SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
Nodal Processing delay:
The delay of a packet is calculated by adding the following four components: propagation delay,
transmission delay, queuing delay, and processing delay.
Propagation Delay
The propagation delay is the time it takes for one bit to travel from one end of the link to the other.
The bits travel in the form of electromagnetic signals. The speed at which electromagnetic signals
propagate is determined by the medium through which they pass. Following is the formula for
propagation delay:
where is the distance between sender and receiver over a link, and is the transmission speed.
Problems:
1. If the distance between the two points is and the propagation speed is in a
cable then calculate the propagation delay.
Soln:
2. If we have a copper wires and optical fibres media to travel, these media have a speed about 2/3 the
speed of light (i.e. speed of light = 3 * 108 m/s so speed of media = 2 * 108 m/s). We have a single
wire around 5000km i.e. 5 * 106 meters. What will be the propagation delay?
Soln:
5 * 106 / 2 * 108 = 0.25 milliseconds.
3. Suppose that the packet length is 4000 bits, and that the link transmission rate along the link from
the first router to the second is 10 MBps. What is the transmission delay?
Soln:
L = 4000 bits
R = 10 MBps = 10 x 8 x 106 bps
Transmission Delay = L/R = 4000 / (10 x 8 x 106 ) = 0.00005s = 50 microseconds
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
4. The one hop transmission delay for a packet through a twisted pair cable between points A and B is
0.2s. What happens to the transmission delay(increases, decreases, no change) if:
Soln:
○ B is moved to a point C, 500 m further away from A.
No change
○ The cable is changed to a coaxial cable
Decreases.
(In general, coaxial cables have 80x more transmission capacity than twisted-pair
cables)
(d ∝ 1/R)
○ The bandwidth of the network is increased 5 fold.
Decreases.
(d ∝ 1/R)
○ The data being transferred is clumped into larger packets.
Increases.
(d ∝ L)
5. A cable is able to transfer 5 packets each of 500 bits length in 0.4 seconds into the link connecting
one router to another. What is the transmission delay?
Soln:
Transmission Delay = L/R
L = 5000 bits
R = Bits transmitted per second
= Total bits transmitted/ Total time taken
= (5* 5000) / 0.4
Transmission Delay = 500/ ((5*5000)/0.4) = 0.4/5 = 0.08s
OR
Transmission delay = time taken to put only one packet into the link
= 0.4 / 5 = 0.08
6. There are two ways you can send a 10TB of data from Bengaluru to Chennai. You have a
dedicated link for this very purpose transmitting at 100Mbps and a special courier option with
delivery in one day. Which would you prefer to use?
Soln:
10 TB = 10 * 1012 * 8 bits.
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
Using the dedicated link, it will take 10 * 1012 * 8/ (100 * 106) = 80000 seconds ~ 9 days.
But with the special courier option, it would arrive in a single day. Hence the courier
option would be preferred for speedy delivery.
7. Consider the figure below, which draws the analogy between store-and-forward link transmission
and propagation of bits in packet along a link, and cars in a caravan being serviced at a toll booth and
then driving along a road to the next toll booth.
Suppose the caravan has 10 cars, and that the toll booth services a car (that is, transmits) at a rate of
one car per 5 seconds. Once receiving service, a car proceeds to
the next toll booth, which is 500 kilometers away at a rate of 20 kilometers per second.
Also assume that whenever the first car of the caravan arrives at a toll booth, it must wait at the
entrance to the toll booth until all of the other cars in its caravan have arrived, and lined up behind it
before being serviced at the toll booth. (That is, the entire caravan must be stored at the toll booth
before the first car in the caravan can pay its toll and begin driving towards the next toll booth).
a. Once the first car leaves the toll booth, how long does it take until it arrives at the
next toll booth?
It takes 25 seconds to travel to the next toll booth (500 km / 20 km/s)
b. Once the last car leaves the toll booth, how long does it take until it arrives at the
next toll booth?
Just like in the previous question, it takes 25 seconds, regardless of the car
c. Once the first car leaves the toll booth, how long does it take until it enters
service at the next toll booth?
It takes 70 seconds until the first car gets serviced at the next toll booth (10-1
cars * 5 seconds per car + 500 km / 20 km/s)
d. Are there ever two cars in service at the same time, one at the first toll booth and
one at the second toll booth?
No, because cars can't get service at the next tollbooth until all cars have arrived
e. Are there ever zero cars in service at the same time, i.e., the caravan of cars has
finished at the first toll booth but not yet arrived at the second toll booth?
Yes, one notable example is when the last car in the caravan is serviced but is
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
still traveling to the next toll booth; all other cars have to wait until it arrives, thus
no cars are being serviced
8. An optical fiber cable is able to transfer packets across the network at a speed of 70% of the speed
of light in 10 microseconds. What is the distance the packet traverses?
Speed of propagation = 70% of 3 x 108 m/s
= 0.7 x 3 x 108
= 2.1 x 108 m/s
Propagation delay = d/s
Distance traversed = Propagation delay x speed of propagation
= 2.1 x 108 x 10 x 10-6 = 2100 m
9. The propagation delay faced by Bob when he sends a packet to Alice is 0.05s. He thinks if he
increases the bandwidth of his network, he’ll be able to send the packet to her faster. Is he right?
No. Propagation delay is independent of bandwidth. It only depends on distance d of the
communicating peers and the speed of transmission s in the employed medium.
10. Queuing Delay is the only delay that does not vary. True or False?
False. Queuing delay is the only delay that varies. The processing delay, transmission
delay, and propagation delay are constant, if the route is fixed.
11. Bob can’t reduce the distance between Alice and himself to help transmit packets faster. So he is
looking into different cables to help him. His research helped him discover that twisted pair cables,
coaxial cables and optical fiber cables allow packet propagation at speeds of 50%, 65% and 70% of
the speed of light respectively. Which medium should he use to make Alice get his packets faster?
Optical fiber cables, because (d ∝ 1 / speed of transmission)
12. Charlie tries to load both Alice’s and Bob’s websites on his system. Alice’s server is 14m away
and Bob’s server is 8m away from Charlie’s PC. If Charlie is connected to Alice’s server through
unguided media and Bob’s through twisted pair cable (assume speed of transmission at 50% of the
speed of light), whose website will load first on Charlie’s system?
Comparing the propagation delays for both cases, d/s,
Propagation delay for Alice’s site = 14 / (3 x 108)
Propagation delay for Bob’s site = 8 / (0.5 x 3 x 108) = 16 / (3 x 108)
Alice’s site will load first as the propagation delay is lesser.
Traffic Intensity, I = La/R = 1000 x 31 / 1700000 = 0.0182 packets
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
Queuing delay = I(L/R)(1 - I) * 1000
= 0.0182*(1000/1700000)*(1-0.0182) * 1000
= 0.0105 ms.
b. Assuming the router's buffer is infinite, the queuing delay is 0.0204 ms, and 522
packets arrive. How many packets will be in the buffer 1 second later?
Packets leaving the buffer after 1 second = (1s /0.0204 x 10-3s)
Packets left in buffer = arrived packets - packets gone
= 522 - floor(1/0.0204 x 10-3) = 0 packets. (cannot be negative)
c. If the buffer has a maximum size of 500 packets, how many of the 522 packets
would be dropped upon arrival from the previous question?
Packets dropped = packets - buffer size = 522 - 500 = 22 packets.
13. Data traveling in Alice’s network of 2 computers, takes a one hop transmission delay of 0.003ms
to go from one computer to the other. If the queuing delay is 1 microsecond and the distance between
the two systems is 3km, find the time taken by Alice’s router for bit level error checking and
processing if the total nodal delay is 0.04ms.
dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop
0.04 x 10-3 = dproc + 0.001 x 10-3 + 0.003 x 10-3 + 3000/(3 x 108)
Processing delay, dproc = (0.04 - 0.01 -0.001 - 0.003) x 10-3 = 0.026 ms
Transmission Delay:
Traffic Intensity, I = La/R = 1000 x 31 / 1700000 = 0.0182 packets
Queuing delay = I(L/R)(1 - I) * 1000
= 0.0182*(1000/1700000)*(1-0.0182) * 1000
= 0.0105 ms.
b. Assuming the router's buffer is infinite, the queuing delay is 0.0204 ms, and 522
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
packets arrive. How many packets will be in the buffer 1 second later?
Packets leaving the buffer after 1 second = (1s /0.0204 x 10-3s)
Packets left in buffer = arrived packets - packets gone
= 522 - floor(1/0.0204 x 10-3) = 0 packets. (cannot be negative)
c. If the buffer has a maximum size of 500 packets, how many of the 522 packets
would be dropped upon arrival from the previous question?
Packets dropped = packets - buffer size = 522 - 500 = 22 packets.
16. Data traveling in Alice’s network of 2 computers, takes a one hop transmission delay of
0.003ms to go from one computer to the other. If the queuing delay is 1 microsecond
and the distance between the two systems is 3km, find the time taken by Alice’s router
for bit level error checking and processing if the total nodal delay is 0.04ms.
dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop
0.04 x 10-3 = dproc + 0.001 x 10-3 + 0.003 x 10-3 + 3000/(3 x 108)
Processing delay, dproc = (0.04 - 0.01 -0.001 - 0.003) x 10-3 = 0.026 ms
TRANSMISSION DELAY:
Time taken to put the data packet on the transmission link is called as transmission delay.
Transmission delay ∝ Length /Size of data packet
Transmission delay α 1/ Bandwidth
14. Which of the following delay is faced by the packet in travelling from one end system to another?
a) Propagation delay
b) Queuing delay
c) Transmission delay
d) All of the
mentioned Answer: d
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
Explanation: When a packet has to travel from one end system to another, it first faces the queuing
delay when there are multiple packets which are to be sent, then it faces the transmission delay to
convert the packet into bits to be transmitted, and then it faces the propagation delay to propagate the
bits through the physical medium.
15. For a 10Mbps Ethernet link, if the length of the packet is 32bits, the transmission delay is (in micr
oseconds)
a) 3.2
b) 32
c) 0.32
d) 320
Answer: a
Explanation: Transmission rate = length / transmission rate = 32/10 = 3.2 microseconds.
16. The time required to examine the packet’s header and determine where to direct the packet is part
of
a) Processing delay
b) Queuing delay
c) Transmission delay
d) Propagation delay
Answer: a
Explanation: Processing delay is induced at a router’s or other network processor’s end in the path of
the packet and is caused by the time taken by the processor to examine the packet’s header to decide
the further path of the packet.
17. Given L = number of bits in the packet, a = average rate and R = transmission rate. The Traffic
intensity in the
net work is given by
a) La/R
b) LR/a
c) R/La
d) Ra/L
Answer: a
Explanation: Traffic Intensity = (Number of bits in packet * Average Transmission rate)/Current
Transmission rate
18. In the transfer of file between server and client, if the transmission rates along the path is 10Mbps,
20Mbps, 30Mb ps, 40Mbps. The throughput is usually
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
a) 20Mbps
b) 10Mbps
c) 40Mbps
d) 50Mbps
Answer: b
Explanation: The throughput is generally the transmission rate of bottleneck link.
19. If end to end delay is given by dend-end = N(dproc + dtrans + dprop) is a non congested network.
The number of routers between source and destination is
a) N/2
b) N
c) N-1
d) 2N
Answer: c
Explanation: In the equation N (dproc + dtrans + dprop), N is the number of checkpoints/stops that
the packet makes as it reaches the destination. The stops are made at each router and the final
destination node. Now, since N = numb er of routers + final node, then number of routers = N – final
node. As we know, there is only 1 final node in a path, thus, number of routers = N – 1. Suppose,
There is a path A->R1->R2->B for a packet where A is the source node, B is the final node and R1
and R2 are routers. The total delay would be given by N (dproc + dtrans + dprop) where N = 3, since
the packet would stop at R1, R2 and B. The number of routers here are 2, and (N – 1) is also 2.
20. The total nodal delay is given by
a) dnodal = dproc – dqueue + dtrans + dprop
b) dnodal = dproc + dtrans – dqueue
c) dnodal = dproc + dqueue + dtrans + dprop
d) dnodal = dproc + dqueue – dtrans – dprop
Answer: c
Explanation: The total node-to-node delay, that is, nodal delay is the sum of all, the processing delay,
queuing delay, transmission delay and propagation delay. Ideally, the nodal delay must be low as
possible for a better Quality of Se rvice of the network.
21. In a network, If P is the only packet being transmitted and there was no earlier transmission,
which of the followin g delays could be zero?
a) Propagation delay
b) Queuing delay
c) Transmission delay
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SASTRA DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER NETWORKS - IT ‘M’ SECTION
d) Processing delay
Answer: b
Explanation: Since there is no other packet to be transmitted, there is no need for a queue. Therefore,
the delay caused due to the queuing would be none i.e. 0.
22. Transmission delay does not depend on
a) Packet length
b) Distance between the routers
c) Transmission rate
d) Bandwidth of medium
Answer: b
Explanation: Transmission delay = packet length / transmission rate. The transmission rate depends
upon the bandwidth of the medium.
23. Propagation delay depends on
a) Packet length
b) Transmission rate
c) Distance between the routers
d) Speed of the CPU
Answer: c
Explanation: Propagation delay is caused when the packet is in its electric signal form and is
travelling through a medium (a wire or a electromagnetic wave). Propagation delay is the time it
takes a bit to propagate from one router to the next. If the distance between the routers is increased, it
will take longer time to propagate, that is, there would be more propagation delay.
24.
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