Tutorial #15
- What is a leased line? Why is this considered an outmoded
term nowadays?
- What is meant by the term peering in the context of
Internet Network Providers?
- In the diagram in the lecture,
which of the links constitute peering relationships and which are
"provider-client" relationships?
- Describe a path (or route -- ie, a sequence of two or more links)
through the given diagram over which packets would ordinarily be
expected to flow. Now describe a route over which packets would
not, as a matter of commercial policy, be expected to flow. Discuss.
- What is a POP in the context of Internet Service
Providers?
- In the
lecture it was mentioned that Australia was one of the few markets where
Internet access charges included either a data volume charge and/or a monthly
"cap" on downloads. This was contrasted with, for example, the USA where
access has traditionally been charged purely on "pipesize". Explain what each
of these terms mean, and discuss the issues involved.
Note:
this may be changing, and it seems that USA pricing will possibly converge
with the Australian model over the next few years.
- As mentioned in the
lecture, Telstra in Australia separates costing for "Basic Carrier
service" from that for "Internet Service" for full-time ("Always On")
Internet access.
- What is meant by the term "Basic Carriage Service" (sometimes called a
Telecommunications Service) and why does Telstra separate
it from Internet service?
- It's possible to purchase (in some Australian capital cities) an "always
on" Internet service from (eg) http://www.optushome.com.au/, a
competitor of Telstra, which doesn't separate the Basic Carrier service from
the Internet service in the same way as Telstra does. Why/how can they do
this? Discuss.
- What is the attraction of using a modem for full-time business Internet
access? What are some likely disadvantages?
- What is the difference between ADSL and SDSL Internet access technologies?
Which of these is likely to be more appropriate for home Internet access, and
which for business access, and why?
- What is the difference between a frame relay
telecommunications service and an ISDN service at the same "port speed" --
say, 2Mbps (E1)?
- Research: One characteristic of a full-time business connection to the
Internet is (at least one) static IP. Discover what this
means, and why it is (usually) necessary. What is the alternative, and why is
it considered acceptable for home access?
Copyright © 2003 by Philip
Scott, La Trobe University.