The Medium Access Control

Sublayer
Module-4
ECC602

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 Introduction

• Network Links can be divided into:

1. Point-to-point connections
2. Broadcast channels

• In any broadcast network, the key issue is how to determine

who gets to use the channel when there is competition.
– Example: teleconferencing.

• Broadcast channels are also known as: Multi-access channels

or random access channels.

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 Taxonomy of Multiple Access Protocols

• The protocols belong to sublayer of the data link

layer called Medium Access Control (MAC)
sublayer.
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 Channel Allocation Problem

• Allocation of a single broadcast channel can be done as-

• Static channel allocation

• Dynamic channel allocation

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 Static Channel Allocation
• Traditionally capacity of the channel is split among multiple
competing users (e.g., TDM or FDM).
• Example: FM radio stations.

• However, when the number of senders is large and varying or

the traffic is bursty, FDM presents some problems.
– A piece of valuable spectrum gets wasted if less users
communicate.
– Some users denied permission because of lack of
bandwidth.
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Basic Problem -Dividing the channel into constant number of
users of static sub channels is inherently inefficient.

• Thus , static allocation is poor fit to computer systems in

which traffic is bursty.

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Assumptions for Dynamic Channel
Allocation
1. Independent traffic

2. Single channel

3. Observable Collisions

4. Continuous or slotted time

5. Carrier sense or no carrier sense

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