Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

MODULE 5:
ENTERPRISES NETWORKS:
LOCAL AREA NETWORK:Under LAN we study
• ETHERNET/IEEE 802.3

• TOKEN RING

• BRIDGES

• FDDI(Fiber Distributed Data Interface)

ETHERNET/IEEE802.3
CSMA/CD
This figure illustrates collision detection in
Ethernet using CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense
Multiple Access with Collision Detection).
Listen before transmitting data.
CSMA/CD Collision Detection:
Two stations A and B are connected to
a shared medium. Due to propagation de-
lay, both may think the channel is free and
transmit at the same time → collision oc-
curs.
(i) A starts transmission
At time t = 0, station A begins sending a
frame. The signal starts propagating to-
wards B. B has not yet sensed A’s signal
(due to delay).
(ii) B also starts transmission At time t =
t t, B senses the channel as idle. B starts transmitting its own frame. Now two signals
are moving toward each other → collision is inevitable.
(iii) B detects collision first, The signals collide near B. At time t = t, B detects the
collision. B stops transmission and sends a jam signal.
(iv) A detects collision later Collision signal propagates back to A. At time t = 2t, A
detects the collision. A also stops transmission.
Important Term: Propagation Delay (t) , Time taken for a signal to travel from A to B.
Worst-case collision detection time = 2t.
CSMA/CD allows devices to: Listen before transmitting, Detect collisions and Stop
and retransmit after random delay.

Hub Configuration:
A hub is a networking device that connects multiple stations in a LAN. It operates as a
multiport repeater, receiving signals from one port and broadcasting them to all other

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Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

ports. Physically it forms a star topology, but logically it behaves like a bus. It works in
half-duplex mode and supports CSMA/CD, leading to collisions.

(a) Logical View of Hub

The top block represents repeater electron-
ics. It has multiple ports with:
Rx (Receive)
Tx (Transmit)
Working:
When a signal comes from one station:
Hub receives (Rx) the signal, Regener-
ates/amplifies it Sends it to all other ports
via Tx
Stations: Each station has a MAC unit.
All stations share the same medium logi-
cally
Important Point: This behaves like a single
shared bus network (logical bus topology).
(b) Physical View of Hub Shows how de-
vices are physically connected. Looks like
a star topology: All stations connected to
a central hub
But logically, it still behaves like a bus.
Key Characteristics:
Broadcast device → sends data to all ports
No filtering → unlike switches
Half-duplex communication
Uses CSMA/CD (collisions can occur)
Single collision domain.
Advantages:
Simple and low cost
Easy to install
Useful for small networks
Disadvantages:
High collisions
Low performance
No security (data sent to all devices)
Obsolete (replaced by switches).

Ethernet Frame Format:

The image shows the Ethernet Frame Format, which defines how data is structured for
transmission over an Ethernet network.
Ethernet Frame Structure:
1. Preamble (7 bytes): Purpose: Synchronizes sender and receiver clocks before actual
data transmission.
2. SFD – Start of Frame Delimiter (1 byte) ; Indicates the start of the actual frame.

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Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

3. Destination Address (DA) – 6 bytes : Specifies the MAC address of the receiver.
I/G bit (Individual/Group)
0 → Individual (unicast)
1 → Group (multicast/broadcast)
L/C bit (Local/Global)
0 → Globally administered
1 → Locally administered

4. Source Address (SA) – 6 bytes - MAC

address of the sender. Also contains I/G
and L/C bits like DA.
5. Type/Length Field (2 bytes) -
If value 1500 → Indicates length of data
field
If value 1536 → Indicates type of protocol
(e.g., IP, ARP)
6. Data (Payload) – 46 to 1500 bytes Ac-
tual data being transmitted. If data is less
than 46 bytes → padding is added to meet
minimum size.
7. FCS – Frame Check Sequence (4 bytes) - Used for error detection. Based on CRC
(Cyclic Redundancy Check).
Frame Size:
Minimum size: 64 bytes
Maximum size: 1518 bytes

TOKEN RING:
A Token Ring is a LAN topology where all devices
are connected in a circular (ring) fashion. Data
travels in one direction, and access to the network
is controlled using a special frame called a token.
Step-by-Step Working
1. Free Token Circulates: A small control frame
called a token continuously moves around the ring.
The token indicates that the network is free. Each
station checks the token as it passes.
2. Station Wants to Transmit: When a station has
data to send, it waits for the free token. Once it
receives the token, it captures it. The station mod-
ifies the token into a data frame.
3. Data Transmission :The sending station at-
taches: Destination address, Data. The frame is
then sent around the ring from one node to the next.
4. Frame Reaches Destination; Each intermedi-
ate station forwards the frame. When the destina-
tion station receives the frame: It copies the data.
Marks the frame as received.

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Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

5. Frame Returns to Sender The frame continues

circulating until it comes back to the sender. The
sender removes the frame from the ring.
6. Token Regeneration: After removing the frame, the sender releases a new free token.
The token continues circulating for other stations to use.

Important Points: Only one station transmits at a time → no collisions.

Access is controlled and fair (each station gets a chance).
Data always moves in one direction around the ring.

Advantages:
No data collisions
Predictable performance
Fair access to all nodes

Disadvantages:
Failure of one node can affect the entire network.
More complex than Ethernet

Bridges:
comparison between Repeater and Bridges:

Feature Repeater Bridge

Layer (OSI Model) Physical Layer (Layer 1) Data Link Layer (Layer 2)
Main Function Regenerates and amplifies signals Connects and filters traffic be-
tween network segments
Signal Handling Only strengthens/reshapes signal Examines MAC addresses and
forwards frames selectively
Traffic Control No control (broadcasts every- Controls traffic using filtering and
thing) forwarding
Collision Domain Does NOT separate collision do- Separates collision domains
mains
Intelligence Not intelligent (no decision- Intelligent (uses MAC address ta-
making) ble)
Usage Extending cable distance Connecting LAN segments and
reducing traffic
Speed/Performance Slower (no filtering) Faster (reduces unnecessary traf-
fic)

Transparent Bridges:
A transparent bridge is a type of network bridge that operates at the Data Link Layer
(Layer 2) and connects multiple LAN segments without requiring any configuration from
users or devices—hence the term “transparent.”

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Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

Working Principle: - A transparent bridge works

using three main operations:

• Learning : The bridge records the source

MAC address of incoming frames. Stores it
in a forwarding table

• Forwarding - If the destination MAC is in the

table → forward to correct port. If unknown
→ flood to all ports except the incoming one

• Filtering - If source and destination are on

the same segment → frame is dropped (not
forwarded)

Transparent Bridge Architecture: internal

structure of a transparent bridge.
Main Components:
1. Forwarding Database (FDB) Table containing:
Station (MAC) Address, Port Number - Used to
decide where to forward frames
2. Bridge Protocol Entity - Implements bridge logic Runs algorithms like: Learning,
Forwarding and Filtering. Works with protocols like Spanning Tree
3. Port Management Software - Controls each port of the bridge. Handles communication
between: Hardware (MAC chips) Bridge logic
4. MAC Chips (Port 1 Port 2) - Interface between bridge and LAN segments. Each port
connects to a different LAN segment.
5. Memory Buffers - Temporarily store incoming frames Helps in processing and forward-
ing.

(b) Application Example - This part shows two bridges (Bridge 1 and Bridge 2) and
how they learn addresses.
Meaning:-
Devices 1 and 2 are on Port 1 of bridge 1
Devices 3 and 4 are on Port 2 of bridge 1
Devices 3 and 4 are on Port 1 of bridge 2
Devices 5 and 6 are port 2 of bridge 2 etc.

Learning Process: When a frame comes from a device: Bridge records source MAC
address. Over time, bridge learns full network topology
Forwarding Example: If device 1 → 4
Bridge checks FDB
Sends only to correct port (no flooding)
Advantages:
Reduces unnecessary traffic
Improves network performance
Easy to install and maintain
No need for address configuration

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Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

Source Routing Bridge(SRB)

Working Principle:

Network Topology:
The diagram shows a source routing bridged LAN
with:
LAN Segments - Segment 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Bridges - B1, B2, B3, B4 connecting seg-
ments
Stations - A, B, C, D, E located in different seg-
ments
Connectivity Structure:
Segment 1 connected to Segment 2 via B1
Segment 2 connected to:
Segment 3 via B2,
Segment 4 via B3,
Segment 5 via B4,
So Segment 2 acts like a central hub

b) Routing Tables Explanation: Unlike transparent bridges, here end stations main-
tain routing tables.
Routing Table at Station A
Destination Route
B Segment 1 (same segment)
C Segment 1 → B1 → Segment 2 → B2 → Segment 3
D Segment 1 → B1 → Segment 2 → B3 → Segment 4
E Segment 1 → B1 → Segment 2 → B4 → Segment 5

FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface:)

FDDI is a high-speed token ring network
that uses optical fiber and operates at 100
Mbps, mainly designed for backbone net-
works.
Dual Ring Structure: The diagram shows
two rings:
Primary Ring - Carries normal data traffic
Secondary Ring - Used as a backup (fault
tolerance) Can also carry data if needed
Components in the Diagram
1. SAS (Single Attachment Station) Con-
nected to only one ring (primary). Uses a
wiring concentrator. Example: End-user
devices Figure 1: FDDI Network components
2. DAS (Dual Attachment Station) Con-
nected to both primary and secondary rings. Directly part of the ring. Used in critical
systems (servers, routers)

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Course: Multimedia Communication Module 5 notes BEC613A

3. Wiring Concentrator - Central device that connects multiple SAS

Provides: Fault isolation, Automatic bypass mechanism
4. Optical Coupler - Used in DAS. Enables automatic bypass in case of failure
5. Keys in Diagram
M (Master Key) → Controls connection
S (Slave Key) → Follows master
Helps in managing insertion/removal of stations

Key Features:
High reliability (dual ring)
Self-healing capability
Fault isolation using concentrator
High-speed fiber communication

Example: Assuming signal propagation delay in fiber of 5µ s per 1 Km. Derive the
latency of following FDDI ring configuration in both time and bits, assuming bit rate of
100 Mbps.
i) 2Km ring with 20 stations.
ii) 20Km ring with 200 stations.
iii) 100Km ring with 500 stations.

Solution: Given Delay = 5µ s per 1 Km, speed = 100 Mbps.

i) FDDI latency = TL = 2x5 + 20x1 = 30 µs

bits = 30x10−6 x100x106 = 300bits

ii)F DDIlatency = TL = 20x5 + 200x1 = 300 µs

bits = 300x10−6 x100x106 = 30000bits

i)F DDIlatency = TL = 100x5 + 500x1 = 1000 µs

bits = 1000x10−6 x100x106 = 100000bits

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