Week 8: Link Layer

Goals:

• Learn about requirements for link layer protocols: Those that enable physically connected computers to communicate.
  
• Learn about MAC addresses, Ethernet, PPP, and MPLS!
  

Monday, March 12: The Link Layer

Read:

• Kurose & Ross, 5.0 - 5.3, pp. 441 - 468 (okay to skim 5.2)
  

Answer the following questions. Send your answers in the body of an email to me (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu) by 9 a.m. Please use "CSC-364 03-12" as the subject line of your email.

1. Explain in your own words how the link layer is distinct from the network layer.
2. We've discussed error checking before at higher layers. Why do link layer protocols perform error checking?
   
3. R4
4. R5
5. R6
6. R7
   
7. What question(s) would you like to discuss in class?

Due:

• Addressing & Routing

Assigned:

• Tools
  

Wednesday, March 14: MAC addresses & Ethernet

Read:

• Kurose & Ross, 5.4 - 5.5, pp. 469 - 486
  

Answer the following questions. Send your answers in the body of an email to me (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu) by 9 a.m. Please use "CSC-364 03-14" as the subject line of your email.

1. R9
2. R10
3. R13
4. R14
   
5. What question(s) would you like to discuss in class?

Friday, March 16: Switches, PPP, & MPLS

Read:

• Kurose & Ross, 5.6 - 5.10, pp. 486 - 511
  
• Interview with Simon S. Lam, pp. 521 - 522
  

Answer the following questions. Send your answers in the body of an email to me (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu) by 9 a.m. Please use "CSC-364 03-16" as the subject line of your email.

1. R15
2. In what sense is a VLAN "virtual"?
3. R16
4. Show a byte-stuffed version of the following data stream: 00010001 01111110 01010101 01111101 00010111
5. In what sense is a VPN "virtual"? How could MPLS be used to implement a VPN?
   
6. What question(s) would you like to discuss in class?

Janet Davis (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu)