IT310: Computer

Networking basics
Course Objective
 A strong foundation of basic networking concepts is
fundamental to a successful career in information
technology. Networking technologies underlie all IT
activities and a strong comprehension of the hardware
and protocols used to create networks is essential to
future success.

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Course Outcomes
 In this course you will learn:
 Network classes and main characteristics.
 Applications requirements from the network.
 Basics of layered network protocols and compare the two primary
reference models: OSI and TCP/IP
 Main functions and services offered by each layer.
 Operation of various TCP/IP protocols on a network, including
connectionless and connection-oriented communications using
UDP and TCP,
 IP protocol,Network and subnetwork addressing.
 Create a subnet for a small network, selecting the correct masks
for various situations to accommodate the current number of hosts
in each subnet and to also allow for future growth
 Translation between private and public addresses using NAT, and
support protocols such as ARP, DNS, and DHCP

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For which profiles the course is important?

 Entry-level for technical professionals, including

IT support, help desk, and networking
professionals.
 Sales and marketing professionals looking to
increase their ability to communicate with
technical professionals and increase sales.
 Web and applications developers.
 Consultants and business analyst in the IT field.

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Course outline
 Chapter 1: Overview to networking basics.
 Chapter 2: Layered Model OSI – TCP/IP
 Chpater 3 : Application layer functions and main
protocols.
 Chpater 4 : Transport Layer (TCP/UDP)
 Chpater 5 : Network Layer (IP, ICMP)
 Chpater 6 : Ethernet Layer
 Chpater 7 : Network Addressing (ARP, NAT,
DHCP, DNS)
 Chpater 8: Network devices

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Assessment models
 30% quizes : quiz at the end of each chapter
 30% midterm
 40% Final exam

 Absenteeism
 More than 3 absences  not allowed to enter the
exam.
 Absence in a quiz could not retake the quiz.

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Chapter 1
Introduction to networking
IT 310
Dr-Eng. Manel Abdelkader

Tunis Business School

Fall 2018
Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to
perform the following tasks:

 Define a network.
 Classify networks.
 List major ressource sharing functions of the network.
 Describe the applications requirements from the
network
 Understand the characteristics of a network

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Outline
 Network definition
 Network classification
 Shared resources
 Applications requirements
 Network characteristics

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Do we really need networks ?
 What is a network?

A network, is a collection of devices interconnected by

communication channels that allow sharing of resources and
information.
Where at least one process in one device is able to
send/receive data to/from at least one process residing in a
remote device, then the two devices are said to be in a
network.

A network provides two principle benefits:

1. the ability to communicate
2. the ability to share  promote collaboration
 Network Classification

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Network Extent

Branch
Office Floor 2

Server Farm
ISDN
Telecommuter Floor 1

Remote Campus
Network Topology
 Network topology defines the structure of the network.
 Physical topology, which is the actual layout of the wire or media.
 Logical topology, which defines how the media is accessed by the
hosts for sending data.
 The logical topology of a network is how the hosts communicate
across the medium.
 The two most common types of logical topologies are broadcast and
token passing.
Network Resource Sharing

Telecommunication
networks

Circuit-switched Packet-switched
networks networks

FDM Networks Datagram

TDM
with VCs Networks
a- Circuit Switching (1)

• Switched circuits allow data connections that can be initiated

when needed and terminated when communication is complete
• Circuit switched network = a network in which a dedicated
circuit is established between sender and receiver and all data
passes over this circuit.

• The telephone system is a common example : the connection is

dedicated until one party or another terminates the connection.
Circuit Switching (2)
Circuit Switching (3)

• Dedicated communication path between two stations

• Three phases (Establish, Transfer, Disconnect)
• Inefficient (for data traffic)
-- Channel capacity dedicated for duration of connection
-- Much of the time a data connection is idle
-- If no data, capacity wasted

• Set up (connection) takes time

-- Once connected, transfer is transparent
-- Circuit switching designed for voice
-- Constant Data rate
 .Both ends must operate at the same rate
Circuit Switching (4)
• Multiplexing in Circuit Switched Networks

-- Multiplexing is a technique, in which a single transmission

medium is being shared among multiple users.

• Types of Multiplexing

-- Frequency Division Multiplexing FDM

-- Time Division Multiplexing TDM
Circuit Switching (5)

Example: 4 users

FDM

Frequency

time
TDM

Frequency

time
Synchronous TDM

Time slot

Transmission period
Synchronous TDM with empty time slots
Asynchronous TDM
b- Packet Switching

• Packet switched network

-- A network in which data is transmitted in the form of packets

-- Multiple users share network resources
-- No dedicated bandwidth is allocated
-- No resources are reserved, resources used as needed
-- Each packet uses full link bandwidth
-- Good for bursty traffic, simpler, no call setup
-- Packets queued and transmitted as fast as possible
-- Packets are accepted even when network is busy, which
causes the delivery to slow down
Packet Switching: Statistical
Multiplexing
10 Mb/s
A Ethernet statistical multiplexing C

1.5 Mb/s
B
queue of packets
waiting for output
link

D E
Sequence of A & B packets does not have fixed pattern 
statistical multiplexing.
 Packet Switching
• The goal of packet switching is to move packets through routers
from source to destination

• Packets sent one at a time to the network

• Two approaches are used:

-- Datagram Approach
-- Virtual Circuits Approach
Packet Switching - Datagram
Packet Switching - Datagram

• Datagram Approach:
-- Each packet is treated independently
-- No reference to packets that have gone before
-- Each node chooses next node on path using destination address
-- Packets with same destination address may not follow same route
-- Packets may arrive out of sequence, may be lost
-- It is up to receiver to re-order packets and recover from lost packets
-- No Call setup
-- For an exchange of a few packets, datagram quicker
Analogy: driving, asking directions
 Packet Switching – Virtual Circuits

• Preplanned route established before packets sent

• All packets follow same route
• Similar to circuit in circuit-switching network
-- Hence virtual circuit
• Each packet has virtual circuit identifier
-- Nodes on route know where to direct packets
-- No routing decisions
• Not dedicated path, as in circuit switching
-- Packet still buffered at node and queued for output
-- Routing decision made on before that virtual circuit
• Packets should transit more rapidly
• If node fails, all virtual circuits through node lost
 Exercice 1

Virtual Circuit Datagram

Call set up

Flexibility

Reliability

Delay (node , route)

Exercice
1. What are the differences between the Path of
Circuit Switshing Network and the Route of a
virtual circuit?

2. How are the resources being shared for each of

them? Are they similar?
Virtual Circuits vs Datagram

• Packets are forwarded more • No call setup phase

quickly – Better if few packets
– No routing decisions to • More flexible
make – Routing can be used to
• Less reliable avoid congested parts of
– Loss of a node looses all the network
circuits through that node • More reliable
• Less Node Delay – If a node fails, packets may
find an alternate route that
bypass that node
• More Node Delay
Circuit Switching vs Virtual Circuits

• Path • Route
– A dedicated path is – No dedicated path is
established between two established. Only a route
devices for the duration is defined. Each switch
of session. creates an entry in its
routing table for the
• Reserved Resources duration of virtual
circuit
– The link (multiplexed /
not multiplexed) that • Shared Links
makes the path are – The link that makes a
dedicated, and cannot route can be shared by
be used by other other connections
connections
 Network Components

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Network Devices
 A device is an equipment that connects directly to a network
segment. There are 2 types:
 End-user devices include computers, printers, scanners that
provide services directly to the user.
 Network devices include all the devices that connect the end-
user devices together to allow them to communicate. They
provide:
 extension of cable connections,
 concentration of connections,
 conversion of data formats,
 management of data transfers
 A host is an end-user device that provide users with a connection
to the network using a NIC

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Typical network

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 Network Application

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What could be shared on a network?
 Networks enable end users to share both
information and hardware resources:
 Data and applications
 Physical resources
 Network storage (DAS, NAS, SAN)
 Backup devices (Tape drives)

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Network-based Applications

 Different applications rely on networks.

 Could you give some examples of network based
applications?
 How can we classify them?

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Applications types
 E-mail: communicate information (messages and files) electronically to not
only other users in the same network but also other users outside the
network

 Web browser: enables access to the Internet through a common interface

(Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla, and Firefox).

 Instant messaging: from user to user to corporate

 Collaboration: Individuals creating separate parts of an annual report or

a business plan, for example, can either transmit their data files to a central
resource for compilation or use a workgroup software application to create
and modify the entire document. Exp. Wiki

 Database: enables users on a network to store information in central

locations. Exp Oracle, SQL Server.

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Applications classes

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Applications classes
 Batch applications: used the network to transfer bulk data
between systems, would be initiated by a user and then run to
completion by the software with no further direct human
interaction (FTP, inventory updates,…)

 Interactive applications: The user requests some type of

information from the server and then waits for a reply. Users are
intolerant of slow responses. Exp. inventory and database
inquiries ERP,…

 Real-time applications: the amount of information that is

transmitted is very important. In addition, because these
applications are time-critical, delay through the network is
critical. Even variations in transmission delays can affect the
application.

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Applications requirements

 The application requirements from the network

are different:
 Minimize time
 Minimize the loss

Is the network able to respond to these

requirements ?

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Network Bandwidth
 Bandwidth is the amount of information that can flow through
a network connection in a given period of time.

 Bandwidth is finite
 the bandwidth of a modem is limited to about 56 kbps by
both the physical properties of twisted-pair phone wires and
by modem technology
 Bandwidth is not free
 For WAN connections bandwidth is purchased from a
service provider

 A key factor in analyzing network performance and designing

new networks
 The demand for bandwidth is ever increasing

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Bandwidth Analogy
Throughtput
 Throughput is the actual, measured, bandwidth, at a specific time
of day, using specific internet routes, while downloading a specific
file. The throughput is often far less than the maximum
bandwidth
 Factors that determine throughput:
 Internetworking devices
 Type of data being transferred
 Network topology
 Number of users on the network
 User computer
 Server computer

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Transmission delay
Propagation delay
 Time spent by a bit to travel though the medium
from source to destination.

 Propagation Delay = Distance/Propagation

speed

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Latency

 Latency = Propagation delay + Transmission

delay + Queueing time + Processing time

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 Example 1

A network with bandwidth of 10 Mbps can pass only an average of 12,000 frames per
minute with each frame carrying an average of 10,000 bits. What is the throughput of this
network?

Solution
We can calculate the throughput as

The throughput is almost one-fifth of the bandwidth in this case.

 Example 2

What is the propagation time if the distance between the two points is 12,000 km?
Assume the propagation speed to be 2.4 × 108 m/s in cable.

Solution
We can calculate the propagation time as

The example shows that a bit can go over the Atlantic Ocean in only 50 ms if there is a
direct cable between the source and the destination.
 Example 3

What are the propagation time and the transmission time for a 2.5-kbyte message (an e-
mail) if the bandwidth of the network is 1 Gbps? Assume that the distance between the
sender and the receiver is 12,000 km and that light travels at 2.4 × 108 m/s.

Solution
We can calculate the propagation and transmission time as shown on the next slide:
 Example 3

Note that in this case, because the message is short and the bandwidth is high, the
dominant factor is the propagation time, not the transmission time. The transmission time
can be ignored.
 Example 4

What are the propagation time and the transmission time for a 5-Mbyte message (an
image) if the bandwidth of the network is 1 Mbps? Assume that the distance between the
sender and the receiver is 12,000 km and that light travels at 2.4 × 108 m/s.

Solution
We can calculate the propagation and transmission times as shown on the next slide.
 Example 4 (continued)

Note that in this case, because the message is very long and the bandwidth is not very
high, the dominant factor is the transmission time, not the propagation time. The
propagation time can be ignored.
Characteristics of a Network
 Speed: Speed is a measure of how fast data is
transmitted over the network. A more precise term
would be data rate.

 Cost: Cost indicates the general cost of components,

installation, and maintenance of the network.

 Security: Security indicates how secure the network

is, including the data that is transmitted over the
network.

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Characteristics of a Network
 Availability: Availability is a measure of the probability that the
network will be available for use when required. For networks
that are meant to be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days
a year, availability is calculated by dividing the time it is actually
available by the total time in a year and then multiplying by 100
to get a percentage.

 For example, if a network is unavailable for 15 minutes a year

because of network outages, its percentage availability can be
calculated as follows:
([Number of minutes in a year – downtime] / [Number of minutes in
a year]) * 100 =
Percentage availability
([525600 – 15] / [525600]) * 100 = 99.9971

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Characteristics of a Network
 Scalability: Scalability indicates how well the network can
accommodate more users and data transmission requirements. If
a network is designed and optimized for just the current
requirements, it can be very expensive and difficult to meet new
needs when the network grows.

 Reliability: Reliability indicates the dependability of the

components (routers, switches, PCs, and so on) that make up the
network. Reliability is often measured as a probability of failure,
or mean time between failures (MTBF).

 Topology: Networks have two types of topologies: the physical

topology, which is the arrangement of the cable, network devices,
and end systems (PCs and servers), and the logical topology,
which is the path that the data signals take through the physical
topology.

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What is Internet?
 Internet = network of networks

 “technique for multiplexed utilization of existing
interconnected networks”

 Multiplexing (sharing)
 Shared use of a single communication channel
 Existing networks (interconnection)
The Design Goals of the Internet
• Interconnection/Multiplexing (packet switching)
• Resilience/Survivability (fate sharing)
• Heterogeneity Decreasing
• Different types of services Priority
• Different types of networks
• Distributed management
“This set of goals might seem to be nothing more than a
• Cost effectiveness checklist of all the desirable network features. It is
important to understand that these goals are in order of
• Ease of attachment importance, and an entirely different network
architecture would result if the order were
• Accountability changed.”

These goals were prioritized for a military network.

Should priorities change as the network evolves?
 Fundamental Goal: Sharing

Packet Switching
• No connection setup
• Forwarding based on destination address in packet
• Efficient sharing of resources
• The Internet is a Datagram network

Tradeoff: Resource management potentially

more difficult.
Fundamental Goal: Interconnection
1. Need to interconnect many existing networks
2. Hide underlying technology from applications

Decisions:
• Network provides minimal functionality
• “Narrow waist”
email WWW phone... Applications
SMTP HTTP RTP...

TCP UDP…

IP

ethernet PPP…

CSMA async sonet... Technology

copper fiber radio...

Tradeoff: No assumptions, no guarantees.

The “Curse of the Narrow Waist”
 IP over anything, anything over IP
 Has allowed for much innovation both above and
below the IP layer of the stack
 An IP stack gets a device on the Internet
Interconnection: “Gateways”

 Interconnect heterogeneous networks

(No state about ongoing connections: Stateless packet switches)
 Generally, router == gateway
 But, we can think of your home router/PAT as also
performing the function of a gateway

192.168.1.51 68.211.6.120:50878
Home
Internet
Network 192.168.1.52 68.211.6.120:50879
Goal #2: Survivability

 Network should continue to work, even if

some devices fail, are compromised, etc.
 Failures on the Abilene (Internet 2) backbone
network over the course of 6 months

How well does the current Internet support

survivability?
Goal #2: Survivability
Two Options
 Replication
 Keep state at multiple places in the network, recover when
nodes crash
 Fate-sharing
 Accept to lose state information for some entity if the entity
itself is lost

Reasons for Fate Sharing

• Can support arbitrarily complex failure scenarios
• Engineering is easier

Some reversals of this trend:

PAT, Routing Control Platform
Goal #3a: Heterogeneous Services

 IP designed as a monolithic transport (not modular)

 Became clear that not every type of application would

need reliable (lossless), in-order delivery (delay)
 Example: Voice and video over networks (minimize delay)
 Example: DNS (minimize loss rate)
Topic: Voice and Video over Networks
 Deadlines: Timeliness more important than
100% reliability.
 Propagation of errors: Some losses more
devastating than others
Loss in “Anchor” Frame (I-Frame) Propagates to “Dependent” Frames
(P and B-Frames)
Goal #3b: Heterogeneous Networks

 Build minimal functionality into the network

 No need to re-engineer for each type of network
 “Best effort” service model : FIFO.
 Lost packets
 Out-of-order packets
 No quality guarantees (delay, bandwidth)
 No information about failures, performance, etc.

Tradeoff: Network management more difficult

 Goal #4: Distributed Management

Many examples:
Addressing (MAC, IP, E-mail)
 Though this was recently threatened.
Naming (DNS)

No single entity in charge.

Allows for organic growth, scalable management.

Tradeoff: No one party has visibility/control.

 No Owner, No Responsible Party

“Some of the most significant problems with the Internet

today relate to lack of sufficient tools for distributed
management, especially in the area of routing.”

 Hard to figure out who/what’s causing a problem

 Worse yet, local actions have global effects…
Goal #5: Cost Effectiveness

1. Packet headers introduce high overhead

2. End-to-end retransmission of lost packets
  Reduce overhead and loss

1. Internet Address
2. Age (TTL)
3. Checksum to protect header
Data Header

payload
01000111100010101001110100011001 header
What’s next?

 How Internet can reach these objectives?

 What makes Internet survive and support the

future technologies and network generations?

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