ECE

533 Advanced Computer

Communica5on Networks

Introduc5on

Goals and Mo5va5on

Focus of the course

Client

? ? ? ?
Server

Goals and Mo5va5on

Focus of the course

Three networking topics

Distributed Systems
Networking
Communica5ons

We are in the middle.

Dierent types of apps builds on top of

networks. E.g., mul5player gaming, video
streaming, video conferencing, etc.
How packets are carried across networks
and how Internet operates
How to use signals to carry informa5on
and bits across the networks

Goals and Mo5va5on

Goal of the course

Goal I: Learn the theory on how the Internet works.

What is the theory/ra5onale behind the
networking protocols and algorithms such as TCP/
IP, 802.11, etc.?
Why learn about the theory and details?
Curiosity
Job
Impact on our world

Goals and Mo5va5on

Goal of the course

Goal I: Learn the theory on how the Internet works.

Why?
Impact on our world

Goals and Mo5va5on

Goal of the course

Goal I: Learn the theory on how the Internet works.

Why?
Impact on our world
-
-
-
-
-
-

Access to informa5on Wikipedia

Socializa5on Facebook, TwiWer
Personal rela5onships match.com
Sharing jokes Imgur
Educa5on khan academy
Economy - Online adver5sing (google ads), shopping
(amazon), crowdsourcing (wikipedia), crowdfunding
(kickstarter), etc.

Goals and Mo5va5on

Goal of the course

Goal II: Learn the fundamentals and theory of

computer networks
Understand the hard problems that computer
networks need to solve
The design strategies which have been proven
valuable

Goals and Mo5va5on

Goal of the course

Goal II: Learn the fundamentals and theory of

computer networks
Why learn about the fundamentals?

Fundamentals apply to all kinds of computer

networks. E.g., techniques developed for WiFi may apply to
satellite networks

Intellectual interest
Change/reinven5on

The Internet is constantly being reinvented

Todays Internet is dierent from yesterdays, and the
tomorrow will be dierent again
But the fundamentals remain the same

Course Informa5on

Instructor: Hulya Seferoglu

Oce: SEO 1037
Phone: (312) 413-7573
Email: [email protected] (This is the best way to contact me)
On the Web: BlackBoard

Oce Hours: Hulya Seferoglu: W (11:00am- 12:00pm & 1:00pm-2:00pm), in SEO 1037

Prerequisites: ECE 333 (Computer CommunicaNon Networks I) AND ECE 341 (Probability and Random
Processes for Engineers) OR equivalent classes in computer networks and probability and random
processes.

Suggested Textbooks:
Dimitri P. Bertsekas and Robert G. Gallager, Data Networks, 2nd EdiNon, PrenNce Hall, 1992.
R. Srikant and Lei Ying, CommunicaNon Networks: An OpNmizaNon, Control, and StochasNc Networks
PerspecNve, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross, Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, 6th EdiNon, Addison-
Wesley, 2013.

Course Informa5on
Course Descrip5on:
In this course, we will learn about some advanced topics in computer
networks.
Our goal will be to give some insight on the theory and raNonale behind
the todays networking protocols and algorithms. Such theoreNcal
understanding has paramount importance to cope with the issues that will
possibly arise in the next-generaNon computer networks.
Topics will include: a brief review of the layered structure of networks,
staNsNcal mulNplexing and queues, scheduling in packet switches,
scheduling in wireless networks (including stochasNc scheduling), network
uNlity maximizaNon and its relaNonship to TCP protocols as well as MAC
and physical layer protocols.
Time permidng; we may also cover selected topics on peer-to-peer
networks, network coding, and network security.

Course Informa5on
Deliverables and Grading
What

Grade

Homework

20%

Midterm

25%

Project

20%

Final Exam

35%

Homeworks are ~bi-weekly and involve calculaNons and some programming

(Matlab, ns2 simulaNons, etc.).

Project: The class project will involve reading one - two important research
papers and reporNng on them.

Course Informa5on
Project Details

The class project will involve reading one to two important research papers ad repor5ng on them.
Project steps are summarized in the following.

1) Project Proposal: You are to select a topic and one-two papers from the project list. Project
proposal (selec5ng a topic and papers) is due on 09/10. This step will be 1% of your grade.
2) Project Report I: You should study the papers you selected in the rst step and write a 3-page
(single column 10pt) report. Your report should summarize the papers you study and explain
how they relate to each other. Project Report I is due on 10/22. This step will be 5% of your
grade.
3) Project Report II: You should write a 4-page (single column 10pt) report. This report should be
devoted to iden5fying an open problem (in the area you studied in the rst two steps) and
your approach and solu5on to the problem. Project Report II is due on 11/19. This step will
be 9% of your grade.
4) Project Presenta5on: You will need to prepare 10-min oral presenta5on on the project. Project
presenta5on should include your mo5va5on to choose the topic, summary of the papers, and
the open problems in the area and your approach. Presenta5ons will be scheduled in the last
two weeks of classes. This step will be 5% of your grade.

Course Informa5on
Project Details

Note I: If you wish to research a topic that is not on the list, that would be ok, but you should
seek my approval for your plan.
Note II: Projects can be conducted as a team of up to two students. Two-people projects should
select at least two papers to study.
Note III: Dierent projects and teams may select the same/similar papers. Each team is
responsible for their independent project. If we no5ce that mul5ple projects on the same topic
are iden5cal, both teams will get 0 grade from their project. They will also be subject to the
rules of UIC Academic Integrity Policy.

Course Informa5on
Project Topics

Will be announced on Blackboard!!!

Course Informa5on
Tenta5ve lecture schedule

Course Informa5on
Tenta5ve lecture schedule

Course Informa5on
General policies

Late policy: No late homeworks, project proposals, and project reports will be accepted. Homework solu5ons will be posted online
shortly ajer the deadline. Homeworks, project proposals, project reports not submiWed by the deadline will get zero points.
However, to accommodate for unforeseen circumstances, your homework with the lowest grade (including 0 for a missing one) will
be dropped. This means that you can skip one homework without asking permission. This does not apply to your project proposals
and project reports.

CollaboraDon on homeworks: You are allowed to discuss with your classmates, but you are supposed to do your homework
individually. If we no5ce that two homeworks are iden5cal, both students will get 0 grade; they will also be subject to the rules of
UIC Academic Integrity Policy.
AFendance is not mandatory. It is up to you to keep up with the materials.
Exam Policy:
1) All the exams, i.e., Midterm and Final Exam, are closed book, closed notes. You can bring one page cheat sheet to the exam, but
you cannot access your slides, notes, book etc.
2) You will be given the opportunity to take a make-up exam only in cases of medical or personal emergencies, which must be
veried. If such an emergency occurs, call me or leave a note (or phone message) with the department secretary as soon as possible.
If you will be out of town when an exam is scheduled, I must be told in advance and may require you to take the exam early.
Otherwise, if you miss an exam you will receive 0 points.
Grading Policy: Curve.
Religious Holidays: Students who wish to observe their religious holidays should no5fy instructor by the tenth day of the semester of
the date when they will be absent unless the religious holiday is observed on or before the tenth day of the semester. In such cases,
the students should no5fy the instructor at least ve days in advance of the date when he/she will be absent. Every reasonable
eort will be made to honor the request.
Academic Integrity: Dishonest ac5ons by students including plagiarism will result in appropriate disciplinary ac5on. Inten5onal use
or aWempt to use unauthorized assistance, materials, informa5on, or people in any examina5on, quiz, or assignment may lead to
penal5es such as a failing grade. UIC Academic Integrity Policy will be followed.

Roadmap
Goals and Mo5va5on
Course Informa5on, Tenta5ve Syllabus, Policies, and
Requirements

Network Components
Protocols and Layers
Reference Models
Network Core

Network Components
Parts of a Network

Applica5on

Applica5on

Node
Link

Network Components
Parts of a Network

Applica5on

Applica5on

Node

Host

Host

Link
Routers

Network Components
Parts of a Network

Applica5ons

Host

Router

Applica5on

Router

We have dierent parts of network

components which are key for a network

Host

Network Components
Component

Func5on

Example

Applica5on, app, user

Uses the network

YouTube, Facebook,
CandyCrash

Host, or end-system,
edge device, node,
source, sink

Support apps

Smartphones, laptop,
desktop

Router, or switch,
node, hub,
intermediate system

Relays messages
between links

Access point, cable/

DSL modem, laptop,
desktop

Link, or channel

Connects nodes

Wired, wireless

Types of Links
Full-duplex: Bi-direc5onal
Applica5ons

Applica5on

Host

Host

Half-duplex: Bi-direc5onal. E.g., wireless

Applica5ons

Applica5on

Simplex: Unidirec5onal. Only one direc5on at all 5mes.

Wireless Links
Message is broadcast
Received by all nodes in the transmission range

Wireless Links
Message is broadcast
Received by all nodes in the transmission range

Wireless Links
Message is broadcast
Received by all nodes in the transmission range

Building a Network
Connect two/more laptops.

We can also have large networks.

Building a Network

Example Networks
mobile network

WiFi (802.11)
Ethernet
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Cable/DSL
Cellular (2G, 3G, 4G)
Bluetooth
Telephone
Satellite

Techniques we will learn in this class can be

applied in dierent networks

global ISP

home
network

institutional
network

regional ISP

Network names by scale

mobile network

Scale

Type

Example

Close
PAN(Personal Area
proximity Network)

Bluetooth

Building

LAN (Local Area

Network)

WiFi,
Ethernet

City,
Campus

MAN (Metropolitan
Area Network)

Cable, DSL

Country

WAN (Wide Area

Network)

Large ISP

Planet

The Internet
(network of all
networks)

The
Internet

global ISP

home
network

institutional
network

regional ISP

Roadmap
Goals and Mo5va5on
Course Informa5on, Tenta5ve Syllabus, Policies, and
Requirements

Network Components
Protocols and Layers
Reference Models
Network Core

Protocols and Layers

Networks Need Modularity

Make and break connec5ons

Find a path through the network
Transfer informa5on reliably
Transfer arbitrary length of informa5on
Send as fast as the network allows
Shares bandwidth among users
Secures informa5on in transit
Lets many new hosts be added

We need a form of modularity,

to help manage complexity and support reuse
This is exactly what protocols and layering give us.

Protocols and Layers

Protocols and layering are the main structuring methods used
to divide up network func5onality.
Each instance of a protocol talks virtually to its peer using
the protocols
Each instance of a protocol uses only the services of the
lower layer

Protocols and Layers

Instance of
protocol X

Instance of
lower layer
protocol Y

Protocol X
X

Node 1

Protocol Y

Node 2

Instance of
protocol X
at peer node

Protocols and Layers

Protocols talk to each other horizontally: Protocols X at node 1
talks to protocols Y at node 2
Layers talks to each other ver5cally: Protocol X at the higher
layer talks to protocol Y in the lower layer at node 1 (or node 2)
Instance of
protocol X

Instance of
lower layer
protocol Y

Protocol X
X

Node 1

Protocol Y

Node 2

Instance of
protocol X
at peer node

Protocols and Layers

Set of protocols in use is called a protocol stack

Protocols and Layers

Example protocol stack used by a web browser on a host that is
wirelessly connected to the Internet
mobile network
Web
Browser

global ISP

HTTP

home
network

TCP
IP
802.11
Wireless
Medium

institutional
network

regional ISP

Encapsula5on
We said that layers are implemented on top of each other,
but we did not talk about how this layering scheme works
Encapsula5on is the mechanism used to eect protocol
layering
Lower layer wraps higher layer content, adding its own
informa5on to make a new message for delivery
Like sending a leWer in an envelope; postal service
doesnt look inside

Encapsula5on
HTTP
TCP
IP
802.11

HTTP
HTTP
HTTP

HTTP

TCP
TCP

TCP

IP

IP

802.11

Encapsula5on
HTTP
HTTP

TCP

HTTP

TCP

IP

HTTP

TCP

IP

802.11

HTTP

HTTP

HTTP

TCP

TCP

HTTP

TCP

IP

IP

HTTP

TCP

IP

HTTP

TCP

IP

802.11

HTTP

802.11

TCP

IP

802.11

802.11

Encapsula5on
Normally we draw a message like this:
Each layer adds its own header
802.11

IP

First bit on the wire/air

TCP

HTTTP

Last bits

It may be more complicated in prac5ce

Trailers as well as headers, encrypt/compress contents
Segmenta5on (divide long message) and reassembly

Demul5plexing
Incoming message must be passed to the protocols that it
uses
SMTP

HTTP

DNS

TCP

UDP

IP

ARP
Ethernet
???

Demul5plexing
Done with demulDplexing keys in the headers
SMTP

HTTP

DNS

TCP port number

TCP

UDP

IP protocol eld

IP

ARP

Ethertype value
Ethernet

Ethernet
IP

TCP

HTTTP

Incoming
message

Advantage of Layering
Informa5on hiding and reuse
Browser

Server

HTTP

HTTP

HTTP

HTTP

TCP

TCP

TCP

TCP

IP

IP

IP

IP

802.11

802.11

Ethernet

Ethernet

Browser

OR

Server

Disadvantage of Layering
Adds overhead
But minor for long messages
Hides informa5on
App may care whether it is running over wired or
wireless

Roadmap
Goals and Mo5va5on
Course Informa5on, Tenta5ve Syllabus, Policies, and
Requirements

Network Components
Protocols and Layers
Reference Models
Network Core

Reference Models
What func5onality should we implement at which layer? For
example, sharing bandwidth @ which layer?
This is a key ques5on
No clear answer to this ques5on, but
Reference models provide frameworks that guide us

Reference Models

OSI 7 Layer Reference Model

Open Systems Interconnec5on (OSI) model
A principled, interna5onal standard, to connect systems
Inuen5al, but not used in prac5ce
(7) Applica5on

- Provides funcNons needed by users

(6) Presenta5on

- Converts dierent representaNons

(5) Session

- Manages task dialogs

(4) Transport

- Provides end-to-end delivery

(3) Network

- Sends packets over mulNple links

(2) Data Link

- Send frames of informaNon

(1) Physical

- Sends bits as signals

Reference Models
Internet Reference Model

Mostly used in prac5ce

A four layer model based on experience; omits some OSI
layers and uses IP and the network layer.

Applica5on

- Programs that use network service

Transport

- Provides end-to-end data delivery

Internet (IP)

- Send packets over mulNple networks

Link

- Send frames over a link

Reference Models
Internet Reference Model

Mostly used in prac5ce

A four layer model based on experience; omits some OSI
layers and uses IP and the network layer.

7 Applica5on

- Programs that use network service

4 Transport

- Provides end-to-end data delivery

3 Internet (IP)

- Send packets over mulNple networks

2/1 Link

- Send frames over a link

Reference Models
Internet Reference Model

With examples of common protocols in each layer

7 Applica5on

- HTTP, RTP, SMTP, DNS

4 Transport

- TCP, UDP

3 Internet (IP)

- IP

2/1 Link

- 3G cellular, Ethernet, DSL, Cable, 802.11

Roadmap
Goals and Mo5va5on
Course Informa5on, Tenta5ve Syllabus, Policies, and
Requirements

Network Components
Protocols and Layers
Reference Models
Network Core

The network core

Mesh of
interconnected routers
Packet-switching: hosts
break applica5on-layer
messages into packets
Forward packets from
one router to the next,
across links on path
from source to
des5na5on
Each packet transmiWed
at full link capacity

Packet-switching: store-and-forward
L bits
per packet
source

3 2 1

R bps

Takes L/R seconds to transmit

(push out) L-bit packet into link
at R bps
Store and forward: en5re packet
must arrive at router before it
can be transmiWed on next link
End-end delay = 2L/R (assuming
zero propaga5on delay)

R bps

desNnaNon

One-hop numerical
example:
L = 7.5 Mbits
R = 1.5 Mbps
one-hop transmission
delay = 5 sec

Packet Switching: queueing delay, loss

A
B

R = 100 Mb/s

R = 1.5 Mb/s
queue of packets
waiting for output link

D
E

Queuing and loss:

v

If arrival rate (in bits) to link exceeds transmission rate of

link for a period of 5me:
packets will queue, wait to be transmiWed on link
packets can be dropped (lost) if memory (buer) lls up
Introduction

1-55

Circuit switching: FDM versus TDM

Example:

FDM

4 users
frequency
time

TDM

frequency
time

Packet switching versus circuit switching

packet switching allows more users to use network!

100 kb/s when ac5ve

ac5ve 10% of 5me

1 Mbps link

circuit-switching:
10 users

N
users

..

example:
1 Mb/s link
each user:

packet switching:
with 35 users, probability >
10 ac5ve at same 5me is less
than .0004 *

Q: how did we get value 0.0004?

Q: what happens if > 35 users ?

Packet switching versus circuit switching

Is packet switching better?

Great for bursty data

Resource sharing
Simpler, no call setup

Excessive conges5on possible: packet delay and loss

Protocols needed for reliable data transfer, conges5on control

Q: How to provide circuit-like behavior?

Bandwidth guarantees needed for audio/video apps
S5ll an unsolved problem

How do loss and delay occur?

Packets queue in router buers

packet arrival rate to link (temporarily) exceeds output link

capacity
packets queue, wait for turn
packet being transmitted (delay)

A
B
packets queueing (delay)
free (available) buffers: arriving packets
dropped (loss) if no free buffers

Four sources of packet delay

transmission

propagation

nodal
processing

queueing

dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop

dproc: nodal processing

check bit errors
determine output link
typically < msec

dqueue: queueing delay

time waiting at output link for

transmission
depends on congestion level of
router

Four sources of packet delay

transmission

propagation

nodal
processing

queueing

dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop

dtrans: transmission delay:

L: packet length (bits)

R: link bandwidth (bps)
dtrans = L/R
dtrans and dprop
very different

dprop: propagation delay:

d: length of physical link

s: propagation speed in medium
(~2x108 m/sec)
dprop = d/s

Caravan analogy
100 km
ten-car
caravan

toll
booth

Cars propagate at
100 km/hr
Toll booth takes 12 sec to
service car (bit transmission
5me)
Car~bit; caravan ~ packet
Q: How long un5l caravan is
lined up before 2nd toll
booth?

100 km
toll
booth

Time to push en5re

caravan through toll
booth onto highway =
12*10 = 120 sec
Time for last car to
propagate from 1st to
2nd toll both: 100km/
(100km/hr)= 1 hr
A: 62 minutes

R: link bandwidth (bps)

L: packet length (bits)
a: average packet arrival
rate

average queueing
delay

Queueing delay (revisited)

trac intensity
= La/R
La/R ~ 0: avg. queueing delay small
v La/R -> 1: avg. queueing delay large
v La/R > 1: more work arriving
than can be serviced, average delay innite!
v

La/R ~ 0

La/R -> 1