CHAPTER 17

X.25

17.1 REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. The packet layer of X.25 is equivalent to the OSI network layer. The X.25 frame
layer is equivalent to the OSI data link layer. The X.25 physical layer is equivalent
to the OSI physical layer.
3. I-frames are used for encapsulating packets from the network layer. S-frames pro-
vide flow and error control in the frame layer. U-frames are used to set up and dis-
connect links between a DTE and DCE.
5. There are two levels of flow and error control in X.25. Flow and error control
between a DTE and DCE is under the supervision of the frame layer, while end-to-
end flow and error control is handled by the packet layer.
7. Each packet that travels on a virtual circuit has a logical channel number.
9. X.25 uses permanent and switched virtual circuits.
11. Control and data packets.
13. The X.121 protocol provides a method to globally address a DTE connected to a
public or private network.

17.2 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

15. d 17. b 19. b 21. c 23. c 25. d 27. a 29. c 31. a 33. d

17.3 EXERCISES
35. The address field can define up to 1000 (103) countries, 10 networks per country,
1010 terminals per network, 1014 terminals in total.
37. Borrow a bit from the NTN field.

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39. See Figure 17.1

Figure 17.1 Exercise 39

To DTE Mgmt.
Flag 00000001 Control FCS
Info.

1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0

41. See Figure 17.2.

Figure 17.2 Exercise 41

To DCE Mgmt.
Flag 00000001 Control FCS
Info.

1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0

43. See Figure 17.3.

Figure 17.3 Exercise 43

User Data
To DCE Flag 00000001 Control FCS
(See Figure 17.12)

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

45. See Figure 17.4.

Figure 17.4 Exercise 45

To DTE Flag 00000001 Control FCS

1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

47. This is an inter-country connection. The country code of the source is 445. The
country code of the destination is 231. The network address of the source is 6. The
 SECTION 17.3 EXERCISES 61

network number of the destination is 1. The terminal number of the source is

3141121312. The terminal number of the destination is 3178121132.
49. The packet layer uses one LCN for each connection. This means that the data and
control packets belonging to the same connection should use the same LCN. That
is why they say that X.25 uses in-band signaling at the network layer because the
data and control packets should use the same channel at the network layer (the
same LCN). Of course, several application programs can use different LCNs using
the same link-layer connection.
51. No. All PLP packets should be encapsulated in an I-frame at the data link layer.
53. See Figure 17.5.

Figure 17.5 Exercise 53

Data Packet at PLP level

I-frame I

Data Packets

RR S-frame

Frame ACKs

Control Packet at PLP level

(RR)

I I-frame

Data Packets

S-frame RR

Frame ACKs
62 CHAPTER 17 X.25