corresponds to their arrival.
 Because packets can arrive from different inputs arbitrarily, i.e., in random
order, this bundling of different inputs to one output queue at the packet switch
is referred to as statistical multiplexing or as asynchronous multiplexing.
 The procedure contrasts to regular time division multiplexing (TDM), in which
alternately each participant receives an equally large time slot.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 12

 Message Switching

● Message switching is a special kind of memory switching.

● Messages are not disassembled as in packet switching but sent in their
entirety, i.e., in one single packet, through the network.
● Just as in circuit switching, no explicit connection is established in this
type of message transfer.
● The entire message has to be buffered at the respective switching
stations; this also determines to which exchange the message will be
sent next.
● In the early days of telegraphy, telegrams were transmitted this way.
● Message switching is entirely unsuitable for data networks common
today.
● This procedure would mean exchanges being blocked for a lengthy time or
under certain circumstances their buffer not having enough storage space for
even a single message.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 13

 Packet Switching vs. Message Switching

In this example we can see that data transmission in the packet-switched network is
three times faster than in the message-switched network.
CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 14
 Advantages of Packet Switching

● High network utilization

Since the individual data packets in packet switching are usually very small, a high
degree of network utilization can be reached. The waiting times for all other
communication participants remains minimal.
● Fair resource allocation
The communication network is available to all participants equally. All connected devices
can send data packets alternatively according to a predetermined multiplex procedure.
● Rapid error detection
If small data packets are always sent, transmission errors can be quickly detected and if
possible corrected immediately. It’s only necessary to re-transmit the faulty packets and
not the whole message.
● High reliability
If one switching station fails, the whole message is not lost as in the case of circuit
switching.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 15

 Packet header

● So that the complete message in a

packet switched network can reach its
destination and be reassembled
correctly again on the receiver side, all
data packets must contain a range of
additional information.
● This additional information is usually
transmitted in a segment prefixing the
package and is known as a packet
header.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 16

 Packet header

A Packet Header consists mainly of the following 4 parts :

● Address information
Packet headers contain address details about the sender and receiver.

● Packet number
The individual data packets have to be numbered consecutively.

● Padding data
It is possible that the amount of data sent is smaller than the required packet size. In this
case, the data packet must be supplemented with padding data.

● Error detection mechanisms

To recognize the transmission errors, extra error detection data must be added. This
does not only make it possible to identify errors but in some cases to also correct them.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 17

 Comparison

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 18

 Transmission time

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 19

 Disadvantages of Packet Switching

● Overload (Congestion)
Because there are no dedicated, exclusive connections fixed in packet switching, it can
happen that an exchange is not able to handle a sudden rush of incoming data packets,
i.e., the available buffer overflows and as a result data packets are lost.

● Complex communication protocol

All communication partners must commit to a network based on a common network
protocol. For example, the basic data packets and parameters for the communication
process must be established such as bit rates and data fragmentation.

● No quality of service guarantee

Another disadvantage of packet switching is that it is not possible to guarantee a
constant bandwidth for transmission without taking extra steps.

CSE 4295 : Multimedia Communication prepared by M. Adnan Quaium 20