Chapter 9: Transport Layer

Chapter 9 - Sections & Objectives

 9.1 Transport Layer Protocols
• Explain how transport layer protocols and services support communications across data
networks.
• Explain the purpose of the transport layer in managing the transportation of data in end-to-end
communication.
• Explain characteristics of the TCP and UDP protocols, including port numbers and their uses.
 9.2 TCP and UDP
• Compare the operations of transport layer protocols in supporting end-to-end
communication.
• Explain how TCP session establishment and termination processes facilitate reliable communication.
• Explain how TCP protocol data units are transmitted and acknowledged to guarantee delivery.
• Describe the UDP client processes to establish communication with a server.
• Determine whether high-reliability TCP transmissions, or non-guaranteed UDP transmissions, are
best suited for common applications.
9.1 Transport Layer Protocols

3
Transportation of Data
Role of the Transport Layer
 Responsible for establishing a
temporary communication session
between two applications and
delivering data between them.
 Link between the application layer
and the lower layers that are
responsible for network transmission.
Transportation of Data
Transport Layer Responsibilities
 Tracking the Conversation -
Tracks each individual
conversation flowing between a
source and a destination
application.
 Segmentation - Divides the data
into segments that are easier to
manage and transport. Header
used for reassembly is used for
tracking.
 Identifying the Application -
Ensures that even with multiple
applications running on a device,
all applications receive the
correct data via port numbers.
Transportation of Data
Conversation Multiplexing

 Segmenting the data into smaller chunks enables many different communications to be
multiplexed on the same network.
Transportation of Data
Transport Layer Reliability
 TCP/IP provides two transport
layer protocols:
• Transmission Control Protocol
(TCP)
• Considered reliable which ensures
that all of the data arrives at the
destination.
• Additional fields needed in header
which increases size and delay.
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
• Does not provide for reliability.
• Fewer fields and is faster than TCP.
Transportation of Data
TCP  TCP transport is similar to
sending tracked packages. If
a shipping order is broken up
into several packages, a
customer can check online to
see the order of the delivery.
Transportation of Data
TCP (Cont.)
Transportation of Data
TCP (Cont.) TCP Three Responsibilities:
 Numbering and tracking data segments

 Acknowledging received data

 Retransmitting any unacknowledged

data after a certain period of time
Transportation of Data
UDP Use UDP for less overhead and
to reduce possible delays.
 Best-effort delivery (unreliable)

 No acknowledgment

 Similar to a non-registered
letter
Transportation of Data
The Right Transport Layer Protocol for the Right Application

 TCP -  databases, web

browsers, and email
clients require that all
data that is sent arrives
at the destination in its
original condition.
 UDP - if one or two
segments of a live
video stream fail to
arrive, if disruption in
the stream, may not be
noticeable to the user.
TCP and UDP Overview
TCP Features
 Establishing a Session
• Connection-oriented protocol
• Ensures the application is ready to receive the data
• Negotiate the amount of traffic that can be forwarded at a given time
 Reliable Delivery
• Ensuring that each segment that the source sends arrives at the destination
 Same-Order Delivery
• Numbering & Sequencing the segments guarantees reassembly into the proper order
 Flow Control
• Regulate the amount of data the source transmits
TCP and UDP Overview
TCP Header 20 Bytes Total
 Source and Destination Port used to identify
application
 Sequence number used for data
reassembly
 Acknowledgement number indicates data
has been received and ready for next byte
from source
 Header length – length of TCP segment
header
 Control bits – purpose and function of TCP
segment
 Window size – number of bytes that can be
accepted at one time
 Checksum – Used for error checking of
segment header and data
TCP and UDP Overview
UDP Features
TCP and UDP Overview
UDP Header

 UDP is a stateless protocol – no tracking

 Reliability handled by application

TCP and UDP Overview
Multiple Separate Communications
 Users expect to simultaneously receive and send email, view websites and make a
VoIP phone call
 TCP and UDP manage multiple conversations by using unique identifiers called
port numbers
TCP and UDP Overview
Port Numbers
 Source Port
• Originating application port that is
dynamically generated by sending
device
• Example: Each separate HTTP
conversation is tracked based on
the source ports.
 Destination Port
• Tell the destination what service is
being requested
• Example: Port 80 web services are
being requested
TCP and UDP Overview
Socket Pairs
 Source and destination port
placed in segment
 Segments encapsulated in IP
packet
 IP and port number = socket

 Example: 192.168.1.7:80

 Sockets enable multiple

processes to be
distinguished
 Source port acts as a return
address
TCP and UDP Overview
Port Number Groups

 Well-known Ports (Numbers 0 to 1023) - These numbers are reserved for

services and applications. 
 Registered Ports (Numbers 1024 to 49151) - These port numbers are
assigned by IANA to a requesting entity to use with specific processes or
applications.
 Dynamic or Private Ports (Numbers 49152 to 65535) - Usually assigned
dynamically by the client’s OS and used to identify the client application
during communication.
TCP and UDP Overview
Port Number Groups (Cont.)

Well
Known
Port
Numbers
TCP and UDP Overview
The netstat Command
 Network utility that
can be used to verify
connections
 By default, will
attempt to resolve IP
addresses to domain
names and port
numbers to well-
known applications
 -n option used to
display IPs and ports
in numerical form
9.2 TCP and UDP

23
TCP Communication Process
TCP Server Process
TCP Communication Process
TCP Server Process (Cont.)
TCP Communication Process
TCP Connection Establishment

 Step 3 – Client acknowledges

communication session with
server.
 Step 1 – Initiating
client requests a
session with server.

 Step 2 – Server
acknowledges and
requests a session with
client.
TCP Communication Process
TCP Session Termination

 To close a connection, the Finish (FIN) control flag must

be set in the segment header.
 To end each one-way TCP session, a two-way
handshake, consisting of a FIN segment and an
Acknowledgment (ACK) segment, is used.
 To terminate a single conversation supported by TCP,
four exchanges are needed to end both sessions.
TCP Communication Process
TCP Three-way Handshake Analysis
 The three-way handshake:
• Establishes that the destination device is present on
the network.
• Verifies that the destination device has an active
service and is accepting requests on the destination
port number that the initiating client intends to use.
• Informs the destination device that the source client
intends to establish a communication session on
that port number.
 The six bits in the Control Bits field of the TCP
segment header are also known as flags. 
• RST flag is used to reset a connection when an
error or timeout occurs
UDP Communication
UDP Low Overhead versus Reliability

 UDP not connection-

oriented
 No retransmission,
sequencing, and flow
control
 Functions not
provided by the
transport layer
implemented
elsewhere
UDP Communication
UDP Datagram Reassembly

 UDP reassembles
data in order received
and forwards to
application
 Application must
identify the proper
sequence

UDP: Connectionless and Unreliable

UDP Communication
UDP Server Processes and Requests
Note: The Remote
Authentication Dial-in
User Service
(RADIUS) server
shown in the figure
provides
authentication,
authorization, and
accounting services
to manage user
access.
UDP Communication
UDP Client Processes

Clients Sending UDP Requests

UDP Communication
UDP Client Processes (Cont.)

Clients Sending UDP Requests

TCP or UDP
Applications that use TCP

TCP frees
applications
from having to
manage
reliability
TCP or UDP
Applications that use UDP

Three types of
applications best
suited for UDP:
 Live video and
multimedia
 Simple request
and reply
 Handle reliability
themselves