Router

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help clarify the article;
suggestions may be found on the talk page. (May 2009)
This article is about the large-scale computer networking device. For the rotating cutting tool,
see Router (woodworking). For the network device found in most household network setups, see
residential gateway. For the software used in electronic design automation, see routing
(electronic design automation).

Cisco 1800 Router

Nortel ERS 8600

Cisco 7600 Routers
A router[1] is a networking device whose software and hardware are usually tailored to the tasks
of routing and forwarding information. For example, on the Internet, information is directed to
various paths by routers.
Routers connect two or more logical subnets, which do not necessarily map one-to-one to the
physical interfaces of the router.[2] The term "layer 3 switching" is often used interchangeably
with routing, but switch is a general term without a rigorous technical definition. In marketing
usage, a switch is generally optimized for Ethernet LAN interfaces and may not have other
physical interface types. In comparison, the network hub (predecessor of the "switch" or
"switching hub") does not do any routing, instead every packet it receives on one network line
gets forwarded to all the other network lines.
Routers operate in two different planes:[3]
• Control plane, in which the router learns the outgoing interface that is most appropriate
for forwarding specific packets to specific destinations,
• Forwarding plane, which is responsible for the actual process of sending a packet
received on a logical interface to an outbound logical interface.

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Forwarding plane (a.k.a. data plane)
• 2 Types of routers
○ 2.1 Routers for Internet connectivity and internal use
○ 2.2 Small Office Home Office (SOHO) connectivity
○ 2.3 Enterprise routers
 2.3.1 Access
 2.3.2 Distribution
 2.3.3 Core
• 3 History
• 4 See also
• 5 References
• 6 External links

[edit] Forwarding plane (a.k.a. data plane)

Main article: Forwarding plane
For the pure Internet Protocol (IP) forwarding function, router design tries to minimize the state
information kept on individual packets. Once a packet is forwarded, the router should no longer
retain statistical information about it. It is the sending and receiving endpoints that keeps
information about such things as errored or missing packets.
Forwarding decisions can involve decisions at layers other than the IP internetwork layer or OSI
layer 3. Again, the marketing term switch can be applied to devices that have these capabilities.
A function that forwards based on data link layer, or OSI layer 2, information, is properly called
a bridge. Marketing literature may call it a layer 2 switch, but a switch has no precise definition.
Among the most important forwarding decisions is deciding what to do when congestion occurs,
i.e., packets arrive at the router at a rate higher than the router can process. Three policies
commonly used in the Internet are Tail drop, Random early detection, and Weighted random
early detection. Tail drop is the simplest and most easily implemented; the router simply drops
packets once the length of the queue exceeds the size of the buffers in the router. Random early
detection (RED) probabilistically drops datagrams early when the queue exceeds a configured
size. Weighted random early detection requires a weighted average queue size to exceed the
configured size, so that short bursts will not trigger random drops.
A router uses a routing table to decide where the packet should be sent so if the router cant find
the preferred address then it will look down the routing table and decide which is the next best
address to send it to.
[edit] Types of routers

Routers may provide connectivity inside enterprises, between enterprises and the Internet, and
inside Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The largest routers (for example the Cisco CRS-1 or
Juniper T1600) interconnect ISPs, are used inside ISPs, or may be used in very large enterprise
networks. The smallest routers provide connectivity for small and home offices.
[edit] Routers for Internet connectivity and internal use
Routers intended for ISP and major enterprise connectivity will almost invariably exchange
routing information with the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). RFC 4098[4] defines several types
of BGP-speaking routers:
• Edge Router: Placed at the edge of an ISP network, it speaks external BGP (eBGP) to a
BGP speaker in another provider or large enterprise Autonomous System(AS) .
• Subscriber Edge Router: Located at the edge of the subscriber's network, it speaks eBGP
to its provider's AS(s). It belongs to an end user (enterprise) organization.
• Inter-provider Border Router: Interconnecting ISPs, this is a BGP speaking router that
maintains BGP sessions with other BGP speaking routers in other providers' ASes.
 • Core router: A router that resides within the middle or backbone of the LAN network
rather than at its periphery.
Within an ISP: Internal to the provider's AS, such a router speaks internal BGP (iBGP) to
that provider's edge routers, other intra-provider core routers, or the provider's inter-
provider border routers.
"Internet backbone:" The Internet does not have a clearly identifiable backbone, as did its
predecessors. See default-free zone (DFZ). Nevertheless, it is the major ISPs' routers that
make up what many would consider the core. These ISPs operate all four types of the
BGP-speaking routers described here. In ISP usage, a "core" router is internal to an ISP,
and used to interconnect its edge and border routers. Core routers may also have
specialized functions in virtual private networks based on a combination of BGP and
Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS).[5]
Routers are also used for port forwarding for private servers.
[edit] Small Office Home Office (SOHO) connectivity
Main article: Residential gateway
Residential gateways (often called routers) are frequently used in homes to connect to a
broadband service, such as IP over cable or DSL. Such a router may also include an internal DSL
modem. Residential gateways and SOHO routers typically provide network address translation
and port address translation in addition to routing. Instead of directly presenting the IP addresses
of local computers to the remote network, such a residential gateway makes multiple local
computers appear to be a single computer. SOHO routers may also support Virtual Private
Network tunnel functionality to provide connectivity to an enterprise network.
[edit] Enterprise routers
All sizes of routers may be found inside enterprises. The most powerful routers tend to be found
in ISPs and academic & research facilities. Large businesses may also need powerful routers.
A three-layer model is in common use, not all of which need be present in smaller networks.[6]
[edit] Access
Access routers, including SOHO, are located at customer sites such as branch offices that do not
need hierarchical routing of their own. Typically, they are optimized for low cost.
[edit] Distribution
Distribution routers aggregate traffic from multiple access routers, either at the same site, or to
collect the data streams from multiple sites to a major enterprise location. Distribution routers
often are responsible for enforcing quality of service across a WAN, so they may have
considerable memory, multiple WAN interfaces, and substantial processing intelligence.
They may also provide connectivity to groups of servers or to external networks. In the latter
application, the router's functionality must be carefully considered as part of the overall security
architecture. Separate from the router may be a Firewalled or VPN concentrator, or the router
may include these and other security functions.
When an enterprise is primarily on one campus, there may not be a distinct distribution tier, other
than perhaps off-campus access. In such cases, the access routers, connected to LANs,
interconnect via core routers.
[edit] Core
In enterprises, a core router may provide a "collapsed backbone" interconnecting the distribution
tier routers from multiple buildings of a campus, or large enterprise locations. They tend to be
optimized for high bandwidth.
When an enterprise is widely distributed with no central location(s), the function of core routing
may be subsumed by the WAN service to which the enterprise subscribes, and the distribution
routers become the highest tier.
[edit] History

Leonard Kleinrock and the first IMP.

A Cisco ASM/2-32EM router deployed at CERN in 1987.

The very first device that had fundamentally the same functionality as a router does today, i.e a
packet switch, was the Interface Message Processor (IMP); IMPs were the devices that made up
the ARPANET, the first packet switching network. The idea for a router (although they were
called "gateways" at the time) initially came about through an international group of computer
networking researchers called the International Network Working Group (INWG). Set up in
1972 as an informal group to consider the technical issues involved in connecting different
networks, later that year it became a subcommittee of the International Federation for
Information Processing. [7]
These devices were different from most previous packet switches in two ways. First, they
connected dissimilar kinds of networks, such as serial lines and local area networks. Second,
they were connectionless devices, which had no role in assuring that traffic was delivered
reliably, leaving that entirely to the hosts (although this particular idea had been previously
pioneered in the CYCLADES network).
The idea was explored in more detail, with the intention to produce a real prototype system, as
part of two contemporaneous programs. One was the initial DARPA-initiated program, which
created the TCP/IP architecture of today. [8] The other was a program at Xerox PARC to explore
new networking technologies, which produced the PARC Universal Packet system, although due
to corporate intellectual property concerns it received little attention outside Xerox until years
later. [9]
The earliest Xerox routers came into operation sometime after early 1974. The first true IP router
was developed by Virginia Strazisar at BBN, as part of that DARPA-initiated effort, during
1975-1976. By the end of 1976, three PDP-11-based routers were in service in the experimental
prototype Internet. [10]
The first multiprotocol routers were independently created by staff researchers at MIT and
Stanford in 1981; the Stanford router was done by William Yeager, and the MIT one by Noel
Chiappa; both were also based on PDP-11s. [11] [12] [13] [14]
As virtually all networking now uses IP at the network layer, multiprotocol routers are largely
obsolete, although they were important in the early stages of the growth of computer networking,
when several protocols other than TCP/IP were in widespread use. Routers that handle both IPv4
and IPv6 arguably are multiprotocol, but in a far less variable sense than a router that processed
AppleTalk, DECnet, IP, and Xerox protocols.
In the original era of routing (from the mid-1970s through the 1980s), general-purpose mini-
computers served as routers. Although general-purpose computers can perform routing, modern
high-speed routers are highly specialized computers, generally with extra hardware added to
accelerate both common routing functions such as packet forwarding and specialised functions
such as IPsec encryption.
Still, there is substantial use of Linux and Unix machines, running open source routing code, for
routing research and selected other applications. While Cisco's operating system was
independently designed, other major router operating systems, such as those from Juniper
Networks and Extreme Networks, are extensively modified but still have Unix ancestry.
[edit] See also
• Access point
• Core router
• DSL router
• Flapping router
• History of the Internet
• List of Linux router or firewall distributions
• Network address translation (NAT)
• Network bridge
• Network hub
• Network switch
• Multiplexer
• Software router
• TR-069
• Wi-Fi
• Wireless router
 • Wireless bridge
[edit] References
1. ^ Router, pronounced /ˈraʊtər/ in the United States and Australia, is pronounced /ˈruːtər/ in
Canada, the UK, and Ireland to differentiate it from the tool used to rout wood.
2. ^ Requirements for IPv4 Routers,RFC 1812, F. Baker, June 1995
3. ^ Requirements for Separation of IP Control and Forwarding,RFC 3654, H. Khosravi & T.
Anderson, November 2003
4. ^ Terminology for Benchmarking BGP Device Convergence in the Control Plane,RFC 4098, H.
Berkowitz et al.,June 2005
5. ^ BGP/MPLS VPNs,RFC 2547, E. Rosen and Y. Rekhter, April 2004
6. ^ Oppenheimer, Priscilla (2004). Top-Down Network Design. Indianapolis: Cisco Press. ISBN
1587051524.
7. ^ Davies, Shanks, Heart, Barker, Despres, Detwiler, and Riml, "Report of Subgroup 1 on
Communication System", INWG Note #1.
8. ^ Vinton Cerf, Robert Kahn, "A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication", IEEE
Transactions on Communications, Volume 22, Issue 5, May 1974, pp. 637 - 648.
9. ^ David Boggs, John Shoch, Edward Taft, Robert Metcalfe, "Pup: An Internetwork
Architecture", IEEE Transactions on Communications, Volume 28, Issue 4, April 1980, pp. 612-
624.
10.^ Craig Partridge, S. Blumenthal, "Data networking at BBN"; IEEE Annals of the History of
Computing, Volume 28, Issue 1; January-March 2006.
11.^ Valley of the Nerds: Who Really Invented the Multiprotocol Router, and Why Should We
Care?, Public Broadcasting Service, Accessed August 11, 2007.
12.^ Router Man, NetworkWorld, Accessed June 22, 2007.
13.^ David D. Clark smells, "M.I.T. Campus Network Implementation", CCNG-2, Campus
Computer Network Group, M.I.T., Cambridge, 1982; pp. 26.
14.^ Pete Carey, "A Start-Up's True Tale: Often-told story of Cisco's launch leaves out the drama,
intrigue", San Jose Mercury News, December 1, 2001.

The following tips and techniques may

help as you develop your routing skills.

1. Feed Direction
The correct way to use a router
is to feed it in the direction
opposite to the way it wants to
go. If you were to allow the bit
to race into the cut--also called
climb cutting--it would result in
a wavy edge and could possibly
damage the tool. Work
counterclockwise along outside
edges and clockwise along
inside edges. When using a
router table, work from right to
left. (Fig. 1)

2. Feed Rate
Cutting speed involves finding a
comfortable balance--moving
too slowly produces a smooth
finish, but it also tends to burn
the wood. Feeding the work too
quickly forces the tool to work
harder than it should, and can
produce a rippled cut. The
optimum feed rate depends on
the wood, the router, and the
bit you’re using. If you hear the
motor straining, slow down. If
you can smell something
burning, increase your feed rate.

3. Multiple Passes
One way to get a smooth cut
without burning is to make light
sweeping passes and to work up
to the desired depth of cut.
Light cuts won’t overtax your
router or overheat your bit.

4. Use Ball-Bearing Piloted Bits

Bits that ride against the edge
of the work rely on either a fixed
or ball-bearing pilot. Fixed bits
are generally cheaper, but the
friction of the spinning pilot
tends to burn the work.

5. Avoiding Splintering
Any time you rout along a
board’s end grain, the bit has a
tendency to lift out, or splinter
the grain. Depending on the
type of work you’re doing, there
are two ways around this.

If you are routing around all the

edges, rout the ends first, and
then rout the sides. This will
clean up any blown-out corner.
(Fig. 2)

If you’re not routing the ends,

try clamping a piece of scrap
stock to the edge where the bit
will exit the wood. Cut right into
the scrap; it will support the
good edge of the project. (Fig.
3)
 6. Router Safety
A router is one of the most
useful--and dangerous--tools in
your shop. Common sense
should tell you not to attempt
any project without adequate
eye and ear protection. You
should also realize that routers
and sawdust go hand in hand,
so be sure that you wear a
good-quality dust mask or
respirator. If you feel
uncomfortable about a certain
technique, don’t do it. The
benefit to working with routers
is that they offer dozens of
different ways to perform the
same job…find an alternative
that feels safe to you.

What is a Network Protocol

A protocol is a set of rules that governs the communications between computers on a network. These
rules include guidelines that regulate the following characteristics of a network: access method,
allowed physical topologies, types of cabling, and speed of data transfer.

Types of Network Protocols

• How it works|How to buy|Contact|Retrieve your license code

Search

Top of Form
edraw soft.com edraw soft.com

Bottom of Form

• Products
○ Edraw Max

○ Edraw Flowchart

○ Edraw Org Chart

○ Edraw Network Diagram

○ Edraw UML Diagram

○ Edraw Mind Map

○ Flowchart ActiveX Control

○ Office Viewer Component

○ PDF Viewer Component

• Download

○ Download Center

○ Libraries

• Purchase

○ Order Online

○ Upgrade Center

○ Special Offer

○ Find a Reseller

○ Become a Reseller

• Examples

○ Example Gallery

○ Flowcharts

○ Organization Charts

○ Business Forms

○ Business Chart

○ Business Diagram

○ Network Diagrams

○ UML Diagrams
○ Building Plan

○ Business Card

• Support

○ Customer Service

○ Technical FAQ

○ Sales FAQ

○ Online Help

○ Video Tutorial

○ Knowledge Base

○ Retrieve Code

• Company

○ Profile

○ Affiliate Program

○ Cooperation

○ Version History

○ News Room
Home > Knowledge Base

Network Protocol - Types of Network Protocols

What is a Network Protocol
A protocol is a set of rules that governs the communications between computers on a network. These
rules include guidelines that regulate the following characteristics of a network: access method,
allowed physical topologies, types of cabling, and speed of data transfer.

Types of Network Protocols

The most common network protocols are:
 • Ethernet

• Local Talk

• Token Ring

• FDDI

• ATM

The follow is some common-used network symbols to draw different kinds of network protocols.

Ethernet

The Ethernet protocol is by far the most widely used. Ethernet uses an access method called CSMA/CD
(Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection). This is a system where each computer listens to
the cable before sending anything through the network. If the network is clear, the computer will
transmit. If some other node is already transmitting on the cable, the computer will wait and try again
when the line is clear. Sometimes, two computers attempt to transmit at the same instant. When this
happens a collision occurs. Each computer then backs off and waits a random amount of time before
attempting to retransmit. With this access method, it is normal to have collisions. However, the delay
caused by collisions and retransmitting is very small and does not normally effect the speed of
transmission on the network.

The Ethernet protocol allows for linear bus, star, or tree topologies. Data can be transmitted over
wireless access points, twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber optic cable at a speed of 10 Mbps up to 1000
Mbps.

Fast Ethernet

To allow for an increased speed of transmission, the Ethernet protocol has developed a new standard
that supports 100 Mbps. This is commonly called Fast Ethernet. Fast Ethernet requires the use of
different, more expensive network concentrators/hubs and network interface cards. In addition,
category 5 twisted pair or fiber optic cable is necessary. Fast Ethernet is becoming common in schools
that have been recently wired.

Local Talk

Local Talk is a network protocol that was developed by Apple Computer, Inc. for Macintosh computers.
The method used by Local Talk is called CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Avoidance). It is similar to CSMA/CD except that a computer signals its intent to transmit before it
actually does so. Local Talk adapters and special twisted pair cable can be used to connect a series of
computers through the serial port. The Macintosh operating system allows the establishment of a
peer-to-peer network without the need for additional software. With the addition of the server version
of AppleShare software, a client/server network can be established.

The Local Talk protocol allows for linear bus, star, or tree topologies using twisted pair cable. A
primary disadvantage of Local Talk is speed. Its speed of transmission is only 230 Kbps.

Token Ring

The Token Ring protocol was developed by IBM in the mid-1980s. The access method used involves
token-passing. In Token Ring, the computers are connected so that the signal travels around the
network from one computer to another in a logical ring. A single electronic token moves around the
ring from one computer to the next. If a computer does not have information to transmit, it simply
passes the token on to the next workstation. If a computer wishes to transmit and receives an empty
token, it attaches data to the token. The token then proceeds around the ring until it comes to the
computer for which the data is meant. At this point, the data is captured by the receiving computer.
The Token Ring protocol requires a star-wired ring using twisted pair or fiber optic cable. It can
operate at transmission speeds of 4 Mbps or 16 Mbps. Due to the increasing popularity of Ethernet,
the use of Token Ring in school environments has decreased.

FDDI

Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is a network protocol that is used primarily to interconnect two
or more local area networks, often over large distances. The access method used by FDDI involves
token-passing. FDDI uses a dual ring physical topology. Transmission normally occurs on one of the
rings; however, if a break occurs, the system keeps information moving by automatically using
portions of the second ring to create a new complete ring. A major advantage of FDDI is speed. It
operates over fiber optic cable at 100 Mbps.

ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a network protocol that transmits data at a speed of 155 Mbps
and higher. ATM works by transmitting all data in small packets of a fixed size; whereas, other
protocols transfer variable length packets. ATM supports a variety of media such as video, CD-quality
audio, and imaging. ATM employs a star topology, which can work with fiber optic as well as twisted
pair cable.

ATM is most often used to interconnect two or more local area networks. It is also frequently used by
Internet Service Providers to utilize high-speed access to the Internet for their clients. As ATM
technology becomes more cost-effective, it will provide another solution for constructing faster local
area networks.

Gigabit Ethernet

The most recent development in the Ethernet standard is a protocol that has a transmission speed of
1 Gbps. Gigabit Ethernet is primarily used for backbones on a network at this time. In the future, it
will probably be used for workstation and server connections also. It can be used with both fiber optic
cabling and copper. The 1000BaseTX, the copper cable used for Gigabit Ethernet, is expected to
become the formal standard in 1999.

Compare the Network Protocols

Protocol Cable Speed Topology

Ethernet Twisted Pair, Coaxial, Fiber 10 Mbps Linear Bus, Star, Tree

Fast Ethernet Twisted Pair, Fiber 100 Mbps Star

LocalTalk Twisted Pair .23 Mbps Linear Bus or Star

Token Ring Twisted Pair 4 Mbps - 16 Mbps Star-Wired Ring

FDDI Fiber 100 Mbps Dual ring

ATM Twisted Pair, Fiber 155-2488 Mbps Linear Bus, Star, Tree

Network Diagramming Software

Edraw Network Diagrammer is a new, rapid and powerful network design software for network
drawings with rich examples and templates. Easy to draw network topology, Cisco network design
diagram, LAN/WAN diagram, network cabling diagrams, active directory, network planform and
physical network diagram.

Free Download Network Diagram Tool and View All Examples

Network Protocol Overview

The OSI model, and any other network communication model, provides only a conceptual framework
for communication between computers, but the model itself does not provide specific methods of
communication. Actual communication is defined by various communication protocols. In the context
of data communication, a protocol is a formal set of rules, conventions and data structure that
governs how computers and other network devices exchange information over a network. In other
words, a protocol is a standard procedure and format that two data communication devices must
understand, accept and use to be able to talk to each other.

In modern protocol design, protocols are "layered" according to the OSI 7 layer model or a similar
layered model. Layering is a design principle which divides the protocol design into a number of
smaller parts, each part accomplishing a particular sub-task and interacting with the other parts of the
protocol only in a small number of well-defined ways. Layering allows the parts of a protocol to be
designed and tested without a combinatorial explosion of cases, keeping each design relatively simple.
Layering also permits familiar protocols to be adapted to unusual circumstances.

The header and/or trailer at each layer reflect the structure of the protocol. Detailed rules and
procedures of a protocol or protocol group are often defined by a lengthy document. For example,
IETF uses RFCs (Request for Comments) to define protocols and updates to the protocols.

A wide variety of communication protocols exists. These protocols were defined by many different
standard organizations throughout the world and by technology vendors over years of technology
evolution and development. One of the most popular protocol suites is TCP/IP, which is the heart of
Internetworking communications. The IP, the Internet Protocol, is responsible for exchanging
information between routers so that the routers can select the proper path for network traffic, while
TCP is responsible for ensuring the data packets are transmitted across the network reliably and error
free. LAN and WAN protocols are also critical protocols in network communications. The LAN protocols
suite is for the physical and data link layers of communications over various LAN media such as
Ethernet wires and wireless radio waves. The WAN protocol suite is for the lowest three layers and
defines communication over various wide-area media, such as fiber optic and copper cables.

Network communication has slowly evolved. Today's new technologies are based on the accumulation
over years of technologies, which may be either still existing or obsolete. Because of this, the
protocols which define the network communication are highly inter-related. Many protocols rely on
others for operation. For example, many routing protocols use other network protocols to exchange
information between routers.

In addition to standards for individual protocols in transmission, there are now also interface
standards for different layers to talk to the ones above or below (usually operating system specific).
For example: Winsock and Berkeley sockets between layers 4 and 5; NDIS and ODI between layers 2
and 3.

The protocols for data communication cover all areas as defined in the OSI model. However, the OSI
model is only loosely defined. A protocol may perform the functions of one or more of the OSI layers,
which introduces complexity to understanding protocols relevant to the OSI 7 layer model. In real-
world protocols, there is some argument as to where the distinctions between layers are drawn; there
is no one black and white answer.

To develop a complete technology that is useful for the industry, very often a group of protocols is
required in the same layer or across many different layers. Different protocols often describe different
aspects of a single communication; taken together, these form a protocol suite. For example, Voice
over IP (VOIP), a group of protocols developed by many vendors and standard organizations, has
many protocols across the 4 top layers in the OSI model.

Protocols can be implemented either in hardware or software or a mixture of both. Typically, the lower
layers are implemented in hardware, with the higher layers being implemented in software.

Protocols could be grouped into suites (or families, or stacks) by their technical functions, or origin of
the protocol introduction, or both. A protocol may belong to one or multiple protocol suites, depending
on how you categorize it. For example, the Gigabit Ethernet protocol IEEE 802.3z is a LAN (Local Area
Network) protocol and it can also be used in MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) communications.

Most recent protocols are designed by the IETF for Internetworking communications and by the IEEE
for local area networking (LAN) and metropolitan area networking (MAN). The ITU-T contributes
mostly to wide area networking (WAN) and telecommunications protocols. ISO has its own suite of
protocols for internetworking communications, which is mainly deployed in European countries.
 Easy to Create

Basic Network Diagram

LAN Diagram

WAN Diagrams

3D Network Diagram

Network Topologies

Cisco Network Design

Logical Network Diagrams

Physical Network Diagrams

Detail Network Diagram

LDAP Diagram

Active Directory

Network Knowledge Base

Create Basic Network Diagram

Network Diagram Examples

Network Diagram Templates

Network Diagram Tutorials

Manage Network Information

Editing Network Equipment Shapes

Diagram An Ethernet Network

Campus Network Design

Hierarchical Network Desig

Network Glossary Definition

Network Protocol

Network Topologies

Network Diagramming Solution

Wide Area Network

Local Area Network

Network Diagram Types

Network Mapping

Network Architecture

Cisco Network Topology Icons

Computer Network Diagram

Draw Network Diagram with Symbols

Network Drawings

Flow Chart | Network Diagram | Organizational Chart | Privacy Policy | Link to Us | Contact
| Site Map
Copyright EdrawSoft 2004-2009; All Rights Reserved.

protocol
 - In information technology, a protocol (from the Greek protocollon, which was a leaf of
paper glued to a manuscript volume, describing its contents) is the special set of rules that end
points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. Protocols exist at several
levels in a telecommunication connection. For example, there are protocols for the data
interchange at the hardware device level and protocols for data interchange at the application
program level. In the standard model known as Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), there are
one or more protocols at each layer in the telecommunication exchange that both ends of the
exchange must recognize and observe. Protocols are often described in an industry or
international standard.
On the Internet, there are the TCP/IP protocols, consisting of:
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which uses a set of rules to exchange messages
with other Internet points at the information packet level
• Internet Protocol (IP), which uses a set of rules to send and receive messages at the
Internet address level
• Additional protocols that include the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and File
Transfer Protocol (FTP), each with defined sets of rules to use with corresponding
programs elsewhere on the Internet
There are many other Internet protocols, such as the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and the
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

Getting started with protocols

To explore how protocols is used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources:
Guide to Internet Protocol
In networking and communications, a protocol is the formal specification that defines the
procedures that must be followed when transmitting or receiving data. Protocols define the
format, timing, sequence, and error checking used on the network. This 10-part series includes
information on the most common TCP/IP networking protocols.
Test your TCP/IP protocol stack to troubleshoot network connectivity
Troubleshoot Windows network connectivity by verifying problems on the TCP/IP protocol
stack. Test host name resolution, ping DNS server and default gateways and more in this tip.
IP addressing and subnetting fundamentals
Our IP addressing and subnetting crash course provides an overview of IP addressing-related
topics, including IPv4 and IPv6, subnetting, DHCP, and calculating subnet masks.

The need for a protocol

A set of rules is needed for any means of communication:
• Human intercommunication (in pairs or larger groups) requires
rules of conversation (do not speak if someone else is speaking) to
function effectively.
• Computers are no different. Consider the following simplistic
analogy:
○ Two computers connected via a single connection --
Imagine two people talking via two tin cans connected via piece
of string:
If the two people talk at the same time then we get what is
known (in networking terms) as data collision.
• Therefore, we need regulations and rules to how we communicate
over a computer network. For example to remote login (telnet), FTP or
email.
• The set of rules and regulations is called a Protocol.

Protocol
Douglas Comer defines a protocol as "a formal description of message formats and the rules two
or more machines must follow to exchange those messages."
Protocols usually exist in two forms. First, they exist in a textual form for humans to understand.
The majority of Internet protocols are distributed as RFCs, which can (and should) be read to
understand the protocols' design and operation. Second, they exist as programming code for
computers to understand. Both forms should ultimately specify the precise interpretation of every
bit of every message exchanged across a network.
Protocols should exist at every point where logical program flow crosses between hosts or
programs. In other words, we need protocols every time two different computers or programs
need to agree on how they will communicate information between them. Every time we want to
print something on a network printer we need protocols, otherwise there will be no agreement on
how to pause the sending computer's output if the printer falls behind. Every time we want to
download a file we need protocols, otherwise the computers will be unable to agree on which file
should be downloaded. Every time we want to save our work on disk, we don't need protocols -
unless the disk is on a network file server.
Usually multiple protocols will be in use simultaneously. For one thing, computers usually do
several things at once, and often for several people at one. Therefore, most protocols support
multitasking. Also, one operation can involve several protocols. For example, consider the NFS
(Network File System) protocol. A write to a file is done with an NFS operation, that uses
another protocol (RPC) to perform a function call on a remote host, that uses another protocol
(UDP) to deliver a datagram to a port on a remote host, that uses another protocol to delivery a
datagram on an Ethernet, and so on. Along the way we made need to lookup host names (using
the DNS protocol), convert data to a network standard form (using the XDR protocol), find a
routing path to the host (using one or many of numerous protocols) - I think you get the idea.
Initially, protocols were specified using an explicit description of how every bit in a binary
message should be interpreted. For example, RFC 791 Section 3.1, part of the IP Protocol,
specifies the exact interpretation of every bit in the IP packet header. In more recent years, it has
become popular to specify protocols using a higher-layer description to avoid such tedious
details, while avoiding ambiguity. Two popular means of doing this are ASCII Request/Reply and
ASN.1.
In addition to specifying message formats, a protocol may also specify when certain messages
are allowed to occur. For example, a file transfer protocol may not allow a READ message until
after an OPEN message has been successfully transferred. State diagrams are the most popular
way to do this (see RFC 793 Section 3.2 for an example), though ITU-T standards use a formal
graphical syntax called SDL.
\begin{soapbox}
One of the challenges facing network designers is to construct protocols that are as
specific as possible to one function. For example, I consider NFS a good protocol design
because one protocol does file transport (NFS), one protocol does procedure calls (RPC),
etc. If you need to make a remote procedure call to print a file, you already have the RPC
protocol that already does almost everything you need. Add one piece to the puzzle - a
printing protocol, defined in terms using the RPC protocol, and your job is done.
On the other hand, I do not consider TCP a very good protocol, because it mixes two
functions: reliable data delivery and connection-oriented streams. Consequently, the
Internet lacks a good, reliable datagram delivery mechanism, because TCP's reliable
delivery techniques, while effective, are specific to stream connections.
http://daveshields.wordpress.com/2006/09/29/how-do-we-communicate-we-need-a-protocol-yes-the-
open-twit-protocol/