Computer Networks: Data link

layer

BITS Pilani Chittaranjan Hota

Hyderabad Campus
Interconnections
Physical Layer: Repeaters & Hubs

Repeater

hub

hub
hu hub
b

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Link layer bridges

host host host host host host

Bridge

host host host host host host

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Link layer switches

A C

switch

A B

switches

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Self learning example

switch address interface

1 A 1
2 3
B 1
E 2
hub hub hub G 3
A
I
D F
B C G H
E

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Forwarding loops

• Switches sometimes need to broadcast frames

– Upon receiving a frame with an unfamiliar destination
– Upon receiving a frame sent to the broadcast address
• Broadcasting is implemented by flooding
– Transmitting frame out every interface
– … except the one where the frame arrived

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Example spanning tree

B8

B3

B5 Protocol operation:
1. Picks a root
B7
B2 2. For each LAN,
picks a designated bridge
that is closest to the root.
B1 3. All bridges on a LAN
send packets towards the
root via the designated
B6 B4 bridge.

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Continued…

B8

B3 Spanning Tree:
B5 B1

B7
B2
B2 B4 B5 B7

B1
Root B8
Designated
B6 Bridge
B4

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Traffic Isolation

switch/bridge

collision
domain

hub
hub hub

collision domain collision domain

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

People move, roles change

• Organizational changes are frequent

– E.g., faculty office becomes a PhD scholar office
– E.g., faculty office becomes a store room
• Physical rewiring is a major pain
– Requires unplugging the cable from one port
– … and plugging it into another
– … and hoping the cable is long enough to reach

• Would like to “rewire” the building in software

– The resulting concept is a Virtual LAN (VLAN)

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Virtual LANs

1 7 9 15

2 8 10 16

… …

Electrical Engineering Computer Science

(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-15)

1 7 9 15
2 8 10 16

… …

Electrical Engineering Computer Science

(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-16)

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Port-based VLAN: Dynamic membership and
forwarding

router

1 7 9 15

2 8 10 16

… …

Electrical Engineering Computer Science

(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-15)

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

VLANs spanning multiple
switches

1 7 9 15 1 3 5 7

2 8 10 16 2 4 6 8

… …

Electrical Engineering Computer Science Ports 2,3,5 belong to EE VLAN

(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-15) Ports 4,6,7,8 belong to CS VLAN

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

VLAN Frame format

Type

802.1 frame

802.1Q frame
Add 802.1Q Header

2-byte Tag Protocol Identifier Recomputed

(value: 81-00) CRC

Tag Control Information (12 bit VLAN ID field,

3 bit priority field like IP TOS)

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Journey from Application to
Datalink

browser DNS server

Tulip network
68.80.0.0/13

BITS network
68.80.2.0/24

web server Google’s network

64.233.169.105 64.233.160.0/19

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Continued…

DHCP DHCP
DHCP UDP
DHCP IP
DHCP Eth
Phy
DHCP

DHCP DHCP
DHCP UDP
DHCP IP
DHCP Eth router
Phy (runs DHCP)

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Continued…

DHCP DHCP
DHCP UDP
DHCP IP
DHCP Eth
Phy

DHCP DHCP
DHCP UDP
DHCP IP
DHCP Eth router
Phy (runs DHCP)
DHCP

Client now has IP address, knows name & addres of DNS

server, IP address of its first-hop router
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Continued…

DNS DNS
DNS UDP
DNS
ARP
IP
ARP query Eth
Phy

ARP
ARP reply Eth
Phy

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Continued…

DNS
DNS server
DNS
DNS DNS DNS
DNS UDP DNS
DNS IP
DNS Eth
Phy
DNS
Tulip network
68.80.0.0/13

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Continued…
HTTP
HTTP
SYNACK
SYN TCP
SYNACK
SYN IP
SYNACK
SYN Eth
Phy

SYNACK
SYN TCP
SYNACK
SYN IP
SYNACK
SYN Eth
Phy

web server
64.233.169.105
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Continued…
HTTP
HTTP HTTP
HTTP
HTTP TCP
HTTP
HTTP IP
HTTP
HTTP Eth
Phy

HTTP HTTP
HTTP TCP
HTTP IP
HTTP Eth
Phy

web server
64.233.169.105

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus