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Topic 1-1
Topic 1-1
Topic 1: Introduction to
communication networks
1 Communication network
• 1.1 Definitions
– Telecommunications
• The conveyance of information by means of electrical
signals
– What are the network components?
• Links: guided media and unguided media
• Nodes: terminal or intermediate entities
– Communication Network
• A set of nodes that are interconnected to permit the
exchange of information
2
All communication activities in a network are
governed by protocols
• What is a protocol?
– A set of rules that nodes in a telecommunication
connection use when they communicate
– Define the format and the order of messages exchanged
between two or more entities, and actions taken on the
transmission/receipt of a message
Communication network ‐> understand what, why, and
how of networking protocols
3
Example
a human protocol and a computer network protocol:
Hi
connection
Hi request
Got the connection
time? response
Get http://www.awl.com/kurose-ross
2:00
<file>
time
• Network scale or scope
5
• Characteristics of the channel (media)
– Wireline network: guided media such as fiber
optics, copper wires, twister‐pair cable, coaxial
cable, etc.
– Wireless network: unguided media like radio link
6
Internet: a network of
communication networks
7
Intelligent home network
• Entertainment/gaming
• Home control
– Motion sensor/alarm
– Housework
– Light system
– Gardening, etc.
• Home office/webpad
• etc.
8
Intelligent transportation systems
• Traffic monitoring
– Accident, incidents,
construction work, etc.
• Objectives:
– Improved safety to drivers
– Improved traffic efficiency
– Reduced traffic congestion
– etc.
9
Telemedicine System
Health care providers
Internet
MBAN
Home network MBAN in
(WPAN/WLAN) Ambulance
10
Challenges and opportunities:
• A large number of users
• Emerging broadband multimedia services with
various QoS requirements
• Heterogeneous networks interworking, etc.
To design and implement a communication
network to meet the ever‐increasing user
demands is critical and challenging
11
1.2 Classification (Cont’d)
• Type of switch
– Circuit switching
– Packet switching
– Virtual circuit switching
12
Circuit Switching
A
R1 Internet
Example:
R2 R3
Traditional telephone
R4
‐A path from source to destination is established before a message is transmitted
‐All links along the path between the source and destination are used during the
entire transfer
‐Data are transmitted along the dedicated path as rapidly as possible
13
Circuit Switching
network resources (e.g., dividing link bandwidth into
bandwidth) divided into “pieces”
“pieces” frequency division
• pieces allocated to calls time division
• resource piece idle if not
used by owning call (no
sharing)
14
Circuit Switching: FDM and TDM
Example:
FDM
4 users
frequency
time
TDM
frequency
time
15
Packet Switching
A
R1
Example:
Internet
R2 R3
R4
A message is segmented into packets.
Packets are then transmitted without prior reservation of link capacity.
When a packet is received at a switch, it is inspected to determine the appropriate
output link and transmitted when the output link is available.
A packet switching network is also called store and forward network.
16
Packet Switching: Statistical Multiplexing
10 Mb/s
Ethernet statistical multiplexing
A C
1.5 Mb/s
B
queue of packets
waiting for output
link
D E
Sequence of A & B packets does not have fixed pattern, shared on
demand statistical multiplexing.
Introduction 1‐17
Virtual Circuit Switching
• Hybrid of packet and circuit switching
networks
– A message is broken into smaller fixed unit
– All packets that belong to the given message all
follow the same path
– The resource of the path can be shared by other
flows
• Example: ATM‐asynchronous Transfer Mode
18
Network Taxonomy
Communication
networks
Circuit‐switched Packet‐switched
networks networks
19
Comparison
Circuit Switching Packet Switching
Dedicated path Yes * No
Bandwidth available Fixed Dynamic *
Potentially wasted Yes No *
Store and forward No Yes *
Call setup Required * Not needed
charging Per unit time * Per packet
Each packet follows the Yes * No
same route
* Characteristics for virtual circuit‐switched networks
20
1.3 Benefits
• Resource sharing
• High reliability
• Access to remote information
• Person to person communication
• Interactive entertainment
• Others ...