Communication Fundamentals Quiz

Communication Fundamentals

• All communication methods have a source (sender), a destination (receiver), and a channel (media).
• Rules or protocols govern all communication methods.

Rule Establishment

• Protocols ensure effective communication by defining sender and receiver identification, common language, delivery speed/timing, and confirmation/acknowledgment requirements.
• Network communication protocols also include message encoding, delivery options, formatting, encapsulation, timing, and size restrictions.

Message Encoding

• Hosts must encode data in a format compatible with the communication media.
• The sending host converts messages into bits and encodes them into sound, light waves, or electrical impulses depending on the network.
• The receiving host decodes the signals to interpret the messages.

Message Formatting and Encapsulation

• Data is encapsulated in a specific format known as a frame before being sent over the network.
• Think of a frame as an envelope containing the sender and receiver addresses.

Message Size

• Long messages are broken into smaller pieces, called frames, for transmission.
• Frames are addressed individually, allowing the receiving host to reconstruct the complete message.

Message Timing

• ** Access Method:** Protocols allow networked devices to access the network for sending messages.
• ** Flow Control:** Prevents overwhelming the receiving device by defining the appropriate timing for sending and receiving data.
• ** Response Timeout:** Specifies the wait time for responses and what steps to take if a response isn't received.
• ** Delivery Options:**
  • ** Unicast:** Sending messages from one device to one other specific device.
  • ** Multicast:** Sending messages from one device to a group of selected devices.
  • ** Broadcast:** Sending messages from one device to all devices on a network.

Network Protocols and Standards

• Protocols are implemented in software, hardware, or both, and are organized into layers.
• Each protocol layer depends on the functionality defined in the lower levels.

Network Protocols

• These define a common format and rules for communication between devices and include protocols like Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Internet Protocol (IP).

Protocol Interaction

• Communication between a web server and web client utilizes multiple protocols:
  • HTTP: Manages web server and client interactions.
  • TCP: Manages individual conversations.
  • IP: Encapsulates TCP segments into packets for delivery.
  • Ethernet: Facilitates data link communication and physical transmission over network media.

Protocol Suites

• TCP/IP Protocol Suite: A collection of protocols used for internet communication.

TCP/IP Communication Process

• When sending data from a web server to a client, the encapsulation process follows these steps:
  1. The webserver prepares the HTML page.
  2. The HTTP application layer sends the data to the transport layer (TCP).
  3. TCP breaks the data into segments and identifies each.
  4. IP addresses are added to create an IP Packet.
  5. The IP packet is encapsulated into an Ethernet Frame.
  6. The Ethernet Frame is sent to the nearest router along the path to the web client.
  7. Each router adds new data link information before forwarding the packet.

Standards Organizations

• Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF): Develops and promotes internet-related standards.
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO): Sets international standards for data processing, communications, and more.
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE): Develops standards for a wide range of electrical and electronic technologies.
• International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T): Establishes standards for video compression, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), and broadband communications.

Reference Models

• Layered network models provide benefits for protocol design, competition, technology changes, and communication descriptions.

The OSI Reference Model

• Application: Protocols for process-to-process communications.
• Presentation: Ensures consistent data representation.
• Session: Manages data exchanges and communication sessions.
• Transport: Segments, transfers, and reassembles data.
• Network: Exchanges data between devices over the network.
• Data Link: Exchanges data frames between devices over a common media.
• Physical: Deals with the transmission of bits over physical connections.

The TCP/IP Protocol Model

• Developed for internet communication in the 1970s.
• Open Standard.
• Also known as the Internet Model or the TCP/IP Model.

The OSI Model and TCP/IP Model Comparison

• The OSI model expands the network access and application layers of the TCP/IP model to include more discrete functions.

Data Transfer in the Network

Data Encapsulation & Message Segmentation

• Large data streams are divided into smaller segments for easier transmission.
• Multiplexing allows multiple conversations to interleave on the network.
• Segmentation ensures labeled data can be retransmitted if some parts fail during transmission.

Protocol Data Units (PDUs)

• Each layer in the network model adds information to the data as it moves down the protocol stack – this is called encapsulation.
• The form of the data at each layer is called a PDU.
  • Data: Application layer PDU
  • Segment: Transport layer PDU
  • Packet: Network layer PDU
  • Frame: Data Link layer PDU
  • Bits: Physical layer PDU

Data Encapsulation Example

• Encapsulation process (top to bottom):
  1. Data is divided into segments.
  2. TCP segment is encapsulated in the IP Packet.
  3. The IP packet is encapsulated in the Ethernet Frame.

De-encapsulation

• Reverses the encapsulation process, removing protocol headers as the data moves up the stack.

Data Access

Network Addresses

• Network Layer Source and Destination Addresses: Used for delivering IP packets from source to destination.
  • Source IP Address: The IP address of the sending device (original source).
  • Destination IP Address: The IP address of the receiving device (final destination).

Data Link Addresses

• Used to deliver data frames between network interfaces on the same network.

Rules of Communication

• The three elements of all communication methods are source, destination, and channel.
• Communication protocols provide a common language and rules to ensure effective communication between entities.
• Protocols define message encoding, delivery options, formatting, encapsulation, timing, and size.

Network Protocols and Standards

• Protocols are implemented in software, hardware, or both.
• Protocols are layered, with each layer relying on the lower layers for functionality.
• Common networking protocols include HTTP, TCP, and IP.
• Protocols define a common format for exchanging messages between devices.
• The TCP/IP protocol suite is implemented in hosts and networking devices.
• The TCP/IP suite includes application, transport, internet, and network interface layers.
• Data encapsulation includes adding headers for each protocol layer as data is sent to the recipient.
• Open standards encourage interoperability, competition, and innovation.
• Standards organizations are vendor-neutral, non-profit entities that develop and promote open standards.

Internet Standards

• The Internet Society (ISOC) promotes the evolution of Internet use globally.
• The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) manages development of Internet standards.
• The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) develops and maintains Internet and TCP/IP technologies.
• The Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) focuses on long-term research related to Internet and TCP/IP protocols.

Standards Organizations

• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) establishes standards in various industries, including networking.
• The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) develops standards for electrical wiring, connectors, and network racks.
• The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) sets standards for radio equipment, cellular towers, Voice over IP (VoIP) devices, and satellite communications.
• The International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T) develops standards for video compression, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), and broadband communications.

Reference Models

• The OSI and TCP/IP models are layered models that provide a common language to describe networking functions and capabilities.
• Layered models facilitate protocol design, foster competition, and prevent changes in one layer from impacting other layers.
• The OSI model includes seven layers: application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link, and physical.
• The TCP/IP model is divided into four layers: application, transport, internet, and network interface.
• The OSI model and TCP/IP model are similar, with the TCP/IP model combining some layers from the OSI model.

Test your knowledge on the basics of communication methods, rules of protocol, message encoding, and encapsulation. This quiz will cover essential concepts about how data is transmitted and received over networks. Perfect for students or professionals looking to solidify their understanding of communication fundamentals.