Chapter 1 – Introduction

Part 1
Computer Networking: A
Top-Down Approach
8th edition
Jim Kurose, Keith Ross
Pearson, 2020
Computer Networks
 Chapter 1: introduction
Chapter goal: Overview/roadmap:
▪ Get “feel,” “big picture,” ▪ What is the Internet?
introduction to terminology ▪ What is a protocol?
• more depth, detail later in ▪ Network edge: hosts, access network,
course physical media
▪ Approach: ▪ Network core: packet/circuit switching,
internet structure
• use Internet as example
▪ Performance: loss, delay, throughput
▪ Security
▪ Protocol layers, service models
▪ History

Computer Networks
 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
Computer Networks
 “Fun” Internet-connected devices

Pacemaker & Monitor

Tweet-a-watt:
monitor energy use
Amazon Echo
IP picture frame Web-enabled toaster +
weather forecaster
Internet
refrigerator
Slingbox: remote
control cable TV
Security Camera AR devices
sensorized,
bed
Internet phones mattress Others?
Fitbit
Computer Networks
 The Internet: a “nuts and bolts” view
mobile network
4G
▪ Internet: “network of networks” national or global ISP

• Interconnected ISPs
▪ protocols are everywhere Skype
IP
Streaming
video
• control sending, receiving of
messages local or
regional ISP
• e.g., HTTP (Web), streaming video,
Skype, TCP, IP, WiFi, 4G, Ethernet home network content
provider
▪ Internet standards HTTP network datacenter
network

• RFC: Request for Comments Ethernet

• IETF: Internet Engineering Task TCP

Force enterprise
network

WiFi
Computer Networks
 The Internet: a “service” 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
network
apps to “connect” to, use Internet
transport service
• provides service options, analogous enterprise
to postal service network

Computer Networks
 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

… specific messages sent

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

Computer Networks
 What’s a protocol?
A human protocol and a computer network protocol:

Hi TCP connection
request
Hi TCP connection
response
Got the
time? GET [Link]
2:00
<file>
time

Q: other human protocols?

Computer Networks
 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
Computer Networks
 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

Computer Networks
 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

Computer Networks
 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

Computer Networks
 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

What to look for: home network content

provider
network
▪ transmission rate (bits per second) of access datacenter
network
network?
▪ shared or dedicated access among users?
enterprise
network

Computer Networks
 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
Computer Networks
 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 Gbs 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
Computer Networks
 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

• data over DSL phone line goes to Internet
• voice over DSL phone line goes to telephone net
▪ 24-52 Mbps dedicated downstream transmission rate
▪ 3.5-16 Mbps dedicated upstream transmission rate
Computer Networks
 Access networks: home networks
wireless
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)
Computer Networks
 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) ▪ provided by mobile, cellular network
▪ typically within or around operator (10’s km)
building (~100 ft) ▪ 10’s Mbps
▪ 802.11b/g/n (WiFi): 11, 54, 450 ▪ 4G cellular networks (5G coming)
Mbps transmission rate

to Internet
to Internet

Computer Networks
 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

Computer Networks
 Host: sends packets of data
host sending function:
▪ takes application message
▪ breaks into smaller chunks, two packets,
known as packets, of length L bits L bits each

▪ transmits packet into access

2 1
network at transmission rate R
• link transmission rate, aka link host
capacity, aka link bandwidth R: link transmission rate

packet time needed to L (bits)

transmission = transmit L-bit =
delay packet into link R (bits/sec)
Computer Networks
 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

Computer Networks
 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

Computer Networks
 Links: physical media
Wireless radio Radio link types:
▪ signal carried in ▪ terrestrial microwave
electromagnetic spectrum • up to 45 Mbps channels
▪ no physical “wire” ▪ Wireless LAN (WiFi)
▪ broadcast and “half-duplex” • Up to 100’s Mbps
(sender to receiver) ▪ wide-area (e.g., cellular)
▪ propagation environment • 4G cellular: ~ 10’s Mbps
effects:
▪ satellite
• reflection
• up to 45 Mbps per channel
• obstruction by objects
• 270 msec end-end delay
• interference
• geosynchronous versus low-
earth-orbit
Computer Networks
 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
Computer Networks
 The network core
▪mesh of interconnected
mobile network
national or global ISP
routers
▪packet-switching: hosts break
application-layer messages
into packets local or
regional ISP

• forward packets from one router home network content

to the next, across links on path provider
network datacenter
from source to destination network

• each packet transmitted at full

link capacity enterprise
network

Computer Networks
 Packet-switching: store-and-forward

L bits
per packet
3 2 1
source destination
R bps R bps

▪ Transmission delay: takes L/R seconds to

transmit (push out) L-bit packet into link at R One-hop numerical example:
bps ▪ L = 10 Kbits
▪ Store and forward: entire packet must arrive at ▪ R = 100 Mbps
router before it can be transmitted on next link ▪ one-hop transmission delay
▪ End-end delay: 2L/R (above), assuming zero = 0.1 msec
propagation delay (more on delay shortly)
Computer Networks
 Packet-switching: queueing delay, loss
R = 100 Mb/s
A C

D
B R = 1.5 Mb/s
E
queue of packets
waiting for output link

Packet queuing and loss: if arrival rate (in bps) to link exceeds
transmission rate (bps) of link for a period of time:
▪ packets will queue, waiting to be transmitted on output link
▪ packets can be dropped (lost) if memory (buffer) in router fills up
Demo : [Link]

Computer Networks
 Two key network-core functions

routing algorithm Routing:

Forwarding: local
local forwarding
forwarding table
table
▪ global action:
header value output link determine source-
▪ local action: 0100 3
destination paths
0101 2
move arriving 0111 2
taken by packets
1001 1
packets from
router’s input link ▪ routing algorithms
to appropriate 1
router output link 3 2

destination address in arriving

packet’s header
Computer Networks
 Alternative to packet switching: circuit switching
end-end resources allocated to,
reserved for “call” between source
and destination
▪ in diagram, each link has four circuits.
• call gets 2nd circuit in top link and 1st
circuit in right link.
▪ dedicated resources: no sharing
• circuit-like (guaranteed) performance
▪ circuit segment idle if not used by call (no
sharing)
▪ commonly used in traditional telephone
networks
Computer Networks
 Circuit switching: FDM and TDM
Frequency Division Multiplexing
(FDM) 4 users
▪ optical, electromagnetic frequencies

frequency
divided into (narrow) frequency
bands
▪ each call allocated its own band, can
transmit at max rate of that narrow
band time
Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)

frequency
▪ time divided into slots
▪ each call allocated periodic slot(s), can
transmit at maximum rate of (wider)
frequency band, but only during its time
time slot(s)
Computer Networks
 Packet switching versus circuit switching
packet switching allows more users to use network!
Example:
▪ 1 Gb/s link
▪ each user: N
• 100 Mb/s when “active” users 1 Gbps link
• active 10% of time

▪ circuit-switching: 10 users
Q: how did we get value 0.0004?
▪ packet switching: with 35 users,
probability > 10 active at same time Q: what happens if > 35 users ?
is less than .0004 *

Computer Networks
 Packet switching versus circuit switching
Is packet switching a “slam dunk winner”?
▪ great for “bursty” data – sometimes has data to send, but at other times not
• resource sharing
• simpler, no call setup
▪ excessive congestion possible: packet delay and loss due to buffer overflow
• protocols needed for reliable data transfer, congestion control
▪ Q: How to provide circuit-like behavior?
• bandwidth guarantees traditionally used for audio/video applications

Q: human analogies of reserved resources (circuit switching)

versus on-demand allocation (packet switching)?
Computer Networks
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”
▪ Hosts connect to Internet via access Internet Service
Providers (ISPs)
• residential, enterprise (company, university, commercial) ISPs
▪ Access ISPs in turn must be interconnected
• so that any two hosts can send packets to each other
▪ Resulting network of networks is very complex
• evolution was driven by economics and national policies
▪ Let’s take a stepwise approach to describe current
Internet structure

Computer Networks
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?
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Computer Networks
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”
Question: given millions of access ISPs, how to connect them together?
access access
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connecting each access ISP to

each other directly doesn’t scale:
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Computer Networks
 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
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global
access
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Computer Networks
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”
But if one global ISP is viable business, there will be competitors ….

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Computer Networks
 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
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Computer Networks
 Internet structure: a “network of networks”
… and regional networks may arise to connect access nets to ISPs

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Computer Networks
 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
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net
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IXP access
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Content provider network

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Computer Networks
 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
Computer Networks
 ISP Network map: Pakistan

Computer Networks
 QUESTIONS

Computer Networks