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Network Protocols and Communication Rules

This document discusses network protocols and communication. It describes how protocols establish rules for communication between devices, including message encoding, formatting, size, timing, and delivery options. Protocols define a common format and set of rules for exchanging messages across networks. The document explains that protocols are arranged in layers and standards organizations help ensure interoperability through common protocols like TCP/IP.

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17 views11 pages

Network Protocols and Communication Rules

This document discusses network protocols and communication. It describes how protocols establish rules for communication between devices, including message encoding, formatting, size, timing, and delivery options. Protocols define a common format and set of rules for exchanging messages across networks. The document explains that protocols are arranged in layers and standards organizations help ensure interoperability through common protocols like TCP/IP.

Uploaded by

Mikedaniel Salem
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)

1
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Module 3 Network Protocols and


Communication

Course Learning Outcomes:


1. Describe the types of rules that are necessary to successfully
communicate.
2. Explain why protocols are necessary in network communication.
3. Explain the purpose of adhering to a protocol suite.
4. Explain the role of standards organizations in establishing protocols for
network interoperability.
5. Explain how the TCP/IP model and the OSI model are used to facilitate
standardization in the communication process.
6. Explain how data encapsulation allows data to be transported across the
network.
7. Explain how local hosts access local resources on a network.

Rules of Communication
Computer networks use rules for communications, similar to rules used in
human communications. In order for two devices to communicate they must
use the same rules.
A network can be as complex as devices connected across the Internet, or as simple
as two computers directly connected to one another with a single cable, and anything
in-between.
Communication Fundamentals
All communication methods have three elements in common.
 Source or sender-Message sources are people, or electronic devices, that
need to send a message to other individuals or devices.
 Destination or receiver-Destination receives the message and interprets it.
 Channel or media-channel, consists of the media that provides the pathway
over which the message travels from source to destination.
 Protocol-The sending of this message, whether by face-to-face communication
or over a network, is governed by rules called protocols.

Course Module
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
2
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Source: [Link]
Figure 1. Human Communication Elements

Source: [Link]
Figure 2. Computer Communications

Rule Establishment
Before communicating with one another, individuals must use established
rules or agreements to govern the conversation.
 An identified sender and receiver
 Common language and grammar
 Speed and timing of delivery
 Confirmation or acknowledgment requirements
Protocols used in network communications also define
 Message encoding
 Message delivery options
 Message Formatting and Encapsulation
 Message Timing
 Message Size
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
3
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Message Encoding
One of the first steps to sending a message is encoding. Encoding is the
process of converting information into another acceptable form for
transmission. Decoding reverses this process in order to interpret the
information.
 Encoding between hosts must be in an appropriate format for the
medium. Messages sent across the network are first converted into
bits by the sending host.
 Each bit is encoded into a pattern of sounds, light waves, or electrical
impulses depending on the network media over which the bits are
transmitted.
 The destination host receives and decodes the signals in order to
interpret the message.
Message Formatting and Encapsulation
When a message is sent from source to destination, it must use a specific format or
structure. Message formats depend on the type of message and the channel that is used to
deliver the message.
 Letter writing is one of the most common forms of written human
communication which can be compared to networks.
 There is an agreed format for letters and addressing letters which is required for
proper delivery.
 The process of placing one message format (the letter) inside another message
format (the envelope) is called encapsulation. On the other hand, De-
encapsulation occurs when the process is reversed by the recipient and the letter
is removed from the envelope.
 Each computer message is encapsulated in a specific format, called a frame,
before it is sent over the network.
 A frame acts like an envelope providing destination address and source address.

Message Size
Imagine what it would be like to read this course if it all appeared as one long
sentence; it would not be easy to read and comprehend.
 Humans break long messages into smaller parts or sentences.
 Long messages must also be broken into smaller pieces to travel
across a network.
o Each piece is sent in a separate frame.
o Each frame has its own addressing information.
o A receiving host will reconstruct multiple frames into the original
message.

Course Module
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
4
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Message Timing
 Access Method
Hosts on a network need to know when to begin sending messages
and how to respond when collisions occur.
 Flow Control
Source and destination hosts use flow control to negotiate correct
timing to avoid overwhelming the destination and ensure
information is received.
 Response Timeout
Hosts on the network have rules that specify how long to wait for
responses and what action to take if a response timeout occurs.

Message Delivery Options


 Unicast
A one-to-one delivery option wherein there is only a single
destination for the message.
 Multicast
When a host needs to send messages using a one-to-many delivery
option. Multicasting is the delivery of the same message to a group
of host destinations simultaneously.
 Broadcast
If all hosts on the network need to receive the message at the same
time, a broadcast may be used. Broadcasting represents a one-to-all
message delivery option.
Networks Protocol and Standards

Rules that Govern Communications


 Protocol suites are implemented by hosts and networking devices
in software, hardware or both.
 The protocols are viewed in terms of layers, with each higher level
service depending on the functionality defined by the protocols
shown in the lower levels.

Network Protocols
 Networking protocols define a common format and set of rules for
exchanging messages between devices.
 Some common networking protocols are Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and
Internet Protocol (IP).
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
5
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Source: [Link]
Figure 3. Structure of Communication Pieces

Network Protocols
 Communication between a web server and web client is an example of an
interaction between several protocols:
o HTTP - an application protocol that governs the way a web server
and a web client interact.
o TCP - transport protocol that manages the individual
conversations.
o IP – encapsulates the TCP segments into packets, assigns
addresses, and delivers to the destination host.
o Ethernet - allows communication over a data link and the physical
transmission of data on the network media.

TCP/IP Protocol Suite


The TCP/IP protocol suite is an open standard, meaning these protocols are
freely available to the public, and any vendor is able to implement these
protocols on their hardware or in their software.

Source: [Link]
Figure 4. TCP/IP Protocol Suite

Course Module
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
6
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

TCP/IP Protocol Process


 When sending data from a web server to a client the encapsulation
procedure would be as follows:
 The webserver prepares the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
page. The HTTP application layer protocol sends the data to the
transport layer.
 The transport layer breaks the data into segments and identifies
each.
 Next the IP source and destination addresses are added, creating an
IP Packet.
 The Ethernet information is then added creating the Ethernet
Frame, or data link frame.
 This frame is delivered to the nearest router along the path
towards the web client. Each router adds new data link information
before forwarding the packet
 When receiving the data link frames from the web server, the
client processes and removes each protocol header in the opposite
order it was added:
 First the Ethernet header is removed
 Then the IP header
 Then the Transport layer header
 Finally the HTTP information is processed and sent to the client’s
web browser,

Standard Organizations
Standard organizations create the standards that allow devices to
communicate independent of any specific vendor.

Open Standards
Open standards encourage interoperability, competition, and innovation. The
following are the I.T standards organization.
 Internet Society (ISOC) –promotes open development and evolution
of Internet use globally.
 Internet Architecture Board (IAB) - management and development
of Internet standards.
 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) - develops, updates, and
maintains Internet and TCP/IP technologies.
 Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) - focused on long-term
research related to Internet and TCP/IP protocols.
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
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Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

 Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) -


coordinates IP address allocation and management of domain names.
 Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) - manages IP address allocation,
domain name management, and protocol identifiers for ICANN.

Electronics and Standard Communication Org


 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - dedicated to
advancing technological innovation and creating standards in a wide area of
industries including networking.
 Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) - standards related to electrical wiring,
connectors, and network racks.
 Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standards for radio
equipment, cellular towers, Voice over IP (VoIP) devices, and satellite
communications.
 International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T) standards for video compression, Internet
Protocol Television (IPTV), and broadband communications.

OSI Reference Model


 Application - contains protocols used for process-to-process
communications.
 Presentation - provides for common representation of the data.
 Session - provides services to the presentation layer to organize its
dialogue and to manage data exchange.
 Transport - defines services to segment, transfer, and reassemble
the data.
 Network - provides services to exchange the individual pieces of
data over the network between identified end devices.
 Data Link - provides methods for exchanging data frames between
devices over a common media.
 Physical - describes the mechanical, electrical, functional, and
procedural means to transmit bits across physical connections.

TCP/IP Model

Figure 5. TCP/IP model

Course Module
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
8
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Data Transfer in the Org

Data Encapsulation
To move through the network, data must be properly encapsulated with
sufficient control and addressing information to allow it to move from the
sender to the receiver

Message Segmentation
 Large streams of data are divided into smaller, more manageable pieces to send
over the network.
 By sending smaller pieces, many different conversations can be interleaved on the
network, called multiplexing.
 Each piece must be labeled.
 If part of the message fails to make it to the destination, only the missing pieces
need to be retransmitted.

Protocol Data Units(PDU)


 As application data is passed down the protocol stack, information is added at
each level. This is known as the encapsulation process.
 The form that the data takes at each layer is known as a Protocol Data Unit (PDU).
o Data - application layer PDU
o Segment – Transport layer PDU
o Packet – Network layer PDU
o Frame – Data Link Layer PDU
o Bits – Physical Layer PDU

Encapsulation Example
 The encapsulation process works from top to bottom:
o Data is divided into segments.
o The TCP segment is encapsulated in the IP Packet.
o The IP packet is encapsulated in the Ethernet Frame.
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
9
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Source: [Link]
Figure 6. Encapsulation

De-encapsulation Example
 The de-encapsulation process works from bottom to top.
 De-encapsulation is the process used by a receiving device to remove one or
more of the protocol headers.
 The data is de-encapsulated as it moves up the stack toward the end-user
application.

Network Addresses
 Network layer source and destination addresses - Responsible for delivering
the IP packet from the original source to the final destination.
o Source IP address - The IP address of the sending device, the original
source of the packet.
o Destination IP address - The IP address of the receiving device, the final
destination of the packet.

Source: [Link]
Figure 7. Network Addresses

Course Module
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
10
Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

Data Link Addresses


 The purpose of the data link address is to deliver the data link frame from one
network interface to another network interface on the same network.
 As the IP packet travels from source to destination it is encapsulated in a new
data link frame when it is forwarded by each router.

Devices on the Same Network


 The network layer addresses, or IP addresses, indicate the original source and
final destination.
 Network portion – The left-most part of the address indicates which network
the IP address is a member of.
 Host portion – The remaining part of the address identifies a specific device on
the network.
 The data link frame which uses MAC addressing, is sent directly to the receiving
device.
 Source MAC address - address of sending device.
 Destination MAC address – address of receiving device.

Source: [Link]
Figure 8. Devices on the Same Network

Devices on Remote Network


 Sending to a remote network - the source and destination IP
addresses represent hosts on different networks.
 The data link frame cannot be sent directly to the remote destination
host. Therefore the frame is sent to the default gateway (nearest
router interface).
IT6201 – Data Communications and Networking 1 (CISCO 1)
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Week 3: Network Protocols and Communication

 The router removes the received Layer 2 information and adds new
data link information before forwarding out the exit interface.

References and Supplementary Materials


Books and Journals
1. Mark A. Dye, Allan D. Reid, ; 2014; Introduction to Networks Companion Guide; < Indianapolis, IN 46240
USA>; <Cisco Press>
2. [Link]
3. [Link]

Course Module

Common questions

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The TCP/IP model and the OSI model serve to standardize network communication, but they differ in structure and application. The TCP/IP model consists of four layers: application, transport, internet, and network access, emphasizing the protocols used primarily in Internet and intranet communications like HTTP, TCP, and IP . Conversely, the OSI model has seven layers: application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical, offering a more detailed view by individually categorizing each stage of data handling . The OSI model is more theoretical, used for educational purposes, while the TCP/IP model is more practical and aligns closely with real-world networking scenarios .

Protocol suites, such as the TCP/IP protocol suite, are significant because they ensure compatibility and interoperability between various network devices by defining a common format and set of rules for exchanging messages . Each layer in a protocol suite provides specific functionalities that support the layer above it, allowing multiple network services to operate. The suite defines protocols that dictate message encoding, delivery options, and timing, ensuring that data can be encapsulated, transmitted, and decoded correctly across different network infrastructures . This layered approach provides the flexibility for devices from different manufacturers to communicate effectively without compatibility issues .

Flow control mechanisms are crucial in preventing congestion and ensuring efficient data transmission between network hosts by regulating the pace at which data is sent and received. These mechanisms ensure that a sender does not overwhelm a receiver with too much data at once, which could lead to loss of information and necessitate retransmission. By controlling the rate of transmission, flow control protocols help maintain network stability, optimize resource use, and enhance communication efficiency, particularly in high-speed and high-demand networking environments . Acknowledgment systems, like those in TCP, ensure data integrity and reliability through positive acknowledgments and retransmissions in case of timeouts .

Standards organizations such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) play a critical role by developing, maintaining, and promoting open standards and protocols essential for network interoperability . Their involvement ensures that various networking devices and services can seamlessly communicate regardless of vendor-specific technologies. These standards foster innovation, competition, and compatibility, enabling diverse systems and services to function collectively on global networks like the Internet .

Rules of communication found in human interactions, such as the need for a common language, identified sender and receiver, confirmation requirements, and timing considerations, are similarly applicable to computer networks. In network communication, these rules ensure that devices can effectively send and receive messages, interpret information correctly, and manage the flow of data without errors . Such rules are codified as protocols in networking, which define message encoding and delivery options to facilitate smooth communication between devices .

Encapsulation is the process of wrapping data with necessary protocol information before network transmission. This involves adding headers (and sometimes footers) at each layer of the TCP/IP model, transforming data from the application layer into bits for physical transmission. For instance, application layer data is encapsulated into segments, which are then encapsulated into packets by the network layer, then into frames by the data link layer, and finally into bits for the physical layer . This hierarchical encapsulation enables the data to traverse different network types and devices uniformly, facilitating accurate and efficient delivery to the destination .

The de-encapsulation process involves the receiving device removing each layer of protocol headers in reverse order from the encapsulation process, as data arrives. Initially, the physical layer (bits) is interpreted into frames, followed by the removal of the data link layer header, then the network layer (IP packet) header, and finally the transport layer (TCP segment) header . This process is significant because it allows the receiving device to reconstruct the original data transmitted and interpret the message accurately according to the applicable protocols. It ensures that the data reaches the application level in a format suitable for use by end-user software .

Openness in protocol standards, particularly in the TCP/IP suite, is vital because it promotes interoperability, innovation, and competitive markets. Open standards are publicly available, allowing any vendor to implement them without proprietary restrictions. This characteristic ensures that diverse devices and technologies can communicate effectively across networks. It also fosters innovation by allowing developers to build upon standard protocols without licensing constraints, leading to advancements and adaptations that benefit the broader technological ecosystem . The widespread adoption of TCP/IP as an open standard has been fundamental to the expansive growth and reliability of the Internet .

Message timing is critically important in network communication as it dictates when devices can send and receive messages, thereby preventing conflicts and ensuring data integrity. Access methods regulate how devices access the network to transmit data, mitigating data collisions especially in shared environments. Response timeouts further enhance communication by defining how long a device waits for a reply before taking corrective actions, such as retransmitting data or terminating the session . Proper implementation of message timing mechanisms is necessary to maintain network efficiency, reduce transmission errors, and ensure reliable communication across diverse network protocols and media .

Message segmentation is the process of dividing large streams of data into smaller, manageable pieces before they are transmitted over a network. Each segment is encapsulated in separate frames with its own addressing and control information, facilitating efficient handling during transmission . Segmentation is significant because it allows multiple conversations to occur simultaneously over the network (multiplexing), improves error management by requiring only the retransmission of lost or corrupted segments, and helps maintain network performance by preventing any single transmission from monopolizing bandwidth .

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