AB1401

Information Technology

Seminar 4 :Telecommunications
 Learning Objectives
 Types of Signals & Transmission Media
 Cellular Networks & Technologies
 RFID
 How does Internet Work?
 Types of Networks
 Readings
 Chapter 3: Telecommunications,
Internet and Wireless Technology
Components of a Simple Computer Network

Illustrated here is a very simple computer network, consisting

of computers, a network operating system residing on a
dedicated server computer, cabling (wiring) connecting the
devices, network interface cards (NIC), switches, and a router.
Analog and digital data

 Analog and digital signals

 Analog (“continuous”) signals can take any
value within a range

5
 The Trouble with Analog
 Traditionally, sound and images recorded /transmitted as
analog signals (radio, TV)
 Analog signals are distorted during transmission /
reproduction

V V

t t
 Once distorted, original signal cannot be recovered

6
 Digital Signals Travel Well
 digital signals travel well
 even when they are distorted during transmission /
reproduction …

V
V 1 0 1 0 1
t t
 original signal can be reconstructed by sampling

7
 Digitizing Analog Signals
 Turning analog to digital
 computer text is already in digital format (ASCII)
 sounds, images and video can be encoded directly as
digital signals
 pre-existing analog signals can be digitized by
 sampling analog signal at regular intervals

V V

t t

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 Class Discussion

 A digitized song is an approximation of the

analog song. Explain.
(Exam Question, April/May 2012)
 Types of Transmission Media
Conducted
Conducted(Wired)
(Wired) Radiated
Radiated(Wireless)
(Wireless)

Copper
CopperWire
Wire Fiber
FiberOptics
Optics Radiowaves
Radiowaves Infrared
Infrared

UTP

COAX +
Bluetooth;
Radio Broadcasting;
…and many more
Wired and wireless media

 Wired media include

 Copper wire (twisted pair/coaxial fibre)
 Optical fiber
 Wired media have
 Unlimited capacity (just add more wires)
 Good security (physical access needed)
 High cost of deployment
 No mobility

11
Wireless media

 Information carried over radio waves

 Service area covered by access points
 Wireless networks provide
 High mobility
 Low cost of deployment (add towers)
 Poor security (message is broadcast)
 Limited capacity (interference among
messages on same frequency slot)

12
 Wireless Media
 Radio Waves
 Infrared Waves
 Terrestrial Microwave transmission
 Satellite Microwave
Spectrum, spectrum…..and spectrum
 Discussion Question
 “We are running out of spectrum.” What
does this statement mean? How can the
problem be solved?
(Exam Question, November/December
2012)
 Radio Transmission

 Radio based Technologies

 Bluetooth

 Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi)

 WiMax

 Cellular Technologies
 Bluetooth
 Enables digital devices to communicate wirelessly over short
distances
 Communicates at speeds of up to 1 Mbps within a range of up
to 33 ft
 WiFi

 Also called IEEE

802.11a, 802.11b,
802.11g, 802.11n
 High transmission rate
but short range (max.
100m)
 Used for wireless LAN
and wireless Internet
access
An 802.11 Wireless LAN
 WiMax

 Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave

Access (WiMax)
 Also called IEEE 802.16
 Range - 31 mile (50Km) radius from base
station
 Speed – 75 Mbps
 Principles of Cellular
Technology
 Each cell in a cellular telephone network is
served by one low power transmitter that
issues signals to the mobile stations located
in that cell.

 This low power transmitter, along with

a receiver and antenna, is located at a
base station (located at the center of each
cell)

 When a user moves from one cell to another,

transmission is changed from a channel in
her old cell to an available channel in the
new celll. This is known as handoff.

 Once the handoff is completed, channel in

the cell is available for reuse.

 Dividing large geographical areas into

cells allows the reuse of frequencies
for different transmissions.
Handoffs You’re on theIborder.
need a frequency
I
am
Use
handing
1.9 Ghzoff

Use 1.2Ghz
The Complete Cellular System

AB113 - Information Technology

Cellular Technologies

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 2G Digital Technologies
 The second generation of wireless networks
designed to improve on analog with digital solutions.
 Main 2G technology standards:
 GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications
 Based on European Telecommunications Standards Institute
(ETSI) standards
 Time division multiple access (TDMA)
 CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access
 2G services typically support data rates of 9.6 Kbps,
14.4 Kbps and up to 64 Kbps in certain deployments.
 GPRS
General Packet Radio Service
 Sometimes termed “2.5G”
 GPRS is built on top of established GSM network
infrastructure and requires new network
elements
 The base station transceiver cards must be upgraded
to support GPRS
 Packet-Switched wireless Internet access at max
171 kbps
 Always on
 3G
 Smarter Devices
 Devices will have the power of a small PC

 Higher Transmission Speeds

 Data downloads “anytime anywhere”

 3G Phones support both W-CDMA (3G standard)

and GSM

 Greater Number of Uses

 Data, including faster internet access
 Graphics and even video streaming
 4G (LTE)
 Also called LTE (Long Term Evolution)
 4G is only used for data; uses 3G for voice
 Can carry data four times faster than 3G
 Frequency Bands
 1800MHz and 2600MHz in Asia, Europe, Australia
 700MHz and 2100MHz in North America
 Limited coverage – Spectrum Scarcity
 Radio frequency
identification (RFID)
• Use tiny tags with embedded microchips containing data
about an item and location, and antenna
• Tags transmit radio signals over short distances to
special RFID readers, which send data over network to
computer for processing
• Active RFID: Tags have batteries, data can be
rewritten, range is hundreds of feet, more expensive
• Passive RFID: Range is shorter, also smaller, less
expensive, powered by radio frequency energy
How RFID Works
 RFID vs. Barcodes
Criterion RFID Barcodes

Identification Unique at item level Common for similar SKUs

Human Intervention NO YES

Visible Outside Of Packaging Not Necessary Necessary

Line of Sight Required NO YES

Can be duplicated NO YES

Password Protected Item Data YES NO

Read Range Varies < 50 cm

Read/Write Capabilities YES NO

Amount of data UID + other custom data UID

 Radio frequency
identification (RFID)
• Common uses:

• Automated toll-collection

• Tracking goods in a supply chain

• Requires companies to have special hardware

and software

• Reduction in cost of tags making RFID viable for

many firms
 How does Internet Work?
 Internet Access Methods
 Internet Addressing & Architecture
 Packet Switching
 TCP/IP Protocol
The last mile

 However fast the network, the speed

is limited by the user’s connection to it
 How do you connect ?
1. Phone line and dial-up modem
2. Phone line and DSL modem
3. Cable TV line and cable modem
4. Satellite dish and satellite modem
5. Dedicated high-speed business lines

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 Modems
(Old Way)

 Modulator/Demodulator
 Modulation = “imprinting” a digital
signal on an analog signal
 Demodulation = converting a
modulated signal back to a digital signal
 ADSL Broadband
(Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

Voice + Data Slow upload

Always on Diff. upstream &
Fast downstream
Can use phone at the same time bandwidths
 Cable Broadband

Always on Speed degrades as

High speed Access number of people
Available wherever cable TV using it increases
can be had
 Fibre Broadband
 Next Generation Nationwide Broadband
Network (NGNBN) supports speeds of up to
1Gbps
 Uses fiber-optic cables
Telecoms Industry Structure
 Internet addresses
 Every networked device has its own
unique, four-byte IP address (destination
address), which IP uses to route data
packets.
 e.g. 123.45.678.901
 Every data packet on the Internet carries
the sender’s and the recipient’s IP Address!
 The IP Address
 IP Address is a string of 32 bits
10011011 01000101 00000101 10011100
 They are commonly represented by 4 octets
for example: 155.69.5.156
 IP Addresses must be unique!
 There are only 232 = 4,294,967,296 different IP
Addresses
 IP addresses (like 123.45.678.901) aren't very
convenient for humans to use – difficult to
remember.
 IPv6
 Uses 128 bits or 16 bytes
 Allows for 2128 (instead of 232) different IP-
Addresses
 Addresses are expressed in hexadecimal-colon
notation
DA3F:38C7:1934:EC8B:5671:0000:A690:21FD
 Visit www.ipv6forum.com to learn more about
IPv6
 Discussion Question

 How does your browser know which IP

address to connect to when you type in
www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg?
(Exam Question, S2 2011/12)
 Domain Names
 IP addresses (like 123.45.678.901) aren't very
convenient for humans to use – difficult to
remember.
 A system, called the DNS (Domain Name System),
of giving easy-to-remember domain names to IP
addresses was created.
 Domain names based on
 type of activity (.gov, .mil, .edu, …)
 geographical location (.us, .uk, .sg, …)
e.g. ntu.edu.sg
 Domain Name Servers
 http tells your browser, for example, where to
find the IP address corresponding to a URL

www.example.com DNS- Web-

Server Server

IP
12.3.5.4
 Domain Name Servers

What IP address
belongs to
www.example.com? DNS- Web-
Server Server

IP
12.3.5.4
Domain Name Servers

DNS- Web-
Server Server
12.3.5.4
IP
12.3.5.4
Domain Name Servers

DNS- Web-
Server Server

IP
12.3.5.4
12.3.5.4: Send me your homepage
 Discussion Question
“DNS Hijacking”
 “New York Times website was taken down after its domain name
registrar, MelbourneIT, was hacked, rendering its customers unable
to access the site. A registrar is an organization where one can
register a domain name that will be placed in the DNS database. The
hackers managed to obtain the user name and password of at least
one administrator at Melbourne IT.”
 What is a domain name? How can hacking of MelbourneIT’s server
make the New York Times website inaccessible to its customers?
Explain.
(Exam Question, April/May 2014)


Circuit and Packet Switching

Switching = moving messages around a WAN

 circuit switching

 physically link up the two stations

 “reserve” link for exclusive use for duration of
conversation (e.g. phone calls)
 packet switching (used on the Internet)
 break up message into small packets
 packets “propagate” through network
 re-assemble packets, recover message

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Circuit Switching

 The entire message travels by one

dedicated route, which stays blocked
e
b

a g
d

c f
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 Circuit Switching
 Step 1: Establish Circuit

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 Circuit Switching
 Step 2: Send Data (or do nothing)

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 Circuit Switching
 Step 3: Terminate Circuit

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 Packet Switching

 The message is divided into packets. The

packets travel along different routes and may
arrive out of sequence.

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 Packet Switching

Bits and Bytes are bundled together in packets

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Features of packet switching
 Better network utilization (no routes are
blocked, re-route around congestion)
 Robustness (multiple paths exist among
nodes, re-route around damage)
 More complex (packets tagged and re-
sequenced at destination), thus slower
 Troublesome for real-time data (voice, video)
where packets must arrive in correct order

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 Some Tradeoffs
Advantages of Circuit-
Switched Networks
 Data are transferred
without “disturbance” of
other packets
 No address Information
needs to be carried
 Fast, uninterrupted
 Good for real-time
transmission, such as
voice and video
AB113 - Information Technology
Advantages of Packet-
Switched Networks
 No capacity wasted
 Circuits are never blocked
 Flexible routing: if a path is
jammed, packets can easily
be re-routed
 No timely establishing and
termination of circuits
 Good for large networks,
transmission that is tolerant
to (some degree of) delay
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 Examples
Examples of Circuit- Examples of Packet-
Switched Technologies Switched Technologies
 Traditional  LANs
Telephone Network  Some type of WANs
 Cellular Networks  e.g. ATM, Frame Relay
 GPRS
 SMS
 WiFi

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 Discussion Question
 Phone calls over the Internet are
fundamentally different from those using
landlines. How? Explain briefly.
(Exam Question, November/December
2011)
How Voice over IP Works
 VoIP (Voice over IP)
Internet telephony
 Sending compressed digitized voice over packet switched
networks

 Makes effective use of  Reliability: When the

network by integrating network is down, the
voice and data on one telephone service will also
network be down
 Opens possibilities for
innovative communications
 Quality: Low voice quality
solutions when data traffic is high
 Types of Networks
(Supplementary Material)
How to Classify Networks
by topology
 Star Intranet
 Bus Extranet
 Ring Internet
 WAN Client-
 MAN Server
 LAN P2P
 PAN
Some common telecom terms
 Star Intranet
 Bus Extranet
 Ring Internet
 WAN Client-
 MAN Server
 LAN
(mainly) P2P
by geographical
 PAN range
Some common telecom terms
by access
 Star privilege Intranet
 Bus Extranet
 Ring Internet
 WAN Client-
 MAN Server
 LAN P2P
 PAN
Some common telecom terms
 Star Intranet
 Bus Extranet
 Ring Internet
 WAN Client-
 MAN Server
 LAN P2P
 PAN by distribution of
computing power and tasks
Networks by Topology
 By Geographical Range:
LANs, MANs, and WANs
Commonly connects separate
offices from the same
organization, whether they
are across town or across
the world

Connecting LANs from

multiple buildings

Within the confines of a

room or single building
 By Geographical Range:
PAN
 Network composed of
personal communication
devices
 Leading technology:
Bluetooth
 To connect computers
with printers, scanners,
PDAs, …
 Low speed (1Mbps),
low range (<10m)
By Access Privilege

Internet

Extranet
Intranet
Firewall
Corporate Intranet
 By Distribution of Computing
Power and Tasks
 Client-Server
 Peer-to-peer Examples:
- File server
- Print server
- Mail server

Typically for
large networks
 By Distribution of Computing
Power and Tasks
 Client-Server
 Peer-to-peer
Typically for
Small Networks