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Chapter No 11

The document discusses methods to extend Local Area Networks (LANs) beyond their distance limitations, including the use of fiber modems, repeaters, and bridges. Fiber modems convert digital data to light pulses for long-distance transmission, while repeaters amplify weakened signals but introduce delays. Bridges connect LAN segments, filter frames, and maintain address lists to improve network efficiency and reduce errors.

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8 views26 pages

Chapter No 11

The document discusses methods to extend Local Area Networks (LANs) beyond their distance limitations, including the use of fiber modems, repeaters, and bridges. Fiber modems convert digital data to light pulses for long-distance transmission, while repeaters amplify weakened signals but introduce delays. Bridges connect LAN segments, filter frames, and maintain address lists to improve network efficiency and reduce errors.

Uploaded by

khanyyasir40
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter No 11

Extending LANs: Fiber Modems, Repeaters, Bridges,


and Switches
Introduction

 LAN technologies are designed to operate within the same


building

 However most companies or institutions have offices located


far apart from each other
Distance Limitation And LAN Design

 The maximum cable length of a LAN is fixed, because:


– The electrical signal level gets weaker as it travels
– The delays must be short to allow access mechanisms
(CSMA/CD, token passing), work properly
Distance Limitation And LAN Design
LAN Extensions
 Several techniques extend diameter of LAN medium

 Most techniques use additional hardware

 LAN signals relayed between LAN segments



 Resulting mixed technology stays within original engineering
constraints while spanning greater distance
Fiber Optic Extensions
Fiber Optic Extensions
 The Fiber Modems:
– Convert digital data into pulses of light
– Transmit over the optical fiber
– Receive light and convert into digital data
 Because
– Delays on optical fiber is low and
– Bandwidth is high
– This mechanism will successfully extend the LAN across
several kilometers
Fiber Optic Extensions
Fiber Optic Extensions
Repeaters
 Fact: Electrical signals gets weaker while travelling over
copper

 A repeater (a hardware device)


– Amplify the weakenning signals received from one
segment

– And retransmit them on to another segment


Repeaters
Repeaters
 One repeater doubles, two repeaters triples the maximum
cable lenght limitation

 Computers attached to different segments communicate as if


they are connected to the same cable
Repeaters
 Question: Can we increase the maximum cable lenght as
many times as we wish by just adding repeaters?
 Answer: No
– Every repeater introduces a delay
– Access mechanisms such as CSMA/CD does not work
with long delays
– Ethernet standard specifies that any two stations cannot be
seperated by more than four repeaters
Repeaters
 Using a vertical
segment:
– Only two
repeaters
seperate any two
stations in this
scheme
Repeaters
 Disadvantages:
– Repeaters do not recognize frame formats, they just
amplify and retransmit the electrical signals.
– If a collision or error occurs in one segment,
– Repeaters amplify and retransmits also the error onto
the other segments
An Ethernet Repeater (Front)
An Ethernet Repeater (Back)
Bridges
 A Bridge is a hardware device also used to connect two LAN
segments to extend a LAN
 Unlike a repeater, a bridge:
– Uses two NICs, to connect two segments
– Listens to the all traffic
– Recognizes frame format
– Forwards only correct, complete frames
– Discards the collided and errored frames
An Ethernet Bridge
Frame Filtering
 A typical bridge has two NICs, a CPU, a memory and a ROM

 It only runs the code stored in its ROM

 The most important task a bridge performs is frame filtering


Frame Filtering
 If both the source and destination are on the same segment, it
does not forward the frame to the other segment

 A frame is forwarded to the other segment, if the frame is


destined to the that segment

 Broadcast and multicast frames are also forwarded


Frame Filtering

 Question: How does a bridge know on which segment a


destination computer is attached?

 Answer: It keeps a list for each segment that consists of


physical addresses of the computers attached to that segment
Frame Filtering
 Question: How does a bridge build up address lists?

 Answer: Most bridges are self learning bridges


– As soon as a frame arrives to a bridge
– It extracts the source address from its header and
– Automatically adds it in the list for that segment
Frame Filtering
Summary
 Distance Limitation on LANs

 Fiber Optic Extensions

 Repeaters

 Bridges

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