Chapter 1

Introduction

Computer Networking: A
Top-Down Approach
8th edition
Jim Kurose, Keith Ross
Pearson, 2020
Introduction: 1-1
Chapter 1: introduction
Chapter goal:
▪ Get “feel,” “big picture,”
introduction to terminology
• more depth, detail later in
course
Overview/roadmap:
▪ What is the Internet? What is a
protocol?
▪ Network edge: hosts, access network,
physical media
▪ Network core: packet/circuit switching,
internet structure
▪ Protocol layers, service models
▪ History
Introduction: 1-2
The Internet: a “nuts and bolts” view
Billions of connected mobile network
computing devices: national or global ISP
▪ hosts = end systems
▪ running network apps at
Internet’s “edge”

Packet switches: forward

local or
packets (chunks of data) Internet
regional ISP
▪ routers, switches
home network content
Communication links provider
network datacenter
▪ fiber, copper, radio, satellite network

▪ transmission rate: bandwidth

Networks enterprise
▪ collection of devices, routers, network
links: managed by an organization
Introduction: 1-3
“Fun” Internet-connected devices
Tweet-a-watt:
monitor energy use

bikes

Pacemaker & Monitor

Amazon Echo Web-enabled toaster +

IP picture frame
weather forecaster
Internet
refrigerator
Slingbox: remote cars
control cable TV
Security Camera AR devices
sensorized, scooters
bed
mattress

Gaming devices
Others?
Internet phones Fitbit
Introduction: 1-4
The Internet: a “nuts and bolts” view
mobile network
4G
▪ Internet: “network of networks” national or global ISP
• Interconnected ISPs (Hierarchy of ISPs)
• Internet Service provider (ISP)
Streaming
▪ protocols are everywhere Skype
IP
video
• control sending, receiving of messages
local or
• e.g., HTTP (Web), streaming video, regional ISP
Skype(VoIP), TCP, IP, WiFi, 4G, Ethernet
home network content
provider
HTTP network datacenter
▪ Internet standards network
Ethernet
• RFC: Request for Comments
• IETF: Internet Engineering Task enterprise
TCP

Force (organization) network

WiFi
Introduction: 1-5
The Internet: a “services” view
▪ Infrastructure that provides mobile network

services to applications: national or global ISP

• Web, streaming video, multimedia

teleconferencing, email, games, e- Streaming
commerce, social media, inter- Skype video
connected appliances, … local or
regional ISP
▪ provides programming interface
to distributed applications: home network content
provider
• “hooks” allowing sending/receiving HTTP network datacenter

apps to “connect” to, use Internet

network

transport service
• provides service options, analogous enterprise
to postal service network

Introduction: 1-6
What’s a protocol?
Human protocols: Network protocols:
▪ “what’s the time?” ▪ computers (devices) rather than humans
▪ “I have a question” ▪ all communication activity in Internet
▪ introductions governed by protocols

Rules for:
Protocols define the format, order of
… specific messages sent messages sent and received among
… specific actions taken network entities, and actions taken
when message received,
or other events on message transmission, receipt

Introduction: 1-7
What’s a protocol?
A human protocol and a computer network protocol:

Hi TCP connection
request
Hi TCP connection
response
Got the
time? GET http://gaia.cs.umass.edu/kurose_ross
2:00
<file>
time

Q: other human protocols?

Introduction: 1-8
Chapter 1: roadmap
▪ What is the Internet?
▪ What is a protocol?
▪ Network edge: hosts, access network,
physical media
▪ Network core: packet/circuit
switching, internet structure
▪ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
▪ Security
▪ Protocol layers, service models
▪ History
Introduction: 1-9
A closer look at Internet structure
mobile network

Network edge: national or global ISP

▪ hosts: clients and servers

▪ servers often in data centers
local or
regional ISP

home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-10
A closer look at Internet structure
mobile network

Network edge: national or global ISP

▪ hosts: clients and servers

▪ servers often in data centers
local or
Access networks, physical media: regional ISP

▪wired, wireless communication links home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-11
A closer look at Internet structure
mobile network

Network edge: national or global ISP

▪ hosts: clients and servers

▪ servers often in data centers
local or
Access networks, physical media: regional ISP

▪wired, wireless communication links home network content

provider
network datacenter

Network core: network

▪ interconnected routers
▪ network of networks enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-12
Access networks and physical media
Q: How to connect end systems mobile network
national or global ISP
to edge router?
▪ residential access nets
▪ institutional access networks (school,
company)
local or
▪ mobile access networks (WiFi, 4G/5G) regional ISP

home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-13
Access networks: cable-based access
cable headend

cable splitter
modem

C
O
V V V V V V N
I I I I I I D D T
D D D D D D A A R
E E E E E E T T O
O O O O O O A A L

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Channels

frequency division multiplexing (FDM): different channels transmitted in

different frequency bands
Introduction: 1-14
Access networks: cable-based access
cable headend

cable splitter cable modem

modem CMTS termination system
data, TV transmitted at different
frequencies over shared cable ISP
distribution network

▪ HFC: hybrid fiber coax

• asymmetric: up to 40 Mbps – 1.2 Gbps downstream transmission rate, 30-100 Mbps
upstream transmission rate
▪ network of cable, fiber attaches homes to ISP router
• homes share access network to cable headend
Introduction: 1-15
Access networks: digital subscriber line (DSL)
central office telephone
network

DSL splitter
modem DSLAM

voice, data transmitted ISP

at different frequencies over DSL access
dedicated line to central office multiplexer

▪ use existing telephone line to central office DSLAM(Digital subscriber access multiplexer)
• data over DSL phone line goes to Internet
• voice over DSL phone line goes to telephone net
▪ 24-52 Mbps dedicated downstream transmission rate (50 kHz to 1 MHz band)
▪ 3.5-16 Mbps dedicated upstream transmission rate (4 kHz to 50 kHz band)
▪ An ordinary two-way telephone channel, in the 0 to 4 kHz band

Introduction: 1-16
Access networks: home networks
Wireless and wired
devices

to/from headend or
central office
often combined
in single box

cable or DSL modem

WiFi wireless access router, firewall, NAT

point (54, 450 Mbps)
wired Ethernet (1 Gbps)
Introduction: 1-17
Wireless access networks
Shared wireless access network connects end system to router
▪ via base station aka “access point”

Wireless local area networks Wide-area cellular access networks

(WLANs)
▪ typically within or around
building (~100 ft)
▪ 802.11b/g/n (WiFi): 11, 54, 450
Mbps transmission rate
▪ provided by mobile, cellular network
operator (10’s km)
▪ 10’s Mbps
▪ 4G cellular networks (5G coming)

to Internet
to Internet
Introduction: 1-18
Access networks: enterprise networks

Enterprise link to
ISP (Internet)
institutional router
Ethernet institutional mail,
switch web servers

▪ companies, universities, etc.

▪ mix of wired, wireless link technologies, connecting a mix of switches
and routers (we’ll cover differences shortly)
▪ Ethernet: wired access at 100Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps
▪ WiFi: wireless access points at 11, 54, 450 Mbps
Introduction: 1-19
Access networks: data center networks
mobile network
▪ high-bandwidth links (10s to 100s national or global ISP
Gbps) connect hundreds to thousands
of servers together, and to Internet

local or
regional ISP

home network content

provider
network datacenter
network

Courtesy: Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing enterprise

Center (mghpcc.org) network

Introduction: 1-20
Links: physical media
▪ bit: propagates between Twisted pair (TP)
transmitter/receiver pairs
▪ two insulated copper wires
▪ physical link: what lies • Category 5: 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps Ethernet
between transmitter & • Category 6: 10Gbps Ethernet
receiver
▪ guided media:
• signals propagate in solid
media: copper, fiber, coax
▪ unguided media:
• signals propagate freely,
e.g., radio

Introduction: 1-21
Links: physical media
Coaxial cable: Fiber optic cable:
▪ two concentric copper conductors ▪ glass fiber carrying light pulses, each
pulse a bit
▪ bidirectional
▪ high-speed operation:
▪ broadband: • high-speed point-to-point
• multiple frequency channels on cable transmission (10’s-100’s Gbps)
• 100’s Mbps per channel ▪ low error rate:
• repeaters spaced far apart
• immune to electromagnetic noise

Introduction: 1-22
Links: physical media
Wireless radio Radio link types:
▪ signal carried in various ▪ Wireless LAN (WiFi)
“bands” in electromagnetic • 10-100’s Mbps; 10’s of meters
spectrum ▪ wide-area (e.g., 4G cellular)
▪ no physical “wire” • 10’s Mbps over ~10 Km
▪ broadcast, “half-duplex” ▪ Bluetooth: cable replacement
(sender to receiver)
• short distances, limited rates
▪ propagation environment
effects: ▪ terrestrial microwave
• reflection • point-to-point; 45 Mbps channels
• obstruction by objects ▪ satellite
• Interference/noise • up to 45 Mbps per channel
• 270 msec end-end delay
Introduction: 1-23
A simple network diagram – Packet tracer

Introduction: 1-24
Chapter 1: roadmap
▪ What is the Internet?
▪ What is a protocol?
▪ Network edge: hosts, access network,
physical media
▪ Network core: packet/circuit
switching, internet structure
▪ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
▪ Security
▪ Protocol layers, service models
▪ History
Introduction: 1-25
The network core
▪ mesh of interconnected routers mobile network
national or global ISP
▪ packet-switching: hosts break
application-layer messages into
packets
• network forwards packets from one local or
regional ISP
router to the next, across links on
path from source to destination home network content
provider
network datacenter
network

enterprise
network

Introduction: 1-26
 Two key network-core functions

routing algorithm Routing:

Forwarding: local
local forwarding
forwarding table
table
▪ global action:
header value output link determine source-
▪ aka “switching” 0100 3
destination paths
▪ local action:
0101 2
0111 2
taken by packets
move arriving 1001 1

packets from ▪ routing algorithms

router’s input link 1
to appropriate
router output link 3 2

destination address in arriving

packet’s header
Introduction: 1-27
routing

Introduction: 1-28
 forwarding
forwarding

Introduction: 1-29
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
mobile network
▪ hosts connect to Internet via access national or global ISP
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
▪ access ISPs in turn must be
interconnected
• so that any two hosts (anywhere!) local or
regional ISP
can send packets to each other
▪ resulting network of networks is
home network content
provider
very complex network datacenter
network

• evolution driven by economics, enterprise

national policies network

Let’s take a stepwise approach to describe current Internet structure

Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

access access
net net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-31
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

connecting each access ISP to

each other directly doesn’t scale:
access
access
net O(N2) connections. net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-32
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Option: connect each access ISP to one global transit ISP?
Customer and provider ISPs have economic agreement.
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net

global
access
net
ISP access
net

access
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-33
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be competitors ….

access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
access
access net
net ISP A

access
net ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-34
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be competitors …. who will
want to be connected
Internet exchange point
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
IXP access
access net
net ISP A

access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
peering link
access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-35
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and regional networks may arise to connect access nets to ISPs

access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
IXP access
access net
net ISP A

access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
regional ISP access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-36
Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and content provider networks (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Akamai) may
run their own network, to bring services, content close to end users
access access
net net
access
net
access
access net
net
IXP access
access net
net ISP A

Content provider network

access
net
IXP ISP B access
net

access ISP C
net
access
net

access
net
regional ISP access
net
access access
net access net
net

Introduction: 1-37
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Tier 1 ISP Tier 1 ISP Google
IXP IXP IXP

Regional ISP Regional ISP

access access access access access access access access

ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP ISP

At “center”: small # of well-connected large networks

▪ “tier-1” commercial ISPs (e.g.,, Level 3 Sprint, AT&T, NTT), national & international coverage
▪ content provider networks (e.g., Google, Facebook): private network that connects its
data centers to Internet, often bypassing tier-1, regional ISPs
Introduction: 1-38
Chapter 1: roadmap
▪ What is the Internet?
▪ What is a protocol?
▪ Network edge: hosts, access network,
physical media
▪ Network core: packet/circuit
switching, internet structure
▪ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
▪ Security
▪ Protocol layers, service models
▪ History
Introduction: 1-39
Protocol “layers” and reference models
Networks are complex, Question: is there any
with many “pieces”: hope of organizing
▪hosts structure of network?
▪routers ▪and/or our discussion
▪links of various media of networks?
▪applications
▪protocols
▪hardware, software

Introduction: 1-40
OSI layers

Introduction: 1-41
OSI layers
(ENCAPSULATION)

Introduction: 1-42
Summary of OSI Layers

Introduction: 1-43
Example: organization of air travel
end-to-end transfer of person plus baggage
ticket (purchase) ticket (complain)
baggage (check) baggage (claim)
gates (load) gates (unload)
runway takeoff runway landing
airplane routing airplane routing
airplane routing

How would you define/discuss the system of airline travel?

▪ a series of steps, involving many services
Introduction: 1-44
Example: organization of air travel

ticket (purchase) ticketing service ticket (complain)

baggage (check) baggage service baggage (claim)
gates (load) gate service gates (unload)
runway takeoff runway service runway landing
airplane routing routing service
airplane routing airplane routing

layers: each layer implements a service

▪ via its own internal-layer actions
▪ relying on services provided by layer below
Introduction: 1-45
Why layering?
Approach to designing/discussing complex systems:
▪ explicit structure allows identification,
relationship of system’s pieces
• layered reference model for discussion (OSI
model)
▪ modularization eases maintenance,
updating of system
• change in layer's service implementation:
transparent to rest of system
• e.g., change in gate procedure doesn’t
affect rest of system

Introduction: 1-46
Layered Internet protocol stack (TCP/IP protocol
suite)
▪ application: supporting network applications
• HTTP, IMAP, SMTP, DNS
application
application
▪ transport: process-process data transfer
• TCP, UDP transport
transport
▪ network: routing of datagrams from source to
destination network
• IP, routing protocols
link
▪ link: data transfer between neighboring
network elements physical
• Ethernet, 802.11 (WiFi), PPP
▪ physical: bits “on the wire”
Introduction: 1-47
 Services, Layering and Encapsulation
M
application M application
message
Ht M
transport Ht M transport
segment
network Hn Ht M Hn Ht M network
datagram

link Hl Hn Ht M Hl Hn Ht M link
frame

physical physical

source destination

Introduction: 1-48
 message M
source
application
Encapsulation: an
segment
datagram Hn Ht
Ht M
M
transport
network
end-end view
frame Hl Hn Ht M link
physical
link
physical

switch

destination Hn Ht M network
M application Hl Hn Ht M link Hn Ht M
Ht M transport physical
Hn Ht M network
Hl Hn Ht M link router
physical
Introduction: 1-49
 ISO/OSI reference model
Two layers not found in Internet
application
protocol stack!
presentation
▪ presentation: allow applications to
interpret meaning of data, e.g., encryption, session
compression, machine-specific conventions transport
▪ session: synchronization, checkpointing, network
recovery of data exchange link
▪ Internet stack “missing” these layers!
physical
• these services, if needed, must be
implemented in application The seven layer OSI/ISO
reference model
• needed?
Introduction: 1-50