Multiple Access Protocols in Computer

Network


Multiple Access Protocols are methods used in computer networks

to control how data is transmitted when multiple devices are trying
to communicate over the same network. These protocols ensure
that data packets are sent and received efficiently, without
collisions or interference. They help manage the network traffic so
that all devices can share the communication channel smoothly
and effectively.
Who is Responsible for the Transmission of
Data?
The Data Link Layer is responsible for the transmission of data
between two nodes. Its main functions are:
 Data Link Control
 Multiple Access Control

Data Link Layer Functions

Data Link Control

The data link control is responsible for the reliable transmission of
messages over transmission channels by using techniques like
framing, error control and flow control. For Data link control refer to
– Stop and Wait ARQ.
Multiple Access Control
If there is a dedicated link between the sender and the receiver
then data link control layer is sufficient, however if there is no
dedicated link present then multiple stations can access the
channel simultaneously. Hence multiple access protocols are
required to decrease collision and avoid crosstalk. For example, in
a classroom full of students, when a teacher asks a question and all
the students (or stations) start answering simultaneously (send
data at same time) then a lot of chaos is created( data overlap or
data lost) then it is the job of the teacher (multiple access
protocols) to manage the students and make them answer one at a
time.
Thus, protocols are required for sharing data on non dedicated
channels. Multiple access protocols can be subdivided further as

1. Random Access Protocol

In this, all stations have same superiority that is no station has
more priority than another station. Any station can send data
depending on medium’s state( idle or busy). It has two features:
 There is no fixed time for sending data
 There is no fixed sequence of stations sending data
The Random access protocols are further subdivided as:
ALOHA
It was designed for wireless LAN but is also applicable for shared
medium. In this, multiple stations can transmit data at the same
time and can hence lead to collision and data being garbled.
ALOHA

Pure ALOHA
When a station sends data it waits for an acknowledgement. If the
acknowledgement doesn’t come within the allotted time then the
station waits for a random amount of time called back-off time (Tb)
and re-sends the data. Since different stations wait for different
amount of time, the probability of further collision decreases.
Vulnerable Time = 2* Frame transmission time
Throughput = G exp{-2*G}
Maximum throughput = 0.184 for G=0.5

Pure ALOHA
Slotted ALOHA
It is similar to pure aloha, except that we divide time into slots and
sending of data is allowed only at the beginning of these slots. If a
station misses out the allowed time, it must wait for the next slot.
This reduces the probability of collision.
Vulnerable Time = Frame transmission time
Throughput = G exp{-*G}
Maximum throughput = 0.368 for G=1

Slotted ALOHA

CSMA
Carrier Sense Multiple Access ensures fewer collisions as the
station is required to first sense the medium (for idle or busy)
before transmitting data. If it is idle then it sends data, otherwise it
waits till the channel becomes idle. However there is still chance of
collision in CSMA due to propagation delay. For example, if station
A wants to send data, it will first sense the medium. If it finds the
channel idle, it will start sending data. However, by the time the
first bit of data is transmitted (delayed due to propagation delay)
from station A, if station B requests to send data and senses the
medium it will also find it idle and will also send data. This will
result in collision of data from station A and B.
CSMA

CSMA Access Modes

CSMA Access Modes

 1-Persistent: The node senses the channel, if idle it sends

the data, otherwise it continuously keeps on checking the
medium for being idle and transmits unconditionally(with 1
probability) as soon as the channel gets idle.
 Non-Persistent: The node senses the channel, if idle it
sends the data, otherwise it checks the medium after a
 random amount of time (not continuously) and transmits
when found idle.
 P-Persistent: The node senses the medium, if idle it sends
the data with p probability. If the data is not transmitted
((1-p) probability) then it waits for some time and checks
the medium again, now if it is found idle then it send with p
probability. This repeat continues until the frame is sent. It
is used in Wifi and packet radio systems.
 O-Persistent: Superiority of nodes is decided beforehand
and transmission occurs in that order. If the medium is idle,
node waits for its time slot to send data.
CSMA/CD
Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection. Stations can
terminate transmission of data if collision is detected. For more
details refer – Efficiency of CSMA/CD .
CSMA/CA
Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance. The process
of collisions detection involves sender receiving acknowledgement
signals. If there is just one signal(its own) then the data is
successfully sent but if there are two signals(its own and the one
with which it has collided) then it means a collision has occurred.
To distinguish between these two cases, collision must have a lot of
impact on received signal. However it is not so in wired networks,
so CSMA/CA is used in this case.
CSMA/CA Avoids Collision
 Interframe Space: Station waits for medium to become
idle and if found idle it does not immediately send data (to
avoid collision due to propagation delay) rather it waits for
a period of time called Interframe space or IFS. After this
time it again checks the medium for being idle. The IFS
duration depends on the priority of station.
 Contention Window: It is the amount of time divided into
slots. If the sender is ready to send data, it chooses a
random number of slots as wait time which doubles every
time medium is not found idle. If the medium is found busy
it does not restart the entire process, rather it restarts the
timer when the channel is found idle again.
 Acknowledgement: The sender re-transmits the data if
acknowledgement is not received before time-out.
2. Controlled Access
Controlled access protocols ensure that only one device uses the
network at a time. Think of it like taking turns in a conversation so
everyone can speak without talking over each other.
In this, the data is sent by that station which is approved by all
other stations. For further details refer – Controlled Access
Protocols.
3. Channelization
In this, the available bandwidth of the link is shared in time,
frequency and code to multiple stations to access channel
simultaneously.
 Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) – The
available bandwidth is divided into equal bands so that
each station can be allocated its own band. Guard bands
are also added so that no two bands overlap to avoid
crosstalk and noise.
 Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) – In this, the
bandwidth is shared between multiple stations. To avoid
collision time is divided into slots and stations are allotted
these slots to transmit data. However there is a overhead
of synchronization as each station needs to know its time
slot. This is resolved by adding synchronization bits to each
slot. Another issue with TDMA is propagation delay which is
resolved by addition of guard bands.
For more details refer – Circuit Switching
 Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) – One channel
carries all transmissions simultaneously. There is neither
division of bandwidth nor division of time. For example, if
there are many people in a room all speaking at the same
time, then also perfect reception of data is possible if only
two person speak the same language. Similarly, data from
different stations can be transmitted simultaneously in
different code languages.
 Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access
(OFDMA) – In OFDMA the available bandwidth is divided
into small subcarriers in order to increase the overall
performance, Now the data is transmitted through these
small subcarriers. it is widely used in the 5G technology.
Advantages of OFDMA
 High data rates
 Good for multimedia traffic
  Increase in efficiency
Disadvantages OFDMA
 Complex to implement
 High peak to power ratio

 Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) – SDMA uses

multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver to
separate the signals of multiple users that are located in
different spatial directions. This technique is commonly
used in MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) wireless
communication systems.
Advantages SDMA
 Frequency band uses effectively
 The overall signal quality will be improved
 The overall data rate will be increased
Disadvantages SDMA
 It is complex to implement
 It require the accurate information about the channel
Features of Multiple Access Protocols
 Contention-Based Access: Multiple access protocols are
typically contention-based, meaning that multiple devices
compete for access to the communication channel. This can
lead to collisions if two or more devices transmit at the
same time, which can result in data loss and decreased
network performance.
 Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA): CSMA is a
widely used multiple access protocol in which devices listen
for carrier signals on the communication channel before
transmitting. If a carrier signal is detected, the device waits
for a random amount of time before attempting to transmit
to reduce the likelihood of collisions.
 Collision Detection (CD): CD is a feature of some
multiple access protocols that allows devices to detect
when a collision has occurred and take appropriate action,
such as backing off and retrying the transmission.
 Collision Avoidance (CA): CA is a feature of some
multiple access protocols that attempts to avoid collisions
by assigning time slots to devices for transmission.
 Token Passing: Token passing is a multiple access
protocol in which devices pass a special token between
 each other to gain access to the communication channel.
Devices can only transmit data when they hold the token,
which ensures that only one device can transmit at a time.
 Bandwidth Utilization: Multiple access protocols can
affect the overall bandwidth utilization of a network. For
example, contention-based protocols may result in lower
bandwidth utilization due to collisions, while token passing
protocols may result in higher bandwidth utilization due to
the controlled access to the communication channel.