ECE 4400/6400: Performance Analysis of Local Computer Networks

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Clemson University
ECE 4400/6400: Performance Analysis of Local Computer Networks
Spring 2016
Homework #2
Assigned January 26, 2016
Due February 4, 2016
For all students
1. Computer A and B are connected to the same 100 Mbps Ethernet LAN. An application on A needs to
send 10 application messages to an application on B. Each application message is 1000 bytes. Assume
all of the following: (i) the application utilizes a TCP/IP protocol stack (4 layers as defined in the notes)
(ii) every layer (including the application layer) adds an additional 10-byte header before passing the
message to a lower layer or the wire, and (iii) maximum PDU size is 1200 bytes for TCP, IP, and
Ethernet protocols.
Also assume A and B are the only two machines on the LAN and are 100m away. Note that the TCP
protocol agent (transport layer) at the receiver side must send a 40-byte acknowledgement back to the
sender side TCP agent when receiving each packet. Assume no errors or collisions have occurred during
the transmissions.
a. Once all transmissions are completed, how many bytes have been physically transmitted by A
and B, respectively.
b. If efficiency is defined as the number of application message bytes delivered over the number
of bytes transmitted over the wire, what is the efficiency for sending the 10 messages?
c. If electric signal travels at 2x108 m/sec on the wire, what is the transfer delay T for an
application message? Assume queue is empty when message arrives and the software latency
spent in passing up/down the protocol layers is ignorable.
2. Packets arrive at a network line at an average rate of 1 packet/sec with exponentially distributed random
inter-arrival times.
For a-c, use exponential distribution function only to:
a. Find the probability that at least two packets shows up in one second.
b. Find the probability that at least three packets show up in one second.
c. Find the probability that exactly two packets show up in one second.
For d, use Poisson distribution function to:
d. Find the probability that exactly two packets show up in one second.
3. Hammond and OReilly, Problem 3.2.
4. Hammond and OReilly, Problem 3.3. (Assume Poisson arrivals)
5. Hammond and OReilly, Problem 3.4. (Part d: traffic intensity = utilization)
6. Hammond and OReilly, Problem 3.5. (Assume Poisson arrivals)
7. Hammond and OReilly, Problem 3.6.
8. Hammond and OReilly, Problem 3.9.

ECE 4400/6400: Performance Analysis of Local Computer Networks

For ECE 640 students

9. Consider a stop-and-wait data link layer transmission protocol for a network link that is, when a node
A transmits a packet to B, it transmits no more packets until it receives an acknowledgement from node
B. If node A does not receive an acknowledgement within a specified period, A retransmits the packet at
the end of that period. This can happen if As packet is corrupted and not readable by B, or Bs
acknowledgement is corrupted and not readable by A.
Suppose the data packet has total length of 1000 bytes (headers included), and the acknowledgement has
total length of 10 bytes (headers included). Assume the packets are sent using binary signaling (one bit
sent at a time), and each bit transmitted has an independent bit error probability p=10-4. If any bit in a
packet has an error, the entire packet is considered corrupted. What is the expected number of packet
transmissions from A before it successfully completes the packet transmission?
10. Read Textbook Ch.4.4. Related questions will be asked in homework #3.