Networking

Data-Link Layer

Data-Link (Layer 2)

  • Groups Data into frames (layer 3 - packets)
  • Responsible for point-to-point communications
  • Each point is called a 'node.' Nodes aren't always computers. They can be Fitbits, routers, light switches, and more.

Layer 2 Protocols

  • Ethernet (wired/WiFi)
  • USB (Universal Serial Bus)
  • Bluetooth
  • CAN-Bus (Cars and industrial equipment)
  • I2C (Communication in-circuit)

Data-Link Sublayers

  • Media Access Control (MAC)
  • Logical Link Control (LLC - not used much now, allowed TCP/IP to share the line with other protocols)

Network Topology

Point-to-Point

Network Topology

Line

Network Topology

Bus

Network Topology

Ring

Network Topology

Star

Network Topology

Star - Reality

Network Topology

Mesh (one hop)

Network Topology

Fully Connected

Media Access Control

  • Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
  • CSMA/CD
  • Older wired Ethernet works this way.
  • Wi-Fi works this way
  • Listen, see if anyone is talking. If no one is, talk.
  • Detect if another node started talking. If so, stop, wait random time, try again.
  • Like normal talking.

Media Access Control

  • Early in networking, engineers said "Let people talk when they want to? That's crazy! Must be more formal."
  • Token-Ring competed with Ethernet
  • A 'token' was passed around a ring topology, and only the node with the token could talk.
  • Like a 'speaking stick'
  • Good in 'real-time' systems, as Ethernet could have unpredictable delays.

Media Access Control

  • Avoiding collisions with Ethernet?
  • In wired communications, use a 'star' topology. No shared media, no collisions.

Data-Link Protocols

  • A protocol is an exact agreement on how we pass data
  • Anyone following the protocol should be able to communicate with anyone else following that same protocol.
  • If a lot of people use a protocol, it is called a standard protocol, or just standard.
  • Opens competition. For example, any vendor can make devices that hook up to WiFi.

Data-Link Protocols

  • Wired Networks - Ethernet standards grouped under IEEE 802.3
  • WiFi - Ethernet standards grouped under IEEE 802.11
  • Vehicles and Industrial Equipment - CAN-bus standards administered by ISO
  • USB connections: Multiple companies came together. 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc.
  • Bluetooth: Started as IEEE, now multiple companies work together.

Wired Ethernet

  • Current Standard is IEEE 802.ab that runs at 1 Gbit per second, backwards compatible.
    • Divide by 8 to get gigabyte per second = 125 MByte/sec
    • Gb = Gigabit / GB = Gigabyte
    • There a required gap between frames, preamble, plus overhead = 118 MByte/second
  • Newer standard is 802.3ae Fast Ethernet at 10Gb/second.
  • Older standard is 100 Mb/s = 802.3u Fast Ethernet
  • Note - Not all wired is Ethernet!

Wi-Fi Standards

 

 

  • Original standard was 802.11
  • Next ones added letters. Like 802.11b.
  • Got confusing with all the letters. Starting in 2018, new standard that is consumer-friendly.

Wi-Fi Standards

Wireless

What Kind of WiFi am I Running?

Service Set Identifier (SSID)

  • WSID is the name when you try to connect to Wi-Fi
  • Sending out the SSID is called a 'broadcast'
  • You can turn this off. People can still connect if they know the name. A bit more secure, but less convenient.

Wireless Security

  • None. Completely unencrypted. Anyone can see all traffic, and anyone can connect. Open access.
  • Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) - Original 'secure' protocol. Now has known vulnerabilities. Don't use this.
  • Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) - Outdated. Don't use.
  • Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2 (WPA2) - Current standard. Use this.
  • Wi-Fi Protected Access version 3 (WPA3) - Updated 2018 standard. Only use if you know all devices can support it.

Wireless Security - WPA2/3

  • You can select one of two modes.
  • PSK - Pre-shared key. You give someone a password and they can access the Internet. Great for coffee shops, small business.
    • Quick set-up.
    • Someone leaves you don't want to have access to the network? Reset everyone's key.
    • Can't really tell who's connected.
  • Enterprise - Everyone logs in with their own user id and password.
    • Need a professional to set up and integrate with login system.
    • You get logs of who's connected.
    • One person leaves? Just disable that one account.

WPA Encryption Standards

  • Temporal Key Integrity Protocol - TKIP
    • Older, don' use.
  • Advanced Encryption Standard - AES
    • Use this.

WPA - Summary

  • Small place - Use WPA2-PSK (AES)
  • Medium or larger - Use WPA2-Enterprise (AES)

The Ethernet Frame

Preamble

  • Alternating 1's and 0's
  • 7 bytes
  • 7 x 8 = 56 of 10101010101010...
  • Allows Manchester Encoding to time the gap between each transition.

Frame Delimiter

  • One byte
  • Ends with two ones in a row
10101010 10101010 10101010 10101010 10101010 10101010 10101010 10101011

Preamble

Delimiter

Made with Slides.com