Delivering Internet Connections over Cable

by Laubach, Mark E.; Farber, Dave; Dukes, Stephen D.

• ISBN13: 9780471389507
• ISBN10: 0471389501
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Summary

An inside look at high-speed access written for the cable industry Cable modems have emerged as a leading consumer choice for high-speed Internet access, outpacing alternatives such as digital subscriber lines, but not without raising issues about quality of service and controversy about open access. Providing an objective review of residential broadband and cable television networking, this book will be of great use for professionals who are integrating cable into their networks or service offerings. The authors compare cable access systems to competing technologies and discuss the increasingly difficult issues confronting each. Readers will also find coverage of the hottest areas in the field including high-speed data and packet voice standards, managing the "always-on" connection, and security and privacy risks.

Table of Contents

Networking Council Foreword	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Preface	xix
Introduction	1	(18)
The Original Motivation for Cable Networks	2	(1)
Cable Chronology	3	(9)
Government Regulations	3	(5)
Technology Advances	8	(4)
The Impetus for Two-Way Services	12	(2)
High-Speed Data over Cable Standards	14	(3)
The DOCSIS Specifications	15	(2)
For Further Information	17	(2)
Cable Television Network Topology	19	(26)
RF Spectrum Band Plan	20	(1)
All-Coaxial Cable Systems	21	(14)
Distribution Hub Architecture	26	(1)
Downstream Channel Capacity	27	(1)
Dual Cable Systems	27	(1)
One-Way versus Two-Way Cable Systems	28	(5)
Upstream Ingress Noise Management	33	(2)
Hybrid Fiber Coaxial Cable Systems	35	(7)
Distribution Hub Architecture	38	(1)
Fiber Node Splitting	38	(3)
Increased Reliability through Redundancy	41	(1)
Combining Return Path in the Headend	41	(1)
Summary	42	(1)
For Further Information	43	(2)
Elements of Cable Modem Style	45	(48)
Modulation and Demodulation Overview	46	(1)
RF Modulation and Demodulation	47	(6)
RF Channel Size	48	(2)
Continuous versus Burst Modulation	50	(2)
Forward Error Correction	52	(1)
Mapping RF Data Channels to Cable Plant Topology	53	(4)
The Downstream Rolloff Region	56	(1)
Early Two-Way Cable Modem Systems	57	(15)
Slotted ALOHA	60	(1)
Signal Propagation Delay	61	(1)
Why Not Ethernet on the Cable?	62	(2)
Upstream Transmit Power Control	64	(1)
Upstream Noise Impairments	65	(1)
Ethernet Processing	66	(3)
Quality of Service	69	(1)
Communications Privacy	70	(1)
Summary of Early Cable Modem Systems	70	(2)
Modern Two-Way Cable Modem Systems	72	(19)
The Intelligent Controller	73	(3)
MAC Packets	76	(1)
Sharing the Downstream and Upstream Channels	76	(4)
Scheduling, Queues, and Quality of Service	80	(5)
Multicast Services	85	(2)
Privacy	87	(2)
Plug-and-Play Cable Modems	89	(2)
Telephone Return Cable Modem	91	(1)
Summary	92	(1)
Internet Services over Cable	93	(22)
Service Provider System	94	(3)
Subscriber Provisioning	97	(7)
Manual Provisioning	98	(2)
Automatic Provisioning	100	(1)
IP Protocol Stack Configuration on the Subscriber's Computer	101	(3)
Sizing the System	104	(5)
Transmission Control Protocol Characteristics	104	(2)
Symmetric versus Asymmetric Cable Modem Systems	106	(2)
Adding Another CMTS and Node Splitting	108	(1)
Cable Modem Performance: Separating Fact from Fiction	109	(2)
Plant RF Noise	109	(1)
Capacity Allocation	110	(1)
Oversubscription	111	(1)
SONET in the Backend Network	111	(2)
Summary	113	(1)
For Further Information	113	(2)
The DOCSIS Project	115	(60)
Reference Architecture	117	(2)
Shared Media HFC Architecture	118	(1)
CM and CMTS Protocol Stacks and Data Forwarding	119	(3)
CM-Specific Forwarding Rules	121	(1)
Downstream Channel Specifications	122	(2)
Downstream Transmission Convergence Sublayer	122	(2)
Upstream Channel Specifications	124	(6)
Upstream Burst Specifications	124	(3)
Ranging and Minislot Length	127	(1)
Upstream Packet Burst Construction	128	(2)
MAC Packet Format	130	(2)
Bandwidth Allocation Architecture	132	(2)
CM Quality of Service Scheduling and Queues	134	(5)
Service Flow and Service Flow Identifier	135	(3)
Unsolicited Grant Service	138	(1)
Fragmentation	138	(1)
DOCSIS CM Initial Operation Overview	139	(1)
DOCSIS Messages	140	(13)
MAC-Specific Messages	141	(1)
Extended MAC Headers	142	(2)
MAC Management Messages	144	(9)
Baseline Privacy	153	(2)
A Closer Look at CM Initialization	155	(1)
DOCSIS and the Simple Network Management Protocol	156	(9)
Cable Device MIB	156	(2)
Radio Frequency Interface MIB	158	(7)
IP Multicast and IGMP Management	165	(5)
Quick Overview of the IGMP Protocol	166	(1)
Multicast Addressing	167	(1)
CMTS Rules for IGMP and Multicast Forwarding	168	(1)
CM Rules for IGMP and Multicast Forwarding	169	(1)
Fee, PHY, Foe, Fumble	170	(2)
Summary	172	(1)
For Further Information	172	(3)
PacketCable Overview	175	(16)
PacketCable Goals	176	(1)
PacketCable Architecture Framework	177	(12)
Multimedia Terminal Adapter and the CM	179	(1)
CMTS	180	(1)
Call Management Server	181	(1)
PSTN Gateway	181	(1)
OSS and Back-Office Components	182	(1)
Call-Signaling Interfaces	182	(3)
Media Stream Interfaces	185	(1)
QoS Interfaces	186	(1)
Security	187	(2)
Compliance Testing	189	(1)
Summary	189	(1)
For Further Information	189	(2)
Not Your Grandparent's Ethernet	191	(14)
The Socialization of Cable Modems	191	(2)
One for All, All for Ethernet	193	(5)
Ethernet Refresher Course	194	(3)
Ethernet LAN Attributes	197	(1)
Oops, There Goes the Neighborhood	198	(2)
A Megabit in Every Pot	200	(4)
Allocating Bandwidth Using Pricing Plans	202	(2)
Summary	204	(1)
Open Access over Cable	205	(38)
Defining Ideal Open Access	207	(8)
Requirement 1: Provider Selection	209	(1)
Requirement 2: Multiple Providers	210	(1)
Requirement 3: Ability to Provide	210	(1)
Requirement 4: Data Rate Allocation	211	(1)
Requirement 5: Quality of Service	211	(1)
Requirement 6: Subscriber Containment	212	(1)
Requirement 7: Provider Containment	212	(1)
Requirement 8: Link Privacy	213	(1)
Requirement 9: User Content Preservation	213	(1)
Requirement 10: Provider Address Management	213	(1)
Requirement 11: Provider Subscriber Management	214	(1)
Requirement 12: IP Dial-Tone Service	214	(1)
Summarizing Broadband Access Technologies	215	(2)
Digital Subscriber Line	215	(1)
Fiber to the Curb	215	(1)
Metropolitan Area Wireless	216	(1)
Broadband Satellite	216	(1)
Cable Television	216	(1)
Focus on the DOCSIS RFI Specification	217	(13)
Open Access at Layer 1: The Physical Layer	218	(1)
Open Access at Layer 2: The Data Link Layer	219	(4)
Open Access at Layer 3: The Network Layer	223	(7)
Technical Observations	230	(4)
Technical Cost Considerations	232	(2)
Detailing Source Address-Based Routing	234	(5)
Observations	237	(2)
Summary	239	(4)
What's Next?	240	(3)
The Vulnerability of the Home Computer Caused by the Always-on Connection	243	(8)
Overview	244	(2)
Home Computer Vulnerability	246	(4)
Threats	247	(1)
Countermeasures	247	(2)
Possible Cryptographic Solutions	249	(1)
Closed Operating Systems	250	(1)
Summary	250	(1)
Leading-Edge Topics in Broadband Communications	251	(12)
The OpenCable Project	252	(2)
Residential Gateways	254	(1)
The Explosion of Home Networks	255	(4)
What's Next?	256	(3)
The Future of IPv4	259	(2)
Summary	261	(1)
For Further Information	262	(1)
Converging Video, Voice, and High-Speed Data	263	(22)
The Concept of Shared Fabric	263	(3)
Transitioning from the Traditional Cable Network to a DOCSIS-Based Infrastructure	265	(1)
The Motivation of Multimedia Applications	266	(1)
Network Requirements for Multimedia and Interactivity	267	(5)
Existing Network Architecture	272	(1)
A Next-Generation Architecture	273	(5)
Benefits of the DOCSIS-MPEG Solution	278	(2)
A Single Transmission Protocol: DOCSIS	280	(3)
Summary	283	(2)
Glossary	285	(10)
Index	295