Hands-on networking : from theory to practice

Learn the core theory and explore real-world networking issues with this richly illustrated example-based textbook. It provides an accurate view of modern networks through detailed coverage of the most relevant networking technologies, with no unnecessary extras. Carefully designed, affordable laboratory exercises based on open-source software networking tools are included for hands-on practice with real networking devices. Numerous case studies and examples further link theory to practice, whilst the topologies, tools and configurations needed to carry out practical exercises are provided to guide students through each task. Its bottom-up approach is easy for students to follow and perfect for lab-oriented courses.

Author Notes

Maria Luisa Merani is an Associate Professor at the university of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, where she has taught networking courses since 1993. She is an IEEE senior Member, an Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, and is the author of more than 70 technical papers in the field.
Maurizio casoni is an Associate Professor in Telecommunications at the university of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Walter Cerroni is an Assistant Professor in Telecommunications at the University of Bologna, Italy. His teaching experience covers different aspects of communication networks, with most of the courses integrating theory and laboratory exercises or simulations.

Preface	p. xi
1 Foundations	p. 1
1.1 Signals: time and frequency analysis	p. 1
1.2 A more general notion of bandwidth	p. 5
1.3 Physical media	p. 5
1.4 Network classification	p. 8
1.4.1 The obvious starting example	p. 8
1.4.2 Circuit-switched versus packet-switched networks	p. 9
1.4.3 Distance-based classification	p. 11
1.4.4 Topology-based and further classifications	p. 12
1.4.5 Channel-based classification	p. 14
1.5 Transmission options	p. 14
1.6 Network delay	p. 15
1.7 A last miscellanea of concepts	p. 18
1.7.1 Traffic sources	p. 18
1.7.2 Service taxonomy	p. 18
1.7.3 Performance metrics	p. 20
1.7.4 Congestion and QoS	p. 21
1.8 A few bibliographical notes	p. 22
1.9 Practice: determining the RTT	p. 22
1.10 Exercises	p. 26
2 Architectures and protocols	p. 29
2.1 Who's who in the telecommunication world	p. 29
2.2 OSI Model: the seven-layer approach	p. 31
2.3 TCP/IP protocol suite	p. 37
2.4 IP: Internet protocol	p. 40
2.4.1 Public and private IP addressing	p. 42
2.4.2 Classless IP addressing	p. 46
2.4.3 Subnetting and supemetting	p. 48
2.4.4 The delivery of IP packets	p. 52
2.5 TCP: transmission-control protocol	p. 54
2.6 UDP: user datagram protocol	p. 58
2.7 Exercises	p. 58
3 Ethernet networks	p. 61
3.1 Multiple access	p. 61
3.1.1 Carrier sense multiple access strategies	p. 65
3.2 IEEE 802.3 and the IEEE 802 project	p. 67
3.2.1 Reference topologies	p. 68
3.2.2 MAC sublayer	p. 70
3.2.3 Physical layer	p. 75
3.3 Twisted-pair cabling standards	p. 80
3.4 Practice: address resolution protocol	p. 87
3.5 Practice: NIC configuration	p. 92
3.6 Practice: a campus network layout	p. 95
4 Wireless networks	p. 97
4.1 Wireless LAN	p. 97
4.1.1 The basket of 802.11 standards	p. 97
4.1.2 Physical layer evolution	p. 98
4.1.3 Architecture and MAC basic mechanisms	p. 101
4.1.4 The need for quality of service and the 802.lie document	p. 107
4.1.5 IEEE 802.11 frame format	p. 110
4.1.6 Recent enhancements: the 802.11ndocument	p. 112
4.1.7 The Wi-Fi Alliance	p. 113
4.2 Wireless MAN	p. 113
4.2.1 Physical layer	p. 114
4.2.2 MAC features	p. 118
4.2.3 IEEE 802.16 frame format	p. 122
4.2.4 Scheduling services	p. 123
4.2.5 WiMAX Forum	p. 124
4.3 WPAN: wireless personal area networks	p. 124
4.4 A glimpse of wireless mesh networks	p. 125
4.5 Practice: capturing 802.11 data and control frames	p. 127
4.6 Practice: inspecting 802.11 management frames	p. 131
4.7 Practice: cracking the 802.11 WPA2-PSK keys, perhaps...	p. 132
4.8 Exercises	p. 134
5 LAN devices and virtual LANs	p. 136
5.1 Repeaters and bridges	p. 136
5.2 Main features of bridges	p. 138
5.3 Switches	p. 139
5.4 Virtual LAN	p. 139
5.5 Overview: VLAN definition and benefits	p. 140
5.6 VLAN classification	p. 141
5.7 VLAN on a single switch	p. 143
5.8 VLAN on multiple switches	p. 145
5.8.1 The need for tagging and virtual topology	p. 145
5.8.2 IEEE 802.1Q frame tagging	p. 147
5.9 Inter-VLAN communications	p. 148
5.10 Practice: switch management and VLAN configuration	p. 151
5.10.1 Switch management	p. 151
5.10.2 VLAN configuration	p. 155
5.10.3 Inter-VLAN communication	p. 157
5.11 Exercises	p. 159
6 Routers	p. 161
6.1 What is a router?	p. 161
6.2 Functions and architectures	p. 162
6.3 Table look-up implementation	p. 165
6.4 From routers to middleboxes: firewalls and NATs	p. 168
6.5 Practice: routing and forwarding table	p. 173
6.6 Practice: firewalls and packet filtering	p. 176
6.7 Practice: network address translation	p. 182
7 Routing fundamentals and protocols	p. 187
7.1 Routing algorithms	p. 187
7.1.1 The Bellman-Ford algorithm	p. 189
7.1.2 The Dijkstra algorithm	p. 192
7.2 Routing protocols	p. 193
7.2.1 Distance vector protocols	p. 193
7.2.2 Link state protocols	p. 194
7.2.3 Distance vector, path vector or link state?	p. 195
7.3 Routing in the Internet	p. 196
7.3.1 Routing information protocol	p. 198
7.3.2 Open shortest path first	p. 200
7.4 Practice: RIP configuration	p. 203
7.5 Practice: OSPF configuration	p. 210
8 Wide area networks and user access	p. 220
8.1 The xDSL family	p. 220
8.2 The X.25 network	p. 222
8.3 Integrated services digital network	p. 225
8.4 The frame relay service	p. 227
8.5 B-ISDN and ATM	p. 231
8.6 MPLS principles	p. 236
8.7 Practice: MPLS router configuration	p. 239
8.7.1 Basic LDP configuration	p. 239
8.7.2 MPLS traffic engineering	p. 244
8.8 Exercises	p. 247
References	p. 248
Index	p. 253

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Table of Contents