Cisco Notes

http://cisco.netacad.net

ACE 5, Semester 1; 3/12/04
CCNA Networking Basics v2.1.4

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CCNA1 CH 1:  Networking Basics

Transistor: amplifies a signal or opens and closes a circuit.
Integrated circuit (IC): made of semiconductor material; contains many transistors and performs a specific task.
Resistor: made of material which restricts the flow of electric current.
Capacitor: electronic component that stores energy in the form of an electrostatic field; it consists of two conducting metal plates separated by an insulating material.
(LED) is a semiconductor device which emits light when a current passes through it.

Personal Computer Subsystems:

  • Printed circuit board (PCB): thin insulating board on which chips (integrated circuits) and other electronic components are placed and interconnected by conducting paths.
  • Microprocessor: integrated circuit that contains a CPU.
  • MOBO: is the main printed circuit board of a microcomputer.
  • Bus: collection of wires thru which data is transmitted from 1 part of a comp. to another.
  • (RAM): device for data storage; volatile.
  • (ROM): memory which data has been prerecorded; cannot be removed; only be read.
  • System Unit: is the main part of a PC; chassis, mproc, main memory, bus, and ports.

Backplane Components:

  • Backplane: large circuit board that contains sockets for expansion cards.
  • NIC: expansion board inserted into a comp. to connect to a network.
  • Parallel Port: interface that is capable of transferring more than one bit simultaneously.
  • Serial port: interface in which only one bit is transmitted at a time.
  • Mouse port: port designed for connecting a mouse to a PC.

Information Flow:

  • Boot instructions are used to initialize the computer and are stored in ROM
  • Software applications are stored in RAM after they have been loaded from disk or other storage media
  • RAM and ROM store data and instructions for rapid access by the CPU through the bus
  • Application information is stored in RAM while applications are being used
  • Saved information is information that flows from RAM to some form of storage device.
  • Exported information is data that flows from RAM and the CPU, through the bus and expansion slots, to the printer, video card, sound card, or network card

NIC:  network interface card communicates with the network through a serial connection, and with the computer through a parallel connection. Each card requires an:

·         interrupt request (IRQ)

·         input/output (I/O) address

·         device driver software to work with OS

 

I/O address: a location in I/O address space that is used to uniquely select the auxiliary device and communicate with it. In DOS-based systems, upper memory refers to the memory area between the first 640 kilobytes (KB) and 1 megabyte (MB) of RAM.

In order to perform the installation, you should have the following resources:

  • NIC, including jumpers, plug-and-play software, and erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM). EPROM: type of memory that retains its contents until it is exposed to ultraviolet light.
  • NIC diagnostics, including the vendor-supplied diagnostics and loopback test.
  • Resolve hardware resource conflicts: IRQ, I/O Base Address, and DMA (direct memory address: used to transfer data from RAM to a device without going through the CPU)

EPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory): is user-modifiable read-only memory (ROM) that can be erased and reprogrammed (written to) repeatedly through the application of higher than normal electrical voltage. Unlike EPROM chips, EEPROMs do not need to be removed from the computer to be modified. However, an EEPROM chip has to be erased and reprogrammed in its entirety, not selectively. It also has a limited life - that is, the number of times it can be reprogrammed is limited to tens or hundreds of thousands of times. In an EEPROM that is frequently reprogrammed while the computer is in use, the life of the EEPROM can be an important design consideration.

Command-line network diagnostic utilities:

WINIPCFG.EXE 98/ME

IPCONFIG.EXE: Win NT/2000/XP/Server
IFCONFIG: Linux, Mac

  • Binary 0 represented by 0 volts of electricity (0 = 0.5 volts)
  • Binary 1 represented by +5 volts of electricity (1 = +5 volts)

8 bits =1 byte = a single character of data (ASCII)

1 byte represents a single addressable storage location.

 

2134 =  2134/2, record remainder, keep dividing until 8 binary digits reslut

10110 = (1 x 24 = 16) + (0 x 23 = 0) + (1 x 22 = 4) + (1 x 21 = 2) + (0 x 20 = 0) = 22 (16 + 0 + 4 + 2 + 0) à 22

 

LAN = 10m to 1km

WAN = 100km to 100,000km

 

LAN Devices: Router, Bridge, Ethernet Switch, ATM Switch, HUB

WAN Devices:  Router, Comm. Server, Modem CSU/DSU TA/NT1, WAN Bandwidth Switch

 

Typical Media/Bandwidth/Max. Physical Distance:

 

50-Ohm Coaxial Cable = 10-100Mbps = 185m = Ethernet 10Base2, ThinNet

50-Ohm Coaxial Cable = 10-100Mbps = 500m = Ethernet 10Base5, ThickNet

Cat 5 UTP = 10Mbps = 100m = Ethernet 10BaseT

Cat 5 UTP = 100Mbps = 100m = Ethernet 100BaseT, Fast Ethernet

Multimode (62.5/125um) = 100Mbps = 2000m = Optical Fiber 100BaseFX

Singlemode (9/125um core) = 1000Mbps (1Gbps) = 3000m = Optical Fiber 1000BaseLX

Wireless = 11Mbps = few 100meters

 

Frame-Relay = 56k to 1544kbps

T1 = 1.544Mbps

T3 = 44.736Mbps

E1 = 2.048Mbps

E3 = 34.368Mbps

STS-1 (OC-1) = 51.840Mbps

STS-3 (OC-3) = 155.251Mbps

STS-48 (OC-48) = 2.488320 Gbps

 

Best Download T = S/BW

Typical Donwload T = S/P

BW = max theoretical bandwidth of “slowest link” between source and destination

P = actual throughput at the moment of transfer (bps)

T = Time for a file transfer to occur (s)

S = File size in bits


 

 

 

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Base 2:

2^7 = 128 ; 2^6 = 64

 

Binary to Decimal Conversion:
Convert 1 0 1 1 0 to decimal:

(0 x 2^0) + (1 x 2^1) + (1 x 2^2) + (0 x 2^3) + (1 x 2^4) =

0 + 2 + 4 + 0 +  16 à 22

 

Decimal to Binary Conversion:
Convert the decimal number 192 to a binary number.

192/2

=

96

with a remainder of

0

96/2

=

48

with a remainder of

0

48/2

=

24

with a remainder of

0

24/2

=

12

with a remainder of

0

12/2

=

6

with a remainder of

0

6/2

=

3

with a remainder of

0

3/2

=

1

with a remainder of

1

1/2

=

0

with a remainder of

1

Write down all the remainders, backwards, and you have the binary number 11000000.

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CCNA1 CH 2:  The OSI Model

2.1 General Model Of Communication
2.2 the OSI Reference Model

2.3 Comparison of the OSI Model and the TCP/IP Model

 

OSI Model:  1984: primary model for network communications; framework for how information travels throughout a network; used to visualize how information, or data packets, travel from applications like spreadsheets and documents, through a network medium.

7 Layers of the OSI Model; provides these advantages:

  • Breaks network communication into smaller parts
  • Standardizes network components to allow multiple vendor development/support
  • Allows different types of network HW and SW to communicate with each other
  • Prevents changes in 1 layer from affecting the other layers - so they can develop quickly
  • Breaks network communication into smaller parts to make learning it easier

 

Layered Network Model:

  • Reduces complexity
  • Standardizes interfaces
  • Facilitates modular engineering
  • Ensures interoperable technology
  • Accelerates evolution
  • Simplifies teaching and learning

 

http://www.rad.com/networks/1994/osi/osi.htm

 

7 Layers of OSI Model:

Layer 7: application layer
Layer 6: presentation layer
Layer 5: session layer
Layer 4: transport layer
Layer 3: network layer
Layer 2: data link layer
Layer 1: physical layer

Layer 7: The Application Layer
Closest to the user; provides network services to the user's apps; differs from the other layers in that it doesn’t provide services to any other OSI layer, but rather, only to applications outside the OSI model (i.e. spreadsheet apps, word processing apps, and bank terminal programs); establishes the availability of intended communication partners, synchronizes and establishes agreement on procedures for error recovery and control of data integrity.
 -think of browsers

Layer 6: The Presentation Layer
Ensures that the information that the application layer of one system sends out is readable by the application layer of another system; translates between multiple data formats by using a common format;
 - think of a common data format

Layer 5: The Session Layer
Establishes, manages, and terminates sessions between two communicating hosts; provides its services to the presentation layer; synchronizes dialogue between the two hosts' presentation layers and manages their data exchange; offers provisions for efficient data transfer, class of service, and exception reporting of session layer, presentation layer, and application layer problems.
 - think of dialogues and conversations.

Layer 4: The Transport Layer
Segments data from the sending host's system and reassembles the data into a data stream on the receiving host's system. The boundary between the transport layer and the session layer can be thought of as the boundary between application protocols and data-flow protocols. Whereas the top 3 layers are concerned with application issues, the lower 4 layers are concerned with data transport issues.

Attempts to provide a data transport service that shields the upper layers from transport implementation details. Issues such as how reliable transport between two hosts are accomplished. In providing communication service, the transport layer establishes, maintains, and properly terminates virtual circuits. In providing reliable service, transport error detection-and-recovery and information flow control are used.
- think of quality of service, and reliability

Layer 3: The Network Layer
a complex layer that provides connectivity and path selection between two host systems that may be located on geographically separated networks; concerned with IP addresses.
- think of path selection, routing, and logical addressing

Layer 2: The Data Link Layer
Provides reliable transit of data across a physical link; concerned with physical (as opposed to logical) addressing, network topology, network access, error notification, ordered delivery of frames, and flow control.
- think of frames and media access control

Layer 1: The Physical Layer
Defines the electrical, mechanical, procedural, and functional specifications for activating, maintaining, and deactivating the physical link between end systems; characteristics such as voltage levels, timing of voltage changes, physical data rates, maximum transmission distances, physical connectors, and other, similar, attributes are defined by physical layer specifications.
- think of signals and media

Encapsulation wraps data with the necessary protocol information before network transit. Therefore, as the data packet moves down through the layers of the OSI model, it receives headers, trailers, and other information.

Encapsulation Process:

  • Build the data
  • Package the data for end-to-end transport
  • Add the network IP address to the header
  • Add the data link layer header and trailer
  • Convert to bits for transmission

 

Protocol data units (PDU):  During this process, the protocol of each layer exchanges information, called (PDUs), between peer layers. Each layer of communication on the source computer communicates with a layer-specific PDU

http://www.ietf.org/

 

TCP/IP Model: Created by U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

Application Layer
Transport Layer

Internet Layer

Network Access Layer

 

Application:  FTP, TFTP, HTTP, SMTP, DNS, TELNET, SNMP

Presentation/Session:  Very little foucs

Transport:  TCP

Network:  IP

Data Link/Physical:  Ethernet, LAN

TCP/IP Model:

Application Layer (FTP/HTTP/SMTP/DNS/TFTP)
The designers of TCP/IP felt that the higher level protocols should include the session and presentation layer details. This layer handles high level protocols, issues of representation, encoding, and dialog control. The TCP/IP combines all issues related to application into one layer, and assures this data is properly packaged for the next layer.

Transport Layer (TCP/UDP)
Deals with the quality of service issues of reliability, flow control, and error correction. One of its protocols, TCP, provides excellent and flexible ways to create reliable, well-flowing, low-error network communications. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol; dialogues between source and destination while packaging application layer information into units called segments. Connection-oriented does not mean that a circuit exists between the communicating computers (see circuit switching);  mean Layer 4 segments travel back and forth between two hosts to acknowledge the connection exists logically for some period (packet switching).

Internet Layer (IP)
Sends source packets from any network on the internetwork and has them arrive at the destination independent of the path and networks they took to get there. IP protocol governs this layer; best path determination and packet switching occur at this layer. Think of it in terms of the postal system (you do not know how it gets there [multiple routes], but you do care that it arrives).

Network Access Layer (Internet, Your LAN, Many LANs and WANs)
Also called the host-to-network layer;  concerned with all of the issues that an IP packet requires to actually make a physical link; includes the LAN and WAN technology details, and all the details in the OSI physical and data link layers.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol):  FTP, HTTP, SMTP, DNS, TFTP

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)S:  DNS, TFTP

If you compare the OSI model and the TCP/IP model, you will notice that they have similarities and differences. Examples include:

Similarities

  • Both have layers
  • Both have application layers, though they include very different services
  • Both have comparable transport and network layers
  • Packet-switched (not circuit-switched) technology is assumed
  • Networking professionals need to know both

Differences

  • TCP/IP combines the presentation and session layer issues into its application layer
  • TCP/IP combines the OSI data link and physical layers into one layer
  • TCP/IP appears simpler because it has fewer layers, however this is a misconception. The OSI reference model, with its less complex and multiple layers, is simpler to develop and troubleshoot.
  • TCP/IP protocols are the standards around which the Internet developed, so the TCP/IP model gains credibility just because of its protocols. In contrast, typically networks are not built on the OSI protocol, even though the OSI model is used as a guide.

TCP/IP Model vs. OSI Model:

TCP/IP:

Protocols = Application + Transport Layers

Networks = Internet + Network Access Layers

 

OSI:

Application Layers = Application, Presentation, Session

Data Flow Layers = Transport, Network, Data Link, Physical

 

Lab Exercise:  Match OSI Layer Protocols and Devices

Application Layer:  FTP, HTTP, Redirector
Presentation Layer:  JPEG, Encryption , EBCDIC, ASCII

Session Layer:  Dialogue Control, NFS, Checkpoint, Synchronization
Transport Layer:  Sliding Windows, Acknowledgment, Sequencing, Segment

Network Layer:  IP Address, Packet, Router
Data Link layer:  MAC Address, LAN Topologies, Switch, Frame

Physical Layer:  Cabling, Hub, Repeater, Bits

 

http://www.ethermanage.com/ethernet/ethernet.html

 

Chapter 2 Quiz:

1) Which layer of the OSI model establishes, maintains, and terminates connections between applications?

  • Session

NOT:  data link, network, or presentation

 

2)  Which of the following is the Layer 4 PDU?

  • Segment

NOT:  bit, frame, or packet

3)  Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for reliable end-to-end network communications?

  • Transport

NOT:  application, network, physical

4)  Which of the following best describes the function of the presentation layer?

  • It ensures that data is readable by the receiving system

NOT:  it manages data exchange between layer entities

NOT:  it provides connectivity and path selection between two end systems

NOT:  it is responsible for the reliable network connection between end nodes

5)  Which of the following describes the function of the data link layer?

  • Media access, ordered delivery of frames, and physical addressing

NOT:  best path selection

NOT:  establishment and maintenance of virtual circuits

NOT:  data exchange between presentation layer entities

6)  All of the follwing protocols use the services provided by TCP except:

  • TFTP

NOT:  FTP, HTTP, or SMTP

7)  Which application is common to both TCP and UDP in the TCP/IP reference model?

  • DNS

NOT:  FTP, HTTP, or SMTP

8)  All of the following are defined by physical layer specifications EXCEPT:

  • Media access controls

NOT:  voltage levels, media connection types, or  maximum transmission distances

9)  Which OSI model layer provides packet encapsulation service to Layer 4?

  • Network layer

NOT:  data link layer, physical layer, or transport layer

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CCNA1 CH 3:  Networking Basics

Local Area Networks (LANs)

3.1 Basic LAN Devices

3.2 Evolution of Network Devices

3.3 Basics of Data Flow Through LANs

3.4 Building LANs

 

Topology:

  • Bus topology uses a single backbone segment (length of cable). All the hosts connect to it directly.
  • Ring topology connects one host to the next and the last host to the first. This creates a physical ring of cable.
  • Star topology connects all cables to a central point. This point is usually a hub or switch.
  • Extended star topology links individual stars together by linking the hubs/switches. This will extend the length and size of the network.
  •  Hierarchical topology is created similar to an extended star. Instead of linking the hubs/switches together, the system is linked to a computer. The computer controls the traffic on the topology.
  • Mesh topology is used when there can be absolutely no break in communications. The control systems of a nuclear power plant are a good example. As you can see in Figure [2], each host is connected to all other hosts. This also reflects the design of the Internet, which has multiple paths to any one location.

Logical topology:  how the hosts communicate across the medium. The two most common types of logical topologies are broadcast and token passing.

 

Broadcast topology simply means that each host sends its data to all other hosts on the network medium

 

Token-passing controls network access by passing an electronic token sequentially to each host

Media:

Token Ring

FDDI Ring

Ethernet Line

Serial Line

 

5-4-3 Rule, when extending LAN segments. This rule states that you can connect five network segments end-to-end using four repeaters but only three segments can have hosts (computers) on them.

The first classification is active or passive hubs. Most modern hubs are active; they take energy from a power supply to regenerate network signals. Some hubs are called passive devices because they merely split the signal for multiple users, like using a "Y" cord on a CD player to use more than one set of headphones. Passive hubs do not regenerate bits, so they do not extend the cable length. They simply allow two or more hosts to connect to the same cable segment.

Another classification of hubs is intelligent or dumb. Intelligent hubs have console ports, which means they can be programmed to manage network traffic. Dumb hubs simply take an incoming networking signal and repeat it to every other port without the ability to do any management.

The role of the hub in a Token Ring network is played by a Media Access Unit (MAU). Physically it resembles a hub, but token-ring technology is very different, as you will learn later. In FDDIs, the MAU is called a concentrator. MAUs are also Layer 1 devices.

Bridge: is a Layer 2(Data Link) device designed to connect two LAN segments. The purpose of a bridge is to filter traffic on a LAN, to keep local traffic local, yet allow connectivity to other parts (segments) of the LAN for traffic that has been directed there.  the bridge keeps track of which MAC addresses are on each side of the bridge and makes its decisions based on this MAC address list.  What really defines a bridge is its Layer 2 filtering of frames and how this is actually accomplished.

Layer 2 Devices:  NIC, Bridge, Switch,

Switch:  a multiport bridge, just as a hub is called a multiport repeater; switches make decisions based on MAC addresses and hubs do not make decisions; "switching" data only out the port to which the proper host is connected; hub will send the data out all of its ports;

AUI is a transceiver that converts one type of signal or connector to another. To connect, for example, a 15-pin AUI interface to an RJ-45 jack

Router: operates at the OSI network Layer 3; the router to make decisions based on network addresses as opposed to individual Layer 2 MAC addresses;  can also connect different Layer 2 technologies, such as Ethernet, Token-ring, and FDDI.  Purpose is to examine the Layer 3 addresses of incoming packets, choose the best path for them through the network, and then switch them to the proper outgoing port.

Segment: identifies the Layer 1 media that provide the common path for data transmission in a LAN. Each time a Layer 2 or Layer 3 device is used to extend the length or manage data on the media a new segment is created.
Cisco commonly defines a segment as a collision domain.
Third definition for segment describes a Layer 4 PDU (Protocol Data Unit).

Important Dates:

1890:  Bell invents telephone
1901:  Marconi’s first transatlantic wireless transmission
1920s:  AM Radio
1939:  FM Radio
1940s:  WWII spurs radio and microwave development
1947:  Shockley, Barden and Brittain invent the solid-state (semiconductor) transistor
1948:  Claude Shannon publishes “A Theory of Electronic Communication”, perhaps the most important paper on communication
1950s:  Invention of Integrated Circuits
1960s:  Mainframe Computing
1962:  Paul Baran at RAND works on “packet switching” networks
1967:  Larry Roberts publishes first paper on ARPANET
1969:  ARPANET established at UCLA, UCSB, U-Utah, and Stanford
1972:  Ray Tomlinson creates program to send messages
1970s:  Widespread use of digital integrated circuits; advent of digital personal computers
1973:  Bob Kahn and Vint Certf begin work on what later becomes TCP/IP
1982:  The term Internet is assigned to a connected set of networks
1980s:  Widespread use of personal computers and Unix-based mini-computers
1982:  ISO releases OSI Model and protocols; the protocols die but the model is very influential
1984:  Domain Name Service introduced
1991:  Tim Berners-Lee develops code for WWW
1993:  Mosaic, the first GUI browser, is uintroduced
1994:  Netscape Navigator introduced
1990s (Late):  Internet users doubling everty 6 months
1998:  Cisco hits 70% of sales via internet, Networking Academies launched
1999:  Major corporations race toward the video, voice and data convergence

 

Layers 1 – 7: hosts and servers operate at this layer; clouds
Layer 1 Devices:  Transceivers, repeaters, hubs
Passive Layer 1 components:  patch cables, patch panels, and other interconnection components; NICs
Layer 2 Devices:  NICs, Bridges, Switches
Layer 3 Devices: Routers

NICs are considered Layer 2 devices since they are the location of the MAC address. However, since they often handle signaling and encoding they are also Layer 1 devices. Bridges and switches are considered Layer 2 devices because they use Layer 2 (MAC address) information to make decisions on whether or not to forward frames. They also operate on Layer 1 in order to allow bits to interact with the media.

Routers (layers 1,2,3) are considered Layer 3 devices because they use Layer 3 (network) addresses to choose best paths and to switch packets to the proper route. Router interfaces operate at Layers 2 and 1 as well as Layer 3. Clouds, which may include routers, switches, servers, and many devices we have not yet introduced, involve Layers 1-7.

  1. Encapsulation:  data to be sent must be put in manageable, traceable packages Encapsulation begins in the application, presentation, and session layers, where data is prepared for transmission by the creation of a common data format.  The transport layer breaks up the data into manageable size units called segments.  The data link layer further encapsulates the packet and creates a frame. It adds the source and destination local (MAC) address to the frame..
    http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci212060,00.html (Encapsulation)
    http://www.cs.mun.ca/~donald/bsc/node13.html
    http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci212736,00.htm (packets)
    http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/Homepages/shivkuma/teaching/sp99/i02_fnd/sld006.htm (Encapsulation Slide)
    http://www.erg.abdn.ac.uk/users/gorry/course/intro-pages/encapsulation.html (encapsulation of PDUs)

    Data
    Segment
    Packet
    frame, which encapsulates the packet

Chapter 3 Quiz:

1) Which protocol data units are forwarded by a router?
Answer:  packets NOT: bits, frames, segments
2) What device performs the role of a hub in a token-ring network?
Answer:  MAU                      NOT:  router, switch, repeater
3) What is the topology if one central hub has four hubs connected to each of those four hubs has four workstations attached to it?
Answer: an extended star  NOT:  bus, ring, star
4) Which of the following is a reason that hubs are considered Layer 1 devices?
Answer:  They deal only with bits    NOT:  they encode data as bits, they control access to the shared media, they perform parity checks on the bit stream
5) Which statements regarding switches is correct?
Answer: Switches combine the connectivity of a hub with the traffic regulation of a bridge
6) Which networking device can make traffic forwarding decisions based IP addressing?
Answer:  Router                   NOT:  bridge, hub, MAU
7) A ‘networking cloud’ symbol can be used to represent all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer:  a single device such as a WAN switch or router                           NOT:  devices at all seven layers of the OSI model, another network – a collection of networks – or the entire internet; or a large group of details that are not pertinent to a situation – or description – at a given time.
8) Which function performed by a NIC is classified as a Layer 2 activity?
Answer:  Controlling a host’s access to the network medium    NOT:  encapsulating data into segments, encoding bits as electrical signals, or using network addresses to direct data delivery

OSI MODEL:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/3131/ne/osimodel.html

Protocol Stacks:
http://www.lex-con.com/osimodel.htm

Webopedia OSI:
http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/OSI_Layers.asp

http://www.tomewing.com/radio.html

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/securingwin2000.htm

 

 

j

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CCNA 1: Networking Basics CH 4
Chapter 4
Layer 1 – Electronics and Signals
4.1 Basics of Electricity
4.2 Basics of Digital Multimeters
4.3 Basics of Signals and Noise in Communications Systems
4.4 Basics of Encoding Networking Signals

Coulomb's Law - Opposite charges attract; like charges repel
Bohr's model - Protons are positive charges, and electrons are negative charges; There is more than 1 proton in the nucleus

Electrical conductors (conductors): materials through which electronics flow.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD): 
A static discharge can randomly damage chips, data, or both

Semiconductors: materials where the amt. of electricity they conduct can be precisely controlled. (Silicon, carbon, germanium, and the alloy, gallium arsenide)

Alternating Current (AC):  a ways in which current flows. Alternating current and voltages vary with time, by changing their polarity, or direction; flow is in one direction, then reverses its direction, and repeats the process. AC voltage is positive at one terminal, and negative at the other, and then it reverses its polarity. This process repeats itself continuously.

Direct Current (DC): the other way in which current flows; always flows in the same direction, and DC voltages always have the same polarity. One terminal is always positive, and the other is always negative; hey do not change or reverse; can be found in flashlight batteries, car batteries, and as power for the microchips on the motherboard of a computer.

Voltage (electromotive force (EMF)): an electrical force, or pressure, that occurs when electrons and protons are separated.  Voltage is created by the separation of charges, which means that voltage measurements must be made between two points.

Electrical current (current): the flow of charges that is created when electrons move.
Resistance [ohm (
Ω).]:  Materials through which current flows providing opposition to movement of electrons; generally used when referring to DC voltages.

Impedance [Z]:  measure of the combined opposition to the flow of AC and DC current flow; a general term, and is the measure of how the flow of electrons is resisted, or impeded.

Ohm's Law [I = V/R] : the amount of current that will flow through a piece of conductor when a voltage is applied to it.
resistance = R = Ohms
current = I = V/R.

AC and DC electrical systems: the flow of electrons is always from a negatively charged source to a positively charged source

Short Circuit:  Conducting path
Open Circuit:  Discontinuity in conducting path

Ground (reference point, or 0 (zero) volts level)
Multimeter: test equipment used for measuring voltage, current, resistance, and possibly other electrical quantities and displaying the value in numeric form; has two wires; the black wire is referred to as the ground (reference ground) A negative terminal on a battery is also referred to as 0 volts, or reference ground

Oscilloscope: graphs the electrical waves, pulses, and patterns. It has an x-axis that represents time, and a y-axis that represents voltage.

power lines: form of alternating current (AC); usually delivered to a pole-mounted transformer. The transformer reduces the high voltages used in the transmission to the 120 or 240 volts used by typical consumer electrical appliances

Jean Baptiste Fourier:  a special sum of sine waves of harmonically related frequencies, which are multiples of some basic frequency, could be added together to create any wave pattern.

One binary digit or word (bit or pulse)

Signal reference ground

Optical signals à
Binary 0 = encoded as a low-light, or no-light, intensity (darkness)
Binary 1= encoded as a higher-light intensity (brightness), or other more complex patterns.

Wireless signals à
Binary 0 = short burst of waves; B
Binary 1 =longer burst of waves, or another more complex pattern.

Factors affecting a single bit:

  • propagation
  • attenuation
  • reflection
  • noise
  • timing problem
  • collisions

round trip time, (RTT): The time it takes the bit to travel from one end of the medium and back again is referred to as the. Assuming no other delays, the time it takes the bit to travel down the medium to the far end is RTT/2.

Reflection: for electrical signals; when voltage pulses, or bits, hit a discontinuity, some energy can be reflected; optical signals reflect whenever they hit a discontinuity in the glass fiber, such as when a connector is plugged into a device

 

Cross talk: electrical noise on the cable originates from signals on other wires in the cable.
 Near-end cross talk (NEXT): when two wires are near each other and untwisted, energy from one wire can wind up in an adjacent wire and vice versa. This can cause noise at both ends of a terminated cable.

Thermal noise: caused by the random motion of electrons; unavoidable but usually relatively small compared to the signals.

AC Power and reference ground noises: crucial problems in networking: electricity carried to appliances and machines by wires concealed in walls, floors, and ceilings

AC line noise coming from a nearby video monitor or hard disk drive can be enough to create errors in a computer system

 

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)/Radio Frequency Interference (RFI): External sources of electrical impulses that affect the quality of electrical signals include lighting, electrical motors, and radio systems.

Shielding and cancellation

 

Dispersion: when the signal broadens in time; caused by the type of media involved

Jitter: Clock pulses cause the CPU to calculate, the data to be stored in memory, and the NIC to send bits. If the clock on the source host is not synchronized with the destination, which is quite likely, timing will occur

Latency (Delay): Einstein's theory of relativity states, "nothing can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum (3.0 x 108 meters/second)". Wireless networking signals travel at slightly less than the speed of light in vacuum. Networking signals on copper media travel in the range of 1.9x108 m/s to 2.4x108 m/s. Networking signals on optical fiber travel at approximately 2.0x108 m/s

Collision: occurs when two bits from two different communicating computers are on a shared medium at the same time

Modulation: taking a wave and changing, or modulating it so that it carries information.
AM (amplitude modulation)
- the amplitude, or height, of a carrier sine wave is varied to carry the message
FM (frequency modulation) - the frequency of the carrier wave is varied to carry the message
PM (phase modulation) - the phase, or beginning and ending points of a given cycle, of the wave is varied to carry the message

TTL (transistor-transistor logic) encoding is the simplest. It is characterized by a high signal and a low signal (often +5 or +3.3 V for binary 1 and 0 [zero] V for binary 0 [zero]). In optical fibers, binary 1 might be a bright LED or laser light, and binary 0 (zero), dark or no light. In wireless networks, binary 1 might mean a carrier wave is present and binary 0 (zero), no carrier at all.

Manchester encoding: more complex; more immune to noise and is better at remaining synchronized. In Manchester encoding, the voltage on copper wire, the brightness of LED or laser light in optical fiber, or the power of an EM wave in wireless has the bits encoded as transitions. Observe that the Manchester encoding results in 1 being encoded as a low-to-high transition and 0 (zero) being encoded as a high-to-low transition. Because both 0s (zeros) and 1s result in a transition to the signal, the clock can be effectively recovered at the receiver.

Chapter 4 QUIZ:

 

1)       What is required for electrons to flow?
A:  a closed loop of conductors

2)       Which of the following describes attenuation?
A: a loss of signal strength

3)       Which is a cause of crosstalk?
A: a poorly terminated network cabling
not:  loss of a signal’s ground reference

4)       Which material is considered an electrical semiconductor?
A: Silicon

5)       Which describes Manchester encoding?
A: Bits are represented by transitions in voltage

6)       What must occur before Layer 2 devices can process a signal that has been transmitted on their LAN segment?
A: the signal must be converted from voltage to bits

7)       Which of the following is a design goal when planning Ethernet networks?
A:  localizing and minimizing the number of collisions

8)       What does the ground plane provide in a computer circuit board?
A: signal reference ground

 

 

CCNA1 CH 5:  Layer 1 – Media, Connections, and Collisions

5.1 Most Common LAN Media

5.2 Cable Specification and Termination

5.3 Making and Testing Cable

5.4 Layer 1 - Components and Devices

5.5 Collisions and Collision Domains in Shared Layer Environments

5.6 Basic Topologies Used in Networking

 

Screened UTP (ScTP) [AKA Foil Twisted Pair (FTP)] hybrid STP/UTP; essentially UTP wrapped in a metallic foil shield, or "screen’; usually 100 or 120 Ohm cable; UTP has an external diameter of approximately .43 cm.

 

UTP:  UTP cable has four pairs of either 22 or 24 gauge copper wire; 100 ohms; ext. diameter of .43 cm

STP:  shielding, cancellation, twisted wires; each pair is wrapped in metal foil; the four pairs wrapped in metallic braid or fiol;  reduces electrical noise (coupling, cross-talk, EMI, RFI); 150 Ohm cable.

Coaxial cable: 500 ohm (thinnet/cheapernet); consists of a hollow outer cylindrical conductor that surrounds a single inner wire made of two conducting elements. A copper conductor located in the center of the cable. Surrounding it is a layer of flexible insulation. Over this insulating material is a woven copper braid or metallic foil that acts as the second wire in the circuit, and as a shield for the inner conductor; outside diameter of only .35 cm.

Fiber-optic cable:  a networking medium capable of conducting modulated light; consists of two fibers encased in separate sheaths; the light guiding parts of an optical fiber are called the core and the cladding. The core is usually very pure glass with a high index of refraction. When the core glass is surrounded by a cladding layer of glass or plastic with a low index of refraction, light can be trapped in the fiber core. This process is called total internal reflection, and it allows the optical fiber to act like a light pipe, guiding light for tremendous distances, even around bends.

Solid-state laser light

Cladding/core:  light guiding parts of an optical fiber.

Refraction

Total internal reflection:  When the core glass is surrounded by a cladding layer of glass or plastic with a low index of refraction, light is trapped in the fiber core;  allows the optical fiber to act like a light pipe.

Wireless IEEE 802.11
WLANS typically use:
Radio Waves = 900MHz
Microwaves = 2.4 GHz
Infrared Waves = 820 nanometers

Speed of light (electromagnetic waves) = c
Frequency x Wavelength = c
Low Frequency electromagnetic waves = long wavelength (distance from one peak to next)
High Frequency electromagnetic waves = short wavelength

  • IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • UL - Underwriters Laboratories
  • EIA - Electronic Industries Alliance
  • TIA - Telecommunications Industry Association

TIA/EIA Standards:

-568A = Commercial Building Telecomm Cabling Standard
standards for horizontal cabling, which defines horizontal cabling as cabling that runs from a telecommunications outlet to a horizontal cross-connect
For shielded twisted-pair cable, the TIA/EIA-568-A standard calls for two pair 150 ohm cable. For unshielded-twisted pair, the standard calls for four pair 100 ohm cable. For fiber-optic, the standard calls for two fibers of 62.5/125 multimode cable
the maximum distance for cable runs in horizontal cabling is 90 meters
patch cords or cross-connect jumpers located at the horizontal cross-connect cannot exceed 6 m in length. TIA/EIA-568-A also allows 3 m for patch cords that are used to connect equipment at the work area. The total length of the patch cords and cross-connect jumpers used in the horizontal cabling cannot exceed 10 m. A final specification for horizontal cabling contained in TIA/EIA-568-A requires that all grounding and bonding must conform to TIA/EIA-607.

-569A = Commercial Building Standard for Telecomm Pathways and Spaces
contains specifications governing cable performance. It calls for running two cables, one for voice and one for data, to each outlet. Of the two cables, the one for voice must be four-pair UTP
five categories in the specifications. These are category 1 (CAT 1), category 2 (CAT 2), category 3 (CAT 3), category 4 (CAT 4), and category 5 (CAT 5) cabling.

-570A = Residential and Light Comm Telecomm Wiring Standard

-606 = Adminn Standard for the Telecomm Infrastructure of Commercial Buildiings

-607 = Comm Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecomm

 

fork-like tool called a punch down tool

Patch panels

Repeaters are internetworking devices that exist at the physical layer (Layer 1) of the OSI model

(HUB) Multiport repeaters combine connectivity with the amplifying and retiming properties of repeaters

 

Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter

 

Shared media environment - when multiple hosts have access to the same medium

Extended shared media environment - special type of shared media environment - networking devices can extend the environment so that it can accommodate multiple-access, or more users

Point-to-point network environment - shared networking environment - one device is connected to only one other device via a link, such as a phone line

  • Circuit switched - an indirectly connected network in which actual electrical circuits are maintained for the duration of the communication. The current telephone system is still, in part, circuit switched.
  • Packet switched - the source sends messages in packets; each packet contains enough information for it to be routed to the proper destination host. The advantage is that many hosts can share the same link. The disadvantage is that conflicts can occur.

Collision domain:  The area within the network where the data packets originated and collided, and includes all shared media environments. One wire may be connected to another wire through patch cables, transceivers, patch panels, repeaters, and even hubs. All of these Layer 1 interconnections are part of the collision domain.

Competition for the medium (contention)

Attempting to develop a wireless communication system for the islands of Hawaii, university researchers developed a protocol called Aloha. This protocol was instrumental in the development of Ethernet.

 

To ensure that a repeated 10BASE-T network will function properly, the following condition must be true: (repeater delays + cable delays + NIC delays) x 2 < maximum round-trip delay.

When this delay limit is exceeded, the number of late collisions dramatically increase.
Late collision - when a collision happens after the first 64 bytes of the frame are transmitted.

 

The size of collision domains can be reduced by using intelligent networking devices that break up the domains. (bridges, switches, and routers. This process is called segmentation)

The chipsets in NICs are not required to retransmit automatically when a late collision occurs. These late collision frames add delay referred to as consumption delay. As consumption delay and latency increase, network performance decreases.
Ethernet 5-4-3-2-1 rule - 5 sections of the network, 4 repeaters or hubs, 3 sections of the network are ”mixing” section (populated w/ hosts)  2 sections are link sections (for link purposes), and 1 large collision domain.

A bridge can eliminate unnecessary traffic on a busy network by dividing a network into segments and filtering traffic based on the station address.

Cellular topology consists of circular or hexagonal areas, each of which has an individual node at its center.

 

Mesh topology - every node is linked directly to every other node.

Irregular network topology - here is no obvious pattern to the links and nodes.

Tree topology - similar to the extended star topology, the primary difference being that it does not use one central node.

Extended star topology - repeats a star topology, except that each node that links to the center node is, also, the center of another star.

Star topology - has a central node with all links to other nodes radiating from it and allows no other links.  The flow of information is hierarchical.

Dual ring topology - consists of two concentric rings, each of which is linked only to its adjacent ring neighbor. The two rings are not connected.
Ring topology - a single closed ring consisting of nodes and links, with each node connected to only two adjacent nodes.
Bus topology has - all of its nodes connected directly to one link, and has no other connections between nodes.
Cellular topology - consists of circular or hexagonal areas, each of which has an individual node at its center.  The cellular topology is a geographic area that is divided into regions (cells) for the purposes of wireless technology.   Sometimes the receiving nodes move (for example, car cell phone), and sometimes the sending nodes move (for example, satellite communication links).   The disadvantages are that signals are present everywhere in a cell. The signals are susceptible to disruptions (man-made and environmental) and to security violations.

 

Chapter 6: Layer 2 Concepts

6.1 LAN Standards

6.2 Hexadecimal Numbers

6.3 MAC Addressing

6.4 Framing

6.5 Media Access Control (MAC)

 

Data Link Layer 2: Provides access to networking media and physical transmission across the media - enables the data to locate its intended destination on a network; handles error notification, network topology, and flow control; concerned with physical (as opposed to network/ logical) addressing, network topology, line discipline (how end systems will use the network link), error notification, ordered delivery of frames, and flow control.

 

Layer 2 LLC to communicate w/ upper level layers
Layer 2 Addressing (naming) process

Layer 2 framing to organize/group bits

Layer 2 MAC (media access control) to control who will transmit

LAN Specification: Ethernet; IEEE 802.2; IEEE 802.3, 10Base-T, Token Ring/IEEE 802.5, FDDI

IEEE 802.2:  IEEE 802.3, 10Base-T, Token Ring/IEEE 802.5, FDDI

LLC:  participates in the encapsulation process; defined by the IEEE 802.2 specification.
The LLC PDU (LLC packet) takes the network protocol data, an IP packet, and adds more control information to help deliver the IP packet; adds two addressing components of the 802.2 specification, the Destination Service Access Point (DSAP) and the Source Service Access Point (SSAP). This repackaged IP packet then travels to the MAC sublayer for handling by the required specific technology for further encapsulation and data.  The LLC manages communications between devices over a single link on a network; supports both connectionless and connection-oriented services; IEEE 802.2 defines a number of fields in the data link layer frames that enable multiple higher layer protocols to share a single physical data link.

Layer 2 Concepts:

  1. Layer 2 communicates with the upper level layers through LLC
  2. Layer 2 uses a flat addressing convention (unique identifiers or addresses)
  3. Layer 2 uses framing to organize or group the data.
  4. Layer 2 uses MAC to choose which computer will transmit binary data, from a group in which all computers are trying to transmit at the same time.

Hex: shorthand method for representing the 8-bit bytes that are stored in the computer system; chosen to represent identifiers because easily represents the 8-bit byte by using only 2 hexadecimal symbols.

MAC addresses: 48 bits; expressed as twelve hexadecimal digits; referred to as burned-in addresses (BIAs) because they are burned into ROM and are copied into RAM when the NIC initializes; they have no structure, and are considered flat address spaces.

 1st six hexadecimal digits: (administered by the IEEE) identify the manufacturer or vendor and thus comprise the Organizational Unique Identifier (OUI).
2nd six hexadecimal digits: comprises the interface serial number, or another value (administered by the specific vendor) MAC addresses are sometimes

--------------------------
The position of each symbol, or digit, in a hex number represents the base number 16 raised to a power, or exponent, based on its position. Moving from right to left, the first position represents 160, or 1; the second position represents 161, or 16; the third position, 162, or 256; and so on.

Example:  4F6A = (4 x 163)+ (F[15] x 162)+ (6 x 161)+ (A[10] x 160) = 20330 (decimal)

--------------------
Remainder method:
the decimal number is repeatedly divided by the base number (16). The remainder is then converted each time into a hex number.

Example: Convert the decimal number 24032 to hex.

24032/16

=

1502, with a remainder of 0

1502/16

=

93, with a remainder of 14 or E

93/16

=

5, with a remainder of 13 or D

5/16

=

0, with a remainder of 5

By collecting all the remainders backward, you have the hex number 5DE0.

----------------

Convert hexadecimal numbers to decimal numbers by multiplying the hex digits by the base number of the system (Base 16) raised to the exponent of the position.

Example: Convert the hex number 3F4B to a decimal number. (Work from right to left.)

 

 

16203

= decimal equivalent

B(11) x 160

=

11

 

4 x 161

=

64

 

F(15) x 162

=

3840

 

3 x 163

=

12288

 

----------------------------
Converting binary to hexadecimal and hexadecimal to binary is an easy conversion. The reason is that Base 16 (hexadecimal) is a power of Base 2 (binary). Every four binary digits (bits) are equal to one hexadecimal digit. The conversion looks like this:

Binary

 

Hex

Binary

 

Hex

0000

=

0

1000

=

8

0001

=

1

1001

=

9

0010

=

2

1010

=

A

0011

=

3

1011

=

B

0100

=

4

1100

=

C

0101

=

5

1101

=

D

0110

=

6

1110

=

E

0111

=

7

1111

=

F

If there is a binary number that looks like 01011011, it is broken into two groups of four bits (work from right to left). These look like this: 0101 and 1011. When converting these two groups to hex, they look like 5 and B. So converting 01011011 to hex is 5B. To convert hex to binary do the opposite. Convert hex AC to binary. First convert hex A which is 1010 binary and then convert hex C which is 1100 binary.

No matter how large the binary number, the same conversion is always applied. Start from the right of the binary number and break the number into groups of four. If at the left end of the number it does not evenly fit into a group of four, add zeros to the left end until it is equal to four digits (bits). Then convert each group of four to its hex equivalent. Here is an example:

000100100010111110111110111001001

converts to:

0001

0010

0100

0101

1111

0111

1101

1100

1001

converts to:

1

2

4

5

F

7

D

C

9

so:

 

 

000100100010111110111110111001001 Binary = 1245F7DC9 hex

As stated before hex works in exactly the opposite way. Each hex digit converts to four binary digits (bits). For example:

AD46BF

converts to:

 

 

 

A

D

4

6

B

F

converts to:

 

 

 

1010

1101

0100

0110

1011

1111

so:

 

 

AD46BF hex converts to 101011010100011010111111 binary

AD46BF hex converts to 101011010100011010111111 binary

That is the conversion for binary to hexadecimal and from hexadecimal to binary.

Data à Segment à Packet à Frame à Bit

Frame format diagram: which is based on voltage versus time graphs. They are read from left to right, just like an oscilloscope graph. The frame format diagram shows different groupings of bits (fields) that perform other functions.

Analogies for Data Frames:

·         A picture frame marks the borders of a painting;
A data frame shows the borders of encapsulated data

·         A shrink-wrapped pallet is the last step before heavy objects are shipped;
Framing is the last packaging before data is transmitted on the medium

·         Video is conveyed as a series of still images called frames;
Data (info) is conveyed as a series of data frames

Single Generic Frame: has sections called fields; each field is composed of bytes. The names of the fields are as follows:

  • Frame start field
  • Address field
  • Length / type / control field
  • Data field
  • Frame check sequence field
  • Frame stop field

Padding Bytes: extra data sometimes added so that the frames have a min length for timing purposes. LLC bytes are also included with the data field in the IEEE standard frames.

Frame Check Sequence (FCS) field: contains a number that is calculated by the source computer and is based on the data in the frame. When the destination computer receives the frame, it recalculates the FCS number and compares it with the FCS number included in the frame. If the two numbers are different, an error is assumed, the frame is discarded, and the source is asked to retransmit.

3 primary ways to calculate the Frame Check Sequence number:

  • Cyclic redundancy check(CRC) - performs polynomial calculations on the data
  • Two-dimensional parity - adds an 8th bit that makes an 8-bit sequence have an odd or even number of binary 1s
  • Internet checksum - adds the values of all of the data bits to arrive at a sum


3 Analogies for Media Access Control

·         Stopping at a tollbooth

·         Waiting in a ticket line

·         Speaking in a meeting

Tollbooth Analogy
A tollbooth controls multiple lanes of vehicles crossing a bridge. Vehicles gain access to the bridge by paying a toll.  The vehicle is the frame, the bridge is the shared medium, and paying the fee at the tollbooth is the protocol that allows access to the bridge.

Ticket Line Analogy
Imagine waiting in line to ride a roller coaster at an amusement park. The line is necessary to ensure order. There are a specified maximum number of people that can fit into the roller coaster car at one time. Eventually, as the line moves, tickets are purchased, and people sit in the car. In this analogy, the people are the data, the cars are the frames, the roller coaster tracks are the shared medium, and the protocol is the waiting in line and presentation of the ticket.

Meeting Analogy
Imagine being at a meeting table, along with the other members of a large talkative group. There is one shared medium, the space above the meeting table (air), through which signals (spoken words) are communicated. The protocol for determining access to the medium is that the first person that speaks, when everyone quiets down, can talk as long as he/she wishes, until finished. In this analogy, the words of the individual members are the packets, the air above the meeting table is the medium, and the first person to speak in the meeting is the protocol.

Nondeterministic MAC protocols: use a first-come, first-served (FCFS) approach. In the late 1970s, the University of Hawaii developed and used a radio communication system (ALOHA) that connected the various Hawaiian Islands. The protocol they used allowed anyone to transmit at will. This led to radio wave collisions that could be detected by listeners during transmissions. However, what started as ALOHA, eventually became a modern MAC protocol called Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD).

CSMA/CD: Everyone on the system listens for quiet, at which time it is OK to transmit. However, if two people talk at the same time, a collision occurs, and neither person can transmit. Everyone else on the system also hears the collision, waits for silence, and then tries to transmit.

Deterministic - 1 Describes a system whose time evolution can be predicted exactly. Contrast {probabilistic}. 2 Describes an {algorithm} in which the correct next step depends only on the current state. This contrasts with an algorithm involving {backtracking} where at each point there may be several possible actions and no way to chose between them except by trying each one and backtracking if it fails.
Updated On : 9/22/1995

Common Layer 2 technologies: Token Ring, FDDI, and Ethernet. All three specify Layer 2 issues (LLC, naming, framing, and MAC), as well as Layer 1 signaling components and media issues.

  • Ethernet - logical bus topology (info. flow on a linear bus) and physical star or ext. star
  • Token Ring - logical ring topology (in other words, information flow is controlled in a ring) and a physical star topology (in other words, it is wired as a star)
  • FDDI - logical ring topology (information flow is controlled in a ring) and physical dual ring topology (wired as a dual ring)

Chapter 6 QUIZ:

1) Which manages communication between a specific Layer 2 LAN technology and network layer protocols?                Answer:  LLC

2) What is the hexadecimal equivalent of the decimal number 2766?  Answer: ACE

3) What is the decimal equivalent of the hex number FAD?  Answer: 4013

4) What is the hex equivalent of the binary number 11000011?  Answer: C3

5) How does a receiving host detect that there has been an error during transmission of a frame?  Answer: It compares the FCS included in the frame to the FCS that it recalculates

6) What is the purpose of media access control?                           Answer: It determines which workstation on a shared medium LAN is allowed to transmit data

7) Which is an example of a non-deterministic LAN technology?               Answer: Ethernet

8) Which is a drawback of the CSMA/CD media access control protocol?               Answer: Collisions can decrease network performance

9) Which describes MAC addresses?              Answer: The 1st 6 hex digits identify the manufacturer and the last 6 digits identify the device

10) All statements are true regarding data link layer LAN specifications EXCEPT:                Answer: Hierarchical addressing is used to identify the network to which the device belongs

Related Chapter 6 Links:

FAQs for OUIs:

http://standards.ieee.org/faqs/OUI.html

Data Link Layer:
http://cs.nmhu.edu/osimodel/datalink/

MAC Sublayer:
http://www.100vg.com/white/mac.htm

CHAPTER 18 The Network
18.3 Ethernet Frame
http://wks.uts.ohio-state.edu/sysadm_course/html/sysadm-326.html

Hex Explained:
http://chem.csustan.edu/JTB/help/HEX/hex-def.htm

TechWeb – The Business Technology Network:
http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/

MAC:
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/wireless/ECE671/hw6/node1.html

-------------------------------------------------------------
CCNA1 CH 7:  Technologies

7.1 The Basics of Token Ring

7.2 Basics of FDDI

7.3 Ethernet and IEEE 802.3

7.4 Layer 2 Devices

7.5 Effects of Layer 2 Devices on Data Flow

7.6 Basic Ethernet 10Base-T Troubleshooting

Tokens
Tokens = 3 bytes; consist of a start delimiter, an access control byte, and an end delimiter.
Start delimiter alerts each station to the arrival of a token or data/command frame; also includes signals that distinguish the byte from the rest of the frame by violating the encoding scheme used elsewhere in the frame.

Access control byte contains the priority and reservation field, and a token and monitor bit.
Token bit distinguishes a token from a data/command frame.
Monitor bit determines whether a frame is continuously circling the ring.
End delimiter signals the end of the token or data/command frame; contains bits that indicate a damaged frame, and a frame that is the last of a logical sequence.

Data/command frames vary in size depending on the size of the information field. Data frames carry information for upper layer protocols. Command frames contain control information and have no data for upper layer protocols.

Data/command frames: a frame control byte follows the access control byte. The frame control byte indicates whether the frame contains data or control information. In control frames, this byte specifies the type of control information.

Following the frame control byte are two address fields that identify destination and source stations. As with IEEE 802.5, their addresses are 6 bytes in length. The data field follows the address field. The length of this field is limited by the ring token that holds the time. Thus it defines the maximum time a station may hold the token.

Following the data field is the frame check sequence (FCS) field. The source station fills this field with a calculated value dependent on the frame contents. The destination station recalculates the value to determine whether the frame has been damaged in transit. The frame is discarded if it has been damaged. As with the token, the end delimiter completes the data/command frame.

Each station can hold the token for a maximum period of time, depending on the specific technology that has been implemented

When a token is passed to a host that has information to transmit, the host seizes the token and alters one particular bit

token releases

Token Ring networks have no collisions

Unlike CSMA/CD networks, such as Ethernet, token passing networks are deterministic - you can calculate the maximum time that will pass before any end station will be able to transmit. (good for factory environments where any delay must be predictable)

Token Ring frames have two fields that control priority, the priority field and the reservation field (priority can be set on a per station basis)

Only stations with a priority equal to, or higher than, the priority value contained in a token can seize that token.  Stations that raise the priority level of a token must reinstate the previous priority when their transmission has been completed

mechanisms for detecting and compensating for network faults:

1.        select one station in the Token Ring network to be the active monitor

2.        2

Active Monitor:  acts as a centralized source of timing information for other ring stations and performs a variety of ring maintenance functions; one function is to remove continuously circulating frames from the ring and regenerate a new one.

The IBM Token Ring network star topology contributes to the overall network reliability. Active multi-station access units (MSAUs) can see all information in a Token Ring network and allows them to check for problems, and to selectively remove stations from the ring whenever necessary.

Beaconing: detects and tries to repair network faults. When a station detects a serious problem with the network (e.g. cable break) it sends a beacon frame. The beacon frame defines a failure domain which includes the station that is reporting the failure, its nearest active upstream neighbor (NAUN), and everything in between. Beaconing initiates a process called autoreconfiguration, where nodes within the failure domain automatically perform diagnostics in an attempt to reconfigure the network around the failed areas. (Physically, MSAUs can accomplish this through electrical reconfiguration)

Devices on network polled to see if they need to transmit data

Signal encoding: way of combining both clock and data information into a stream of signals. Manchester encoding combines data and clock into bit symbols, which are split into two halves. The polarity of the second half always the reverse of the first half; Manchester encoding results in 0 being encoded as a low-to-high transition and 1 being encoded as a high-to-low transition

Manchester (Tx+) and (Tx-) are differential signals used on Ethernet 10Base-T networks

Differential Manchester: used on Token Ring networks

MLT-3: Used on Fast Ethernet (100Base-TX) networks

Other Binary Encoding Schemes:  4B/5B, 8B/10B, AMI, Bipolar, AMI, Pseudoternary, B&Zs and HDB3

The 4/16 Mbps Token Ring networks use differential Manchester encoding; A 1 bit is represented by no polarity change at the start of the bit time and a 0 bit is represented by a polarity change at the start of the bit time

Patch cables connect MSAUs to other adjacent MSAUs. Lobe cables connect MSAUs to stations. MSAUs include bypass relays for removing stations from the ring
UTP Token Ring Hub
4-Pair Horizontal Cabling
Patch Cord
Patch Panel

ANSI X3T9.5 standards committee produced FDDI and submitted to the ISO
FDDI: frequently used as a backbone, or high speed computer connectivity to LAN.

Four Specifications of FDDI:

  1. Media Access Control (MAC)defines how medium is accessed:
    • Frame format , Token handling , Addressing ,
    • Algorithm for calculating a CRC and error recovery mechanisms
  2. Physical Layer Protocol (PHY)defines data encoding/decoding procedures:
    • Clocking requirements , Framing , Other functions
  3. Physical Layer Medium (PMD)defines characteristics of the transmission medium:
    • Fiber optic link , Power levels , Bit error rates , Optical components , Connectors
  4. Station Management (SMT) - defines the FDDI station configuration, including:
    • Ring configuration , Ring control features , Station insertion and removal , Initialization , Fault isolation and recovery , Scheduling , Collection of statistics

FDDI Frame Format: Preample, Start delimeter, Frame control, end delimeter

FDDI frame fields:

  • Preamble - prepares each station for the upcoming frame
  • Start delimiter - indicates the beginning of the frame, and consists of signaling patterns that differentiate it from the rest of the frame
  • Frame control - indicates the size of the address fields, whether the frame contains asynchronous or synchronous data, and other control information
  • Destination address - contains a unicast (singular), multicast (group), or broadcast (every station) address. Destination addresses are six bytes (like Ethernet and Token Ring)
  • Source address - identifies the single station that sent the frame. Source addresses are six bytes (like Ethernet and Token Ring)
  • Data - control information, or information destined for an upper layer protocol
  • Frame check sequence (FCS) - filled by the source station with a calculated cyclic redundancy check (CRC), value dependent on the frame contents (as with Token Ring and Ethernet). The destination station recalculates the value to determine whether the frame may have been damaged in transit. If it has been, the frame is discarded.
  • End delimiter - contains nondata symbols that indicate the end of the frame
  • Frame status - allows the source station to determine if an error occurred and if the frame was recognized and copied by a receiving station

FDDI supports real-time allocation of network bandwidth; provides this support by defining two types of traffic, synchronous and asynchronous

  • Synchronous traffic can consume a portion of the 100 Mbps total bandwidth, while asynchronous traffic can consume the rest.
  • Synchronous bandwidth: allocated to those stations requiring continuous transmission capability. This is useful for transmitting voice and video information; remaining bandwidth is used for asynchronous transmissions.
  • The FDDI SMT spec defines a “distributed bidding scheme” to allocate FDDI bandwidth.
  • Asynchronous bandwidth: allocated using an 8-level priority scheme. Each station is assigned an asynchronous priority level.
  • FDDI also permits extended dialogues, in which stations may temporarily use all asynchronous bandwidth.
  • FDDI priority mechanism can lock out stations that cannot use synchronous bandwidth, and that have too low an asynchronous priority

FDDI uses an encoding scheme called 4B/5B - 4 bits of data are sent as a 5 bit code. The signal sources in FDDI transceivers are LEDs or lasers; FDDI specifies a 100 Mbps, token passing, dual ring LAN that uses a fiber-optic transmission medium.

Advantages of Optical Fiber:

  • Security - Fiber does not emit electrical signals that can be tapped.
  • Reliability - Fiber is immune to electrical interference
  • Speed - Optical fiber has much higher throughput potential than copper cable

Modes: thought of as bundles of light rays entering the fiber at a particular angle.
Single-mode fiber allows only one mode of light to propagate through the fiber; capable of higher bandwidth and greater cable run distances, than multimode fiber - often used for inter-building connectivity; generally uses lasers opposed to LEDs.
Multimode fiber allows multiple modes of light to propagate through the fiber. Multiple modes of light may travel different distances, depending on their entry angles. This causes them to arrive at the destination at different times, a phenomenon called modal dispersion; MMF is often used for intra-building connectivity; uses LEDs as the light-generating devices opposed to Lasers.

FDDI specifies the use of dual rings; each ring travels in opposite directions; rings consist of two or more point-to-point connections between adjacent stations. One of the two FDDI rings is called the primary ring. It is used for data transmission. The other ring is called the secondary ring, and it is generally used as a back up.

Class B (single attachment stations (SAS)), attach to one ring.
Class A (dual attachment stations (DAS)), attach to both rings. SASs are attached to the primary ring through a concentrator, which provides connections for multiple SASs. The concentrator ensures that a failure, or power down, of any given SAS, does not interrupt the ring. This is particularly useful when PCs, or similar devices that frequently power on and off, connect to the ring; each FDDI DAS has two ports, designated A and B. These ports connect the station to the dual FDDI ring. Therefore, each port provides a connection for both the primary and the secondary ring.

Ethernet: well suited to applications where a local communication medium must carry sporadic, occasionally heavy traffic at high peak data rates; origins in 1960s at University of Hawaii; CSMA/CD was developed here; Xerox Corporation's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) developed the first experimental Ethernet system in the early 1970s; used as the basis for the (IEEE) 802.3 spec released in 1980.

After 1980 IEEE 802.3 spec, Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel Corporation, and Xerox Corporation developed/released an Ethernet spec, V 2.0 - substantially compatible with IEEE 802.3. Together, Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 currently maintain the greatest market share of any LAN protocol. Today, the term Ethernet is often used to refer to all SMA/CD LAN that generally conform to Ethernet specs.

Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 specify similar technologies. Backoff algorithms determine when the colliding stations can retransmit.

Both Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 LANs are broadcast networks - every station can see all of the frames, regardless of whether they are the intended destination of that data. Each station must examine the received frames to determine if they are the destination. If so, the frame is passed to a higher layer protocol within the station for appropriate processing.

Differences between Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 LANs are subtle. Ethernet provides services corresponding to Layer 1 and Layer 2 of the OSI reference model. IEEE 802.3 specifies the Layer 1, and the channel access portion of the Layer 2, but does not define a LLC protocol. Both Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 are implemented through hardware.

The Ethernet and IEEE 802.3 frame fields:

  • Preamble - The alternating pattern of 1s and 0s tells receiving stations that a frame is Ethernet or IEEE 802.3. The Ethernet frame includes an additional byte that is the equivalent of the Start of Frame (SOF) field specified in the IEEE 802.3 frame.
  • Start-of-frame (SOF) - The IEEE 802.3 delimiter byte ends with two consecutive 1 bits, which serve to synchronize the frame-reception portions of all stations on the LAN. SOF is explicitly specified in Ethernet.
  • Destination and source addresses - The first three bytes of the addresses are specified by the IEEE on a vendor-dependent basis. The last three bytes are specified by the Ethernet or IEEE 802.3 vendor. The source address is always a unicast (single-node) address. The destination address can be unicast, multicast (group), or broadcast (all nodes).
  • Type (Ethernet) - specifies the upper layer protocol to receive the data after Ethernet processing is completed.
  • Length (IEEE 802.3) - The length indicates the number of bytes of data that follows this field.
  • Data (Ethernet) - After physical layer and link layer processing is complete, the data contained in the frame is sent to an upper layer protocol, which is identified in the type field. Although Ethernet version 2 does not specify any padding, in contrast to IEEE 802.3, Ethernet expects at least 64 bytes of data.
  • Data (IEEE 802.3) - After physical layer and link layer processing is complete, the data is sent to an upper layer protocol, which must be defined within the data portion of the frame. If data in the frame is insufficient to fill the frame to its minimum 64 byte size, padding bytes are inserted to ensure at least a 64 byte frame.
  • Frame check sequence (FCS) - This sequence contains a four byte CRC value that is created by the sending device and is recalculated by the receiving device to check for damaged frames.

Ethernet is a shared-media broadcast technology
the access method CSMA/CD used in Ethernet performs three functions:

  1. Transmitting and receiving frames
  2. Decoding frames and checking them for valid addresses before passing them to the upper layers
  3. Detecting errors within frames or on the network

Networking devices are able to tell when a collision has occurred because the amplitude of the signal on the networking media will increase. When a collision occurs, each device that is transmitting will continue to transmit data for a short time - done to ensure that all devices see the collision. Once this happens, those devices that were attempting to transmit when the collision was detected will invoke an algorithm. After those devices have backed off for a certain period of time (different for each device), any device can attempt to gain access to the networking media once again. When data transmission resumes on the network, the devices that were involved in the collision do not have priority to transmit data.

Ethernet is a broadcast transmission medium - means all devices on a network can see all data that passes along the networking media - only the device whose MAC address and IP address matches the destination MAC address and destination IP address carried by the data will copy the data - then it checks the data packet for errors. If the device detects errors, the data packet is discarded. The destination device will not notify the source device of whether the packet arrived successfully or not. Ethernet is connectionless network architecture and is referred to as a best-effort delivery system.

Signal encoding: way of combining both clock and data info into a stream of signals over a medium - Manchester encoding define a 0 as a signal that is high for the first half of the period and low for the second half. It defines a 1 as a signal that is low for the first half of the period and high for the second half.

10BASE-T transceivers: designed to send/receive signals over a segment that consists of four wires. One pair of wires for transmitting data, and one pair of wires for receiving data

In a LAN with a star topology - networking media is run from a central hub out to each device - resembles spokes radiating from the hub of a wheel.; considered the easiest to design and install; If one run of networking media is broken or shorted, then only the device attached at that point is out of commission, the rest of the LAN will remain functional; it also increases the amount of networking media required; Single-point of failure in a hub
Active hub connects the networking media as well as regenerates the signal. In Ethernet where hubs act as multiport repeaters, they are sometimes referred to as concentrators.
Passive hub: device used to connect networking media and does not regenerate a signal.

TIA/EIA-568-A :  topology that is to be used for horizontal cabling, must be a star topology - mechanical termination for each telecommunications outlet/connector is located at the patch panel in the wiring closet. Every outlet is independently and directly wired to the patch panel. (Max Hor. Cabl. UTP = 90m)(Patch Cords = 3m)(Max Patch Length @ horizontal cross-connect = 6m)

The maximum distance for a run of horizontal cabling, that extends from the hub to any workstation, is 100 m. (actually 99 m. - commonly rounded up to 100 m.) This figure includes the 90 meters for the horizontal cabling, the 3 meters for the patch cords, and the 6 meters for the jumpers at the horizontal cross-connect. Horizontal cabling runs in a star topology radiate out from the hub, much like the spokes of a wheel. This means that a LAN that uses a star topology could cover the area of a circle with a radius of 100 m.

There will be times when the area to be covered by a network will exceed the TIA/EIA-568-A specified maximum length that a simple star topology can accommodate. For example, envision a building where the dimensions are 200 m x 200 m. A simple star topology that adhered to the horizontal cabling standard specified by TIA/EIA-568-A could not provide complete coverage for that building.

Extending the length of the networking media beyond the TIA/EIA-568-A specified maximum length.
If a signal travels beyond the specified maximum distance, there is no guarantee that it will be readable when it reaches the NIC.
Extended Star Topology:  use of internetworking devices (repeaters) that compensate for the attenuation of the signal

NICs are the physical connections from workstations to the network. Network cards all require an IRQ, an I/O address, and upper memory addresses for DOS and Windows 95/98. Three factors to consider:

  1. Type of network (for example, Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, or other)
  2. Type of media (for example, twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber-optic cable)
  3. Type of system bus (for example, PCI and ISA)

NICs perform important Layer 2 data link layer functions, such as the following:

  • Logical link control - communicates with upper layers in the computer
  • Naming - provides a unique MAC address identifier
  • Framing - part of the encapsulation process, packaging the bits for transport
  • Media Access Control (MAC) - provides structured access to shared access media
  • Signaling - creates signals and interface with the media by using built-in transceivers

A bridge connects network segments and must make intelligent decisions about whether to pass signals on to the next segment. A bridge can improve network performance by eliminating unnecessary traffic and minimizing the chances of collisions. The bridge divides traffic into segments and filters traffic based on the station or MAC address.

Bridges are not complicated devices. They analyze incoming frames, make forwarding decisions based on information contained in the frames, and forward the frames toward the destination. Bridges are only concerned with passing frames, or not passing frames, based on their destination MAC address. Bridges often pass frames between networks operating under different Layer 2 protocols. View the Figures - to learn the important properties of bridges.

 

 

Bridging occurs at the data link layer, which controls data flow, handles transmission errors, provides physical addressing, and manages access to the physical medium. Bridges provide these functions by using various link layer protocols that dictate specific flow control, error handling, addressing, and media access algorithms. Examples of popular data link layer protocols include Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI.

upper layer protocol transparency is a primary advantage of bridging. Bridges are not required to examine upper layer information because they operate at the data link layer or Layer 2 of the OSI model. Bridges filter network traffic by only looking at the MAC address, not protocols. It is not uncommon for a bridge to move protocols and other traffic between two or more network segments. Because bridges only look at MAC addresses, they can rapidly forward traffic representing any network layer protocol. To filter or selectively deliver network traffic, a bridge builds tables of all MAC addresses located on their directly connected network segments.

When data comes along the network media, a bridge compares the destination MAC address carried by the data to MAC addresses contained in its tables. If the bridge determines that the destination MAC address of the data is from the same network segment as the source, it does not forward the data to other segments of the network. - If the bridge determines that the destination MAC address of the data is not from the same network segment as the source, it forwards the data to the appropriate segment. - By doing this, bridges can significantly reduce the amount of traffic between network segments by eliminating unnecessary traffic. View the Figures - to see how bridges handle local network traffic. In contrast, view Figures - to see how bridges handle nonlocal network traffic.

Bridges are internetworking devices that can be used to reduce large collision domains. Collision domains are areas where packets are likely to interfere with each other. They do this by dividing the network into smaller segments and reducing the amount of traffic that must be passed between the segments. As data is passed along the network on its way to a destination, it is picked up and examined by every device on the network including bridges. Bridges work best where traffic is low from one segment of a network to other segments. When traffic between network segments becomes heavy, bridges can become a bottleneck and slow down communication.

There is another potential problem with using a bridge. Bridges always spread and multiply a special kind of data packet. These data packets occur when a device on a network wants to reach another device on the network, but does not know the destination address of the device. When this occurs, the source sends out a broadcast to all devices on a network. Since every device on the network has to pay attention to such broadcasts, bridges always forward them. If too many broadcasts are sent out over the network a broadcast storm can result. A broadcast storm can cause network time-outs, traffic slowdowns, and the network to operate at less than acceptable performance.

 

 

Switching is a technology that alleviates congestion in Ethernet LANs by reducing traffic and increasing bandwidth. Switches, also referred to as LAN switches, often replace shared hubs and work with existing cable so there is minimal disruption of existing networks during installation.

All switching and routing equipment perform two basic operations:

  1. Switching data frames -- The process by which a frame is received on an input medium and then transmitted to an output medium.
  2. Maintenance of switching operations -- Switches build and maintain switching tables and search for loops. Routers build and maintain both routing tables and service tables.

Like bridges, switches connect LAN segments, use a table of MAC addresses to determine the segment on which a frame needs to be transmitted, and reduce traffic. Switches operate at much higher speeds than bridges. They can support new functionality, such as virtual LANs.

An Ethernet switch has many benefits, such as allowing many users to communicate in parallel through the use of virtual circuits and dedicated network segments in a collision-free environment. This maximizes the bandwidth available on the shared medium. Another benefit is that moving to a switched LAN environment is very cost effective because existing hardware and cabling can be reused. Finally, network administrators have great flexibility in managing the network through the power of the switch and its LAN-configuration software.

LAN switches are considered multiport bridges with no collision domain. You can think of each switch port as a micro bridge. This process is called microsegmentation. Data is exchanged at high speeds by switching the frame to its destination. By reading the destination MAC address Layer 2 information, switches can achieve high speed data transfers, much like a bridge does. The frame is sent to the port of the receiving station prior to the entire frame entering the switch. This leads to low latency levels and a high rate of speed for frame forwarding.

Ethernet switching increases the bandwidth available on a network. It does this by creating dedicated network segments, or point-to-point connections, and connecting these segments in a virtual network within the switch. This virtual network circuit exists only when two nodes need to communicate. This is called a virtual circuit because it exists only when needed, and is established within the switch.

Even though the LAN switch reduces the size of collision domains, all hosts connected to the switch are still in the same broadcast domain. Therefore, a broadcast from one node will still be seen by all other nodes connected through the LAN switch.

Switches are data link layer devices that, like bridges, enable multiple physical LAN segments to be interconnected into single larger network. Similar to bridges, switches forward and flood traffic based on MAC addresses. Because switching is performed in hardware instead of in software, it is significantly faster. You can think of each switch port as a micro bridge. This process is called microsegmentation. Thus each switch port acts as a separate bridge and gives the full bandwidth of the medium to each host.

There are two primary reasons for segmenting a LAN. The first is to isolate traffic between segments. The second is to achieve more bandwidth per user by creating smaller collision domains. Without LAN segmentation, LANs larger than a small workgroup would quickly become clogged with traffic and collisions, and would deliver severely reduced bandwidth. The addition of devices like bridges, switches, and routers segment the LAN in figure into four collision domains.

By dividing large networks into self-contained units, bridges and switches provide several advantages. A bridge, or switch, diminishes the traffic experienced by devices on all connected segments, because only a certain percentage of traffic is forwarded. Both devices act as a firewall to stop some potentially damaging network errors. They also accommodate communication between a larger number of devices than would be supported on any single LAN connected to the bridge. Bridges and switches extend the effective length of a LAN, permitting the attachment of distant stations that were not previously permitted.

Although bridges and switches share most relevant attributes, several distinctions still exist between them. Switches are significantly faster because they switch in hardware, while bridges switch in software. Switches can interconnect LANs of unlike bandwidth. A 10 Mbps Ethernet LAN and a 100 Mbps Ethernet LAN can be connected by using a switch. Switches can support higher port densities than bridges. Some switches support cut-through switching, which reduces latency and delays in the network, while bridges support only store and forward traffic switching. Finally, switches reduce collisions and increase bandwidth on network segments because they provide dedicated bandwidth to each network segment.

Segmentation by routers has all of these advantages and more. Each interface on the router connects to a separate network, so insertion of the router into a LAN creates smaller collision domains and smaller broadcast domains. This occurs because routers do not forward broadcasts unless programmed to do so. However, the router can perform bridging and switching functions. The router can perform best path selection. The router can be used to connect different networking media, and different LAN technologies. Note that the router in the figure is connecting Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI LAN technologies. It is segmenting the LAN, but doing much more. Routers can connect LANs running different protocols (IP versus IPX versus AppleTalk) and can have serial connections to WANs.

 

 

Ethernet LANs that use a bridge for segmenting the LAN provide more bandwidth per user because there are fewer users on the segments than there are when compared to the entire LAN. The bridge allows only those frames that have destinations outside the segment to pass through. Bridges learn a network's segmentation by building address tables that contain the physical address of each network device, as well as the port to use to reach the device. Bridges differ from routers because they are Layer 2 devices, and are, therefore, independent of Layer 3 protocols. Bridges pass on data frames, regardless of which Layer 3 protocol is used, and are transparent to the other devices on the network.

Bridges increase the latency (delay) in a network by 10-30%. This latency is due to the decision making that is required of the bridge, or bridges, when transmitting data to the correct segment. A bridge is considered a store and forward device because it must receive the entire frame and compute the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) before forwarding can take place. The time it takes to perform these tasks can slow network transmissions, thus causing delay.

A LAN that uses a switched Ethernet topology creates a network that performs as though it had only two nodes, the sending node and the receiving node. These two nodes share 10 Mbps bandwidth between them, which means nearly all bandwidth is available for the transmission of data. A switched Ethernet LAN allows a LAN topology to work faster and more efficiently than a standard Ethernet LAN can, because it uses bandwidth so efficiently. In a switched Ethernet implementation, the available bandwidth can reach close to 100%.

It is important to note that even though 100% of the bandwidth may be available, Ethernet networks perform best when kept under 30-40% of full capacity. This limitation is due to the media access method of Ethernet, CSMA/CD. Bandwidth usage that exceeds the recommended limitation results in increased collisions. The purpose of LAN switching is to ease bandwidth shortages and network bottlenecks, such as that occurring between a group of PCs and a remote file server. A LAN switch is a high speed multiport bridge that has one port for each node, or segment, of the LAN. A switch segments a LAN into micro segments, thereby creating collision free domains from one formerly larger collision domain.

Switched Ethernet is based on standard Ethernet. Each node is directly connected to one of its ports, or to a segment that is connected to one of the switch's ports. This creates a 10 Mbps connection between each node and each segment on the switch. A computer connected directly to an Ethernet switch is its own collision domain and accesses the full 10Mbps. As a frame enters a switch it is read for the source and/or destination address. The switch then determines which switching action will take place based on what is learned from the information in the frame. If the destination address is located on another segment, the frame is then switched to its destination.

Routers are more advanced than typical bridges. A bridge is passive (transparent) at the network layer and operates at the data link layer. A router operates at the network layer, and bases all of its forwarding decisions on the Layer 3 protocol address. It accomplishes this by examining the destination address on the data packet, then looking in its routing table for forwarding instructions. Routers create the highest level of segmentation because of their ability to make exact determinations of where to send the data packet.

Because routers perform more functions than bridges, they operate with a higher rate of latency. Routers must examine packets to determine the best path for forwarding them to their destinations. Unavoidably, this process takes time and introduces latency.

The teaching topology contains examples of segmentation by bridges, switches, and routers. Also in the teaching topology, many different parts of the network are brought together by the main router. The bridge divides the E1 Ethernet network into two segments. Traffic is filtered at the bridge, reducing potential collisions and the physical extent of the collision domain. Therefore, the bridge breaks the E1 Ethernet network into two segments: the first segment has the repeater and hosts K, L, M, N on it; the second segment has hosts O and P on it. This remains, however, a broadcast domain. The repeater extends the collision domain rather than segmenting it.

The main switch divides the E0 Ethernet network into multiple network segments with each having guaranteed full bandwidth. The workgroup switch divides the workgroup segment into more segments. Also note that the switches provide high connectivity to their unshared bandwidth. The hub does not segment its part of the network. The hub and all the devices attached to it, all the way up to the main switch port, remain a collision domain. The router segments the entire LAN into two Ethernet subnetworks, which are segmented, and a Token Ring and FDDI subnetwork, which by their nature, have no collision domains.

There are many approaches to network troubleshooting. The first is to work up through the layers of the OSI model. This method isolates problems that can masquerade as other problems. Time can be wasted troubleshooting a browser that does not function properly, only to find that the computer is not connected to the network. It is best to start troubleshooting at Layer 1. Ask yourself whether things are plugged in and connected before you go to the next higher level, with its more complicated issues. An effective troubleshooting approach by OSI layer is summarized in the graphic.

 

 

Links Chapter 7:

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