Cable Networks

Contents
1. Cable network architecture 2. Cable network protocol stacks 3. Cable network physical layer 4. Cable MAC 5. Link layer security 6. CM Procedure after boot up

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Peter R. Egli 2013

1 Rev. 2.60

Cable Networks
1. Cable Network architecture (1/2)
Coaxial feeder cable LHE

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FN
LHE Coaxial drop cable Fibre RHE Tap Fibre trunk

c
CPE interface

FN

LHE CATV
CMTS

LHE
AS

c
CM Coax splitter (HP-filter) Bidir. amp.

FN

PSTN

DHCP TFTP DNS syslog Server Server Server Server

CM Cable Modem CMTS Cable Modem Termination System RHE Regional Head End RFI Radio Frequency Interface HFC Hybrid Fibre Coax AS Application Servers (SMTP etc.)

NSI

Internet

FN
Peter R. Egli 2013

CATV Cable TV LHE Local Head End NSI Network System Interface CPCI Cable Modem to CPE Interface FN Fibre Node
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Cable Networks
1. Cable Network architecture (2/2)

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Traditional cable networks were targeted at TV distribution only (broadcast TV signals to customer). As cable networks were one-way only (signals only from cable HE to customer) they were unsuited for 2-way data service. In earlier days the upstream (from customer to HE) was realized with dial-up phone lines but this proved not a viable solution. In order to offer 2-way data service on a cable network additional infrastructure is required (2-way amplifiers etc.).
Cable networks have tree-and-branch topology: the coax cables are simply branched for hooking up subscribers (homes). This means that a cable network is a shared medium (all signals always present on the entire network). Amplifiers need to be installed at regular intervals (distances) to regenerate the signals. Up to 35 amplifiers can be cascaded thus affording wide geographical coverage. In the course of upgrading traditional TV-distribution networks to 2-way data networks digital signaling and fiber trunks were introduced. This resulted in a combined fiber-coax infrastructure (HFC: Hybrid Fiber Coax; fiber between HE and fiber nodes and coax cables = feeder cables to individual homes). 2-way Cable networks (CMTS) provide an extended Ethernet network that can span up to 100 miles. Cable network standards: a. DOCSIS (US) / Euro DOCSIS (ETSI ES 201 488): Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification b. PacketCable: standard for VoIP on cable, QoS etc. c. IEEE 802.14: IEEEs effort for a Data over cable standard; abandoned in favor of DOCSIS.
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Cable Networks
2. Cable network protocol stacks

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IP layer is used only for configuration (DHCP, TFTP, SNMP management access to CM).
User data is bridged by CM (no routing).

Client
App. UDP IP LLC MAC PHY LLC MAC

CM
DHCP / TFTP / SNMP UDP IP Bridging LLC Link Sec. MAC PHY PHY LLC Link Sec. MAC PHY

CMTS
DHCP / TFTP / SNMP UDP IP

Server
App. UDP IP LLC Data Link PHY MAC PHY

CPE interface

Cable network RFI

CMTS NSI

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Cable Networks
3. Cable network physical layer

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Down- and upstream use TDM access: frequency access is divided into timeslots (interval) and temporarily assigned to modems (dynamic timeslot allocation managed by CMTS).
Data rates downstream (to customer): QAM64 QAM256 6MHz 31.2MBit/s 41.6MBit/s 8MHz 41.4MBit/s 55.2MBit/s One 2MHz QAM16 or QPSK upstream channel yields about 0.5-10Mbit/s

Upstream and downstream bandwidth is typically shared by 500-2000 subscribers. With cable equipment becoming cheaper the number of customers per LHE is falling. Noisy band (noise aggregated in upstream direction)

2MHz upstream (= to HE)

6MHz (US) / 8MHz (EU) downstream (= to customer)

not to scale

5MHz
Peter R. Egli 2013

42MHz

54MHz

6/8MHz channels

f[Hz] 865MHz
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Cable Networks
4. Cable MAC (Media Access Control) (1/2)

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Cable networks use TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) as MAC protocol (CM and CMTS are synchronised). The synchronization is necessary since cable networks span large distances and thus a simple collision detection algorithm like Ethernet MAC can not be used.
The upstream channel is divided into mini-slots (time division). There are 3 types of time slots: a. Ranging b. Contention c. Reserved (for ordinary data transmission)

Before transmitting the CM requests a channel by sending a Req frame indicating the amount of data to be transmitted; the CMTS responds with a Grant frame.
CMTS runs a Bandwidth allocation algorithm (fair share among CMs, maybe prioritizing certain classes of service, e.g. voice). The CMTS sends an upstream bandwidth allocation map message to the CMs indicating when which CM may transmit data (1 entry per CM indicating allowed transmit duration). When sending Req frames, CMs apply a truncated binary backoff algorithm like in Ethernet to resolve possible contentions with other CMs (multiple Reqs may collide): if a grant is not received the CM tries again after an random timeout that is exponentially increasing.
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Cable Networks
4. Cable MAC (Media Access Control) (2/2)
Cable MAC frame format:
User data frame:
1 FC 1 MAC-PARM LEN 2 HCS 2 64-1518 Ethernet Frame

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SA

DA

Type/Len

User Data

FCS

Req frame:
1
FC

1
MAC-PARM SID

2
HCS

FC Frame Control SID Service Identifier DA Destination Address

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MAC-PARM MAC Parameter HCS Header Check Sum SA Source Address

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Cable Networks
5. Link layer security

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Since cable networks are shared networks (logical bus), link layer encryption is required to achieve wire equivalent privacy (privacy equivalent to dedicated wires for each customer).
Link layer security/privacy encrypts both up- and downstream data (DES Data Encryption Standard).

Logical Link Control LLC IEEE 802.2:

LLC is sometimes used between layer 3 (IP) and MAC (layer 2) to provide: a. Standard interface and frame format to layer 2 irrespective of the MAC used (802.3, 802.5 Token Ring, 802.4 Token Bus, 802.6 MAN, 802.11 WLAN, cable networks): b. Error-control and flow-control for data link layer. Three modes exist: 1. Unreliable datagram service (just like plain-vanilla Ethernet) 2. Acknowledged datagram service 3. Reliable connection-oriented service
IP IP packet

Data Link Layer

LLC MAC

LLC MAC LLC

IP packet IP packet MAC

Phys.
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Cable Networks
6. CM Procedure after boot up (1/2)

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1. Scanning: Cable modem scans for available downstream channels to synchronise with (CMTS sends synchronisation broadcast frames as a timing reference).
2. Receive upstream parameters: The cable modem receives the upstream parameters and informs the CMTS of its presence. 3. Ranging (frame synchronization CM with CMTS): a. 3 consecutive time slots are reserved for ranging. b. The cable modem sends in the second of the three time slots (1st and 3rd timeslots are gaps to ensure that ranging burst does not collide with data in other time slots). c. CMTS measures CMs transmission and instructs CM to adjust its internal clock. Ranging is necessary due to physical distance between the CM and the CMTS (delay, varying attenuation levels). d. CMTS informs the CM of upstream and downstream frequencies.

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Cable Networks
6. CM Procedure after boot up (2/2)

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4. CM acquires an IP address by DHCP and a TFTP server address along with the name of the configuration file.
5. The CM downloads its configuration from the TFTP server. 6. The CMTS checks that the CM received the configuration from a legitimate TFTP server. 7. Link security: exchange of keys for encryption. 8. The CM registers with the CMTS. 9. CMTS assigns a SID (Service Identifier) to the CM and authorizes the CM to send traffic onto the network.

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