Data Communications

LAN Technology
IEEE 802 v OSI
802 Layers
 Physical
 Encoding/decoding
 Preamble generation/removal
 Bit transmission/reception
 Transmission medium and topology
 Logical Link Control
 Interface to higher levels
 Flow and error control
802 Layers -
Media Access Control
 Assembly of data into frame with address and
error detection fields
 Disassembly of frame
 Address recognition
 Error detection
 Govern access to transmission medium
 Not found in traditional layer 2 data link control
 For the same LLC, several MAC options may be
available
LAN Protocols in Context
Network Topology
 Specifies general shape of a network
 Primarily refers to interconnections
 Hides details of actual devices
 Handful of broad categories
 Tree
 Bus
 Ring
 Star
LAN Topologies
Frame Transmission - Bus LAN
Bus network example
 Ethernet
 most popular LAN
 widely used
 IEEE standard 802.3
 Several generations
 same frame format
 different data rates
 different wiring scheme
Star Topology
 Central component of network known as hub
 Each station separately and directly connected to central node
 Usually via two point to point links
 Central node can broadcast
 Physical star, logical bus
 Only one station can transmit at a time
 Central node can act as frame switch
Transmission Media
 Twisted pair
 Not practical in shared bus at higher data rates
 Baseband coaxial cable
 Used by Ethernet
 Broadband coaxial cable
 Included in 802.3 specification but no longer made
 Optical fiber
 Expensive
 Difficulty with availability
 Not used
 Few new installations
 Replaced by star based twisted pair and optical fiber
Extending networks
 Motivation
 each LAN technology has a distance limitation
 example: CSMA/CD cannot work across arbitrary distance
 However
 users desire arbitrary distance connections
 example: two computers across a corporate campus are
part of one workgroup
 Extension techniques
 must not violate design assumptions
 often part of original design
 example technique (use connection with lower delay than
copper)
Repeaters
 Hardware device
 Connects two LAN segments: Joins two segments of cable
 Layer one device
 Transmits in both directions simultaneously
 Copies signal from one segment to the other
 No buffering
 No logical isolation of segments
 Propagates noise and collisions
 If two stations on different segments send at the same time,
packets will collide
 Only one path of segments and repeaters between any two
stations
Layer 1 Device: Repeater

• Repeaters are Layer 1 devices used to combat attenuation.

• They do NOT look at Layer 2, Data Link (MAC, Ethernet)
addresses or Layer 3, IP Addresses.
Hub
 Hardware, layer one device
 Multi-port repeater
 Physically
 Small electronic device
 Has connections for several computers
 Logically
 retransmits incoming signal to all outgoing lines
 Operates on signals
 Does not understand packets (frames)
 Only one station can transmit at a time
 With a 10Mbps LAN, total capacity is 10Mbps
 Low cost
 Layer 1 Device: Hub

• Hub is a multiport repeater.

• Data that comes in one port is sent out all other ports, except
for the port it came in on.
Hub stacking
 Connection multiplexing
 Multiple stations share one network connection:
cost, and wiring
 Connections on a hub
 One for each attached computer
 One for another hub
 Multiple hubs
 Can be interconnected in a daisy chain
 Operates as one large hub
 Called stacking
Bridge
 Hardware layer two device
 Connects two LAN segments
 Forwards frames
 Does not forward noise and collision
 Learn addresses and filters
 Allows independent transmission
 Ability to expand beyond single LAN
 Provide interconnection to other LANs/WANs
 Connects similar LANs
 Layer 2 Device : Bridge

• Bridges keep tables of MAC addresses.

• Bridges keep track of and examine Layer 2, Data Link addresses
(MAC addresses)
• Bridges learn about devices on each port and “decide” whether or
not it needs to forward the traffic.
• Generically, a bridge is a two-port switch.
Bridge Operation
Switch
 Hardware layer two electronic device
 physically similar to a hub, but logically similar to a bridge
 Multi-port bridge
 operates on packets
 understand addresses
 only forwards when necessary
 permits separate pairs of computers to communicate at the
same time
 Incoming frame switches to appropriate outgoing line
 Unused lines can also be used to switch other traffic
 With two pairs of 10Mlines in use, overall capacity is now
20Mbps
Layer 2 Device: Switch
Switch: internal operation
 Store and forward switch
 Accept input, buffer it briefly, then output
 Fragment–free
 Wait for a block of 64 bytes, and send (most errors
occur at the beginning of the frame)
 Cut-through switch
 Take advantage of the destination address being at
the start of the frame
 Begin repeating incoming frame onto output line as
soon as address recognized
 May propagate some bad frames
Data Communications

LAN Systems
CSMA/CD
 multiple access (MA)
 multiple computers attach to shared media
 each uses same access algorithm
 carrier sense (CS)
 wait until medium idle
 begin to transmit frame
 simultaneous transmission is possible, and if two occur
 interfere with one another: called collision
 CSMA plus collision detection (CD)
 Listen to medium during transmission
 detect whether another station’s signal interferes
 Jam, back-off from interference, wait a random time and try again
Exponential backoff
 when collision occurs
 wait for a random time t1, 0 ≤ t1 ≤ d
 use CSMA and try again
 if second collison occurs
 wait random time t2, 0 ≤ t2 ≤ 2d
 double range for each successive collision
CSMA/CA
 used on wireless LANs
 both sides send small message followed by data
transmission
 X is about to send to Y
 Y is about to receive from X
 Data frame sent from X to Y
 purpose: inform all stations in range of X or Y
before transmission
 known as collision avoidance (CA)
IEEE 802.3 Frame Format
Ethernet wiring: original
 heavy coaxial cable is used
 formal name 10Base5
 called thicknet
Ethernet wiring: 2G
 thinner coaxial cable is used
 formal name 10Base2
 called thinnet
Ethernet wiring: 3G
 uses a hub
 formal name 10BaseT
 called twisted pair Ethernet
Ethernet:10Mbps
 Specifications: data rate, Signaling method, and Max
segment length
 Family:
 10Base5 10Base2 10Base-T 10Base-FP

 Medium Coaxial Coaxial UTP 850nm fiber

 Signaling Baseband Baseband Baseband Manchester
 Manchester Manchester Manchester On/Off
 Topology Bus Bus Star Star
 Nodes 100 30 - 33
Fast Ethernet: 100Mbps
 Operates at 100 Mbps
 Formally: 100BaseT
 Two wiring standards
 10/100 devices are available
 Family:
 100Base-TX 100Base-FX 100Base-T4

 2 pair, STP 2 pair, Cat 5UTP 2

optical fiber 4 pair, cat 3,4,5
 MLT-3 MLT-3 4B5B,NRZI 8B6T,NRZ
Gigabit Ethernet Configuration
Gigabit Ethernet - Physical
 1000Base-SX
 Short wavelength, multimode fiber
 1000Base-LX
 Long wavelength, Multi or single mode fiber
 1000Base-CX
 Copper jumpers <25m, shielded twisted pair
 1000Base-T
 4 pairs, cat 5 UTP

 Signaling - 8B/10B
Wi-Fi
 Wireless Fidelity
 A LAN that uses high frequency radio waves
 A WLAN that uses IEEE 802.11 standards
 802.11b (11 Mbps, shared channel)
 802.11a (54 Mbps, shared channel)
 A user with a "Wi-Fi Certified" product can use any brand of
access point with any other brand of client hardware that also
is certified.
 Typically radio frequencies
 2.4GHz for 802.11b or 11g

 5GHz for 802.11a

 Uses CSMA/CA for media access

Typical Hybrid LAN with
Wireless Components

Wireless
LAN

Conventional
Wired LAN
WiMAX
 Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
 A standard wireless metropolitan area network (MAN)
technology that will provide a wireless alternative to
cable, DSL and T1/E1 for last mile broadband access.
 The portable version of WiMAX is the IEEE 802.16e
 It will also be used as complimentary technology to
connect WiFi 802.11 hot spots to the Internet.
Architectures
Last mile
Backhaul Point-To-MultiPoint links to
Directive Point-To- connect business or home
subscribers to the base stations
Point links to connect
base stations

Large areas coverage

WiMAX base station to
repeater station link for WiFi
subscriber access