Network Communications

and Protocols

AMIT Kr. BHARDWAJ, LMTSOM 1

 Objectives
• Explain the function of protocols in a
network
• Describe common protocol suites

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 Protocols
• Strictly speaking, protocols are the
rules and procedures for
communicating
– For two computers to communicate,
they must speak the same language and
agree on the rules of communication

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 The Function of Protocols
• As protocols serve their functions in the
OSI model, they might work at one or
many layers
• When a set of protocols works
cooperatively, it’s called a protocol stack
or protocol suite
– The most common protocol stack is TCP/IP,
the Internet protocol suite
– IPX/SPX, used in older versions of Novell
NetWare, is disappearing as companies
upgrade to newer versions of NetWare
– Levels of a protocol stack map to their
functions in the OSI model
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 Connectionless Versus
Connection-Oriented Protocols
• Protocols that use connectionless delivery
place data on the network and assume it will
get through
– Connectionless protocols aren’t entirely reliable
– Are fast: little overhead, don’t waste time
establishing/managing/tearing down connections
• Connection-oriented protocols are more
reliable and, consequently, slower
– Two computers establish a connection before data
transfer begins
• In a connection, data is sent in an orderly fashion
– Ensures that all data is received and is accurate, or
that suitable error messages are generated

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 Routable Versus Nonroutable
Protocols
• The network layer (OSI) is responsible for
moving data across multiple networks
– Routers are responsible for routing process
• Protocol suites that function at Network
layer are routable or routed protocols;
otherwise, they are called nonroutable
– TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are routable protocols
– An older and nearly obsolete protocol, NetBEUI,
is a nonroutable protocol that works well in
small networks, but its performance drops
considerably as a network grows

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 Protocols in a Layered
Architecture

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 Protocols in a Layered
Architecture (continued)

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 Network Protocols
• Some popular network protocols include:
– Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4 or simply IP)
• Provides addressing and routing information
– Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX)
• Novell’s protocol for packet routing and forwarding
• Belongs to the IPX/SPX protocol suite
• Serves many of the same functions as TCP/IP’s IP
– Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
• A new version of IP that’s being implemented on many current
networking devices and operating systems
– Addresses some weaknesses of IPv4

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 Transport Protocols
• Transport protocols can be connection-
oriented (reliable) or connectionless (best-
effort) delivery
– Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
• Responsible for reliable data delivery in TCP/IP
– Sequential Packet Exchange (SPX)
• Novell’s connection-oriented protocol used to
guarantee data delivery
– NetBIOS/NetBEUI
• NetBIOS establishes/manages communications
between computers and provides naming services
• NetBEUI provides data transport services for these
communications

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 Application Protocols
• Application protocols provide services to
client applications
– Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) in TCP/IP
– File Transfer Protocol (FTP) in TCP/IP
– Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
• Manages and monitors network devices (TCP/IP)
– NetWare Core Protocol (NCP)
• Novell’s client shells and redirectors
– AppleTalk File Protocol (AFP)
• Apple’s remote file-management protocol

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 Common Protocol Suites
• Because most protocols contain a
combination of components, these
components are usually bundled as a protocol
suite
– TCP/IP
• Dominates the networking arena to the point of making
most of the other suites nearly obsolete
– IPX/SPX
– NetBIOS/NetBEUI
– AppleTalk

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 Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP)

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 TCP/IP Network Layer
Protocols
• Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is a Network
layer protocol that provides source and
destination addressing and routing for the TCP/IP
suite
– Connectionless protocol; fast but unreliable
• Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is
a Network layer protocol used to send error and
control messages between systems or devices
– The Ping utility uses ICMP to request a response from a
remote host to verify availability
• Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) resolves
logical (IP) addresses to physical (MAC) addresses

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 IP, ICMP, and ARP in Action

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 IP, ICMP, and ARP in Action
(continued)

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 TCP/IP Transport Layer
Protocols
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is the
primary Internet transport protocol
– Connection oriented using a three-way handshake
– Message fragmentation and reassembly
– Uses acknowledgements to ensure that all data was
received and to provide flow control
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is connectionless
– Generally faster, although less reliable, than TCP
• Doesn’t segment data or resequence packets
• Doesn’t use acknowledgements for reliability
• Used by NFS and DNS

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 TCP/IP Application Layer
Protocols
• Domain Name System (DNS)
– Session layer name-to-address resolution protocol
• Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP)
– To transfer Web pages from Web server to browser
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
– For file transfer and directory and file manipulation
• Telnet
– Remote terminal emulation; operates at layers 7-5
• Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
– Operates at layers 7-5; provides messaging services

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 IP Addressing
• Logical addresses are 32 bits (4 bytes) long
– Each byte is represented as an octet (decimal number
from 0 to 255)
– Usually represented in dotted decimal notation
• E.g., 172.24.208.192
– Address has two parts: network and host ID
• E.g. 172.24.208.192 (172.24.0.0 and 208.192)
– Categorized into ranges referred to as classes
• Class system provides basis for determining which part of
address is the network and which is the host ID
• The first octet of an address denotes its class

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 Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP)
• Detailed configuration of devices, keeping track of
assigned addresses and to which machine they were
assigned, etc., is difficult in large networks
– DHCP was developed to make this process easier
– DHCP server must be configured with a block of available
IP addresses and their subnet masks
– Clients must be configured to use DHCP
• Broadcast request message is sent on boot
– Client leases the address the server assigns to it
– If no answer is received, in an APIPA-enabled OS, the computer assigns
itself an address (169.254.x.x)

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 NetBIOS and NetBEUI

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 IPX/SPX

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 Summary
• Many protocols are available for network
communications, each with its
strengths/weaknesses
• The TCP/IP protocol suite dominates network
communication in part due to its use on the
Internet
• IP addressing involves several concepts,
including address classes, subnetting, and
supernetting
• IPv6 will eventually replace IPv4 because it
offers several advantages: 128-bit address
space, autoconfiguration, built-in security,
and QoS
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