U2Ch1L5_ Packets

Purpose: Students will see that all information on the internet is broken into smaller chunks called packets and reassembled at the destination.
Vocabulary: TCP, UDP.

Journal: The school library is moving all its books to brand new facility on the other side of the campus. They have hired you to remove the books.

• Scenario #1:  You and your partner have one day to remove all the books and place them in storage. Develop a plan.
• Scenario #2: You and your partner have several days to remove all the books and then  check to make sure every book makes it to the new facility and place them on the same shelf they were on prior to the move. Develop a plan.

Activity: Log On to the Internet Simulator (U2Ch1L5_Packets) Handout

Guidelines:

• Messages/Packets are limited to at most eight (8) ASCII characters.
• Packets will be dropped.
• Packets will arrive out of order

Practice Round:

• Join a different Router than your partner. Share your IP address.d
• Using the IS, ask your partner a question (Favorite Food, Movie, etc.)
• At the end of the Practice Round - Partners should write a Protocol to make transmission of the messages more efficient.

Begin I.S. Protocol #1 – Just Send All The Packets. (UDP)

• Partners, send a message to each other - Minimum 10 packets. Follow the Handout.
• Discuss & Refine Protocols.

Competition: Protocol #2 – Check For Errors. (TCP)

• The message you send and return data must be accurate.
  • I handed a partner a post it with the following question: "What is the first name of your parents."
  • The received reply must be at least 5 packets.
  • Partner 1 must write the two names down.

Journal: We just experienced how frustrating it is to chop messages/files into smaller packets when sending them across the internet. Why is this such a valuable process for the success of the internet though? (pipes/rocks/sand)

Video: The Internet: Packets, Routing and Reliability.