Computer Networks

Lecture 2
Introduction to Data Communication

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Data Communications
• The term telecommunication means
communication at a distance. The word data refers
to information presented in whatever form is
agreed upon by the parties creating and using the
data. Data communications are the exchange of
data between two devices via some form of
transmission medium such as a wire cable.

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Fundamental Characteristics
• The effectiveness of a data communication system
depend on four fundamental characteristics:
• Delivery
• Accuracy
• Timelines
• Jitter

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Five Components of Data
Communication

1. Message
2. Sender
3. Receiver
4. Medium
5. Protocol

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Direction of data flow

Simplex

Half Duplex

Full Duplex

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Networks: key issues
• Network criteria
• Performance
• Throughput
• Delay
• Reliability
• Data transmitted are identical to data received.
• Measured by the frequency of failure
• The time it takes a link to recover from a failure
• Security
• Protecting data from unauthorized access

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Terminology

• The throughput or bandwidth of a channel is the

number of bits it can transfer per second

• The latency or delay of a channel is the time that

elapses between sending information and the
earliest possible reception of it

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Network topologies
• Topology defines the way hosts are connected to
the network

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Network topology issues

a goal of any topology

1. high throughput (bandwidth)

2. low latency

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Bandwidth and Latency
Bandwidth
1. telecommunications: range of radio frequencies: a range of radio
frequencies used in radio or telecommunications transmission and reception

2. computing: communications capacity: the capacity of a communications

channel, for example, a connection to the Internet, often measured in bits per
second
3. a data transmission rate; the maximum amount of information (bits/second)
that can be transmitted along a channel

Latency
A synonym for delay, is an expression of how much time it takes
for transmission from one designated point to another

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Categories of Topology

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Mostly used network topologies

bus

mesh

ring
star
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A hybrid topology: a star backbone with three bus
networks

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Hierarchical organization of the Internet

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Layering & Protocol Stacks

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What’s a protocol?
human protocols:
• “what’s the time?”
• “I have a question”
• introductions

… specific msgs sent

… specific actions taken when msgs received, or other events

network protocols:
• machines rather than humans
• all communication activity in Internet governed by protocols

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Protocol
• protocols define format, order of msgs sent and
received among network entities, and actions taken
on msg transmission, receipt
a human protocol and a computer network protocol:
time
Hi
TCP connection
req.
Hi
TCP connection
Got the reply.
time? Get http://gaia.cs.umass.edu/index.htm

2:00
<file>

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Standard
• Essential in creating and maintaining an open and
competitive market for equipment manufacturers
• Guaranteeing national & international
interoperability of data & telecommunication
technology & process.

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Layered Tasks
An example from the everyday life

Hierarchy?
Services

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Why layered communication?
• To reduce complexity of communication task by
splitting it into several layered small tasks
• Functionality of the layers can be changed as long
as the service provided to the layer above stays
unchanged
• makes easier maintenance & updating

• Each layer has its own task

• Each layer has its own protocol

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Reference Models

• OSI reference model

• TCP/IP

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OSI Reference model
• Open System Interconnection
• 7 layers

1. Crate a layer when different abstraction is needed

2. Each layer performs a well define function
3. Functions of the layers chosen taking internationally
standardized protocols
4. Number of layers – large enough to avoid complexity

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Seven layers of the OSI model

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Exchange using OSI Model

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The interaction between layers in the OSI model

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Issues, to be resolved by the
layers
• Larger bandwidth at lower cost
• Error correction
• Flow control
• Addressing
• Multiplexing
• Naming
• Congestion control
• Mobility
• Routing
• Fragmentation
• Security
• ....

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OSI Layers

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 Physical layer physical
connection

Transporting bits from one end node to the next

- type of the transmission media (twisted-pair, coax, optical fiber, air)
- bit representation (voltage levels of logical values)
- data rate (speed)
- synchronization of bits (time synchronization)

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Note

The physical layer is responsible for movements of

individual bits from one hop (node) to the next.

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 Data Link layer logical
connection

Transporting frames from one end node to the next one

- framing - physical addressing

- flow control - error control
- access control
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Data Link layer
- hop-to-hop delivery-

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Data Link layer
- example-

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Note

The data link layer is responsible for moving

frames from one hop (node) to the next.

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Readings
• Chapter 1 (B. A Forouzan)
• Section 1.1, 1.2, 1.3,1.4
•Chapter 2 (B.A Forouzan)
• Section 2.1, 2.2

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