Understanding Network Protocols: ARQ, PPP, CSMA/CD, SONET, Bluetooth, and More

Understanding Network Protocols

Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) Protocols

Stop-and-Wait ARQ

The Stop-and-Wait ARQ protocol ensures reliable data transmission by sending one packet at a time and waiting for an acknowledgment before sending the next. If an acknowledgment is not received within a timeout period, the packet is re-sent.

Go-Back-N ARQ

The Go-Back-N ARQ protocol improves efficiency by sending multiple packets without waiting for individual acknowledgments. If a timeout occurs, all unacknowledged packets within a window are re-sent.

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)

PPP establishes a direct connection between two nodes, allowing them to communicate over a serial interface. It supports authentication, data transmission, and error detection and correction.

Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)

CSMA/CD is used in Ethernet networks to manage how devices share the transmission medium. Devices listen for carrier signals before transmitting and detect collisions to ensure efficient data transfer.

Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET)

SONET is a standardized protocol for high-speed data transmission over optical fiber. It defines layers for physical transmission, data encapsulation, error detection, and network management.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology for short-range data exchange between devices. It uses various profiles and services to facilitate communication for tasks like file transfer, audio streaming, and connecting peripherals.

IPv4 Addressing

IPv4 addresses are numerical labels assigned to devices on a network. An example is 192.168.0.1, where the first two octets represent the network and the last two identify the specific device.

FDMA vs. TDMA

Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) are techniques for sharing communication channels. FDMA divides the frequency spectrum, while TDMA divides time slots within a frequency band.

Bluetooth Network Topologies

A piconet is a small Bluetooth network with one master and multiple slaves. A scatternet is an interconnected network of multiple piconets.

Ethernet Standards

10Base5, 10Base2, and 10BaseT are Ethernet standards using different types of cables: thick coaxial, thin coaxial, and twisted-pair, respectively.

Wi-Fi Network Structures

A Basic Service Set (BSS) is a single access point and its connected devices. An Extended Service Set (ESS) is a collection of interconnected BSSs for broader coverage.

Media Access Control Methods

Reservation allocates specific time slots for data transmission. Polling involves sequentially querying devices for data. Token passing allows sequential transmission based on token possession.