Non-IP Networking: Working, KPIs, Protocols, Benefits

Introduction: In a world dominated by Internet Protocol (IP) networks, a different approach is gaining traction: Non-IP networking. Instead of relying on traditional IP packet formats and routing, this paradigm uses alternative protocols and simplified addressing to deliver highly efficient and low latency communication. Whether in industrial automation, constrained IoT devices or future 5G/6G use cases, non-IP networking promises streamlined flows, reduced overhead and stronger performance for targeted applications.

What is Non-IP Networking?

Non-IP Networking (NIN) is an emerging networking technology designed to overcome the limitations of the traditional TCP/IP suite. It represents a fundamental shift in how data is transmitted, aiming to provide a more efficient, secure and flexible communication framework for the demanding applications of the future.

At its core, Non-IP Networking is not reliant on the packet formats or protocols of the ubiquitous Internet Protocol (IP). While the current internet, built on TCP/IP, has been remarkably successful, its “one size fits all” datagram approach is facing challenges in meeting the stringent requirements of new technologies for mobility, security, privacy, efficient bandwidth use and ultra low latency.

How Non-IP Networking Works

The current IP network uses a datagram model, where each data packet is treated independently and contains all the necessary addressing information to be routed to its destination. While this offers flexibility, it can be inefficient for real-time applications and creates overhead.

In contrast, many Non-IP networking proposals are based on a virtual circuit or flow based model. Following steps describe how non-IP networking works.

• Step-1 : Flow Establishment: Before any data is transmitted, a dedicated path is established between sender and receiver.
• Step-2 : Simplified packet header: Once flow is established, individual data packets no longer need to carry extensive header information with source and destination addresses. Instead, they contain a simpler identifier that associates them with the pre-established flow.
• Step-3 : Per-flow decision making: Network devices like switches and routers make forwarding decisions on a per flow basis rather than a per packet basis. This significantly reduces the processing load on these devices. Example: all packets belonging to a live video stream will follow the same predetermined path, ensuring consistent and timely delivery.
• Step-4 : Control & User Plane Separation: Non-IP networking places a greater emphasis on the control plane for managing tasks like routing and addressing. This separation from the user plane (which carries the actual data) allows for more efficient traffic management and automated network configuration.

Key Technologies and Protocols

Several protocols and architectures have been explored, some of them are as follows.

• Flexilink : It embeds a label in the packet header which acts as an index to the routing table. It simplifies packet forwarding. It operates on the principle of treating a stream of packets as a “flow” and sends routing information separately from the data packets, which significantly reduces packet size.
• Non-Access Stratum (NAS): It has been utilized in LTE and applicable to 5G. NAS protocol is suitable for transporting small amounts of non-IP data.
• Recursive Inter-Network Architecture (RINA): It is more streamlined compared to TCP/IP. It requires less routing and offers enhanced Quality of Service (QoS), security and mobility features.

Advantages of Non-IP Networking

Following are some of the benefits of Non-IP Networking.

1. It offers reduced overhead and increased efficiency by simplifying packet headers and offloading routing decisions to the control plane.
2. It offers enhanced security as it does not rely on user plane addressing unlike current IP based internet which is vulnerable to threats such as DoS (Denial of Service) attacks.
3. It offers improved mobility as it’s architecture can better accommodate the mobility of modern devices by making network connections less dependent on a fixed IP addresses.
4. It offers deterministic performance for applications such as industrial robotics and remote surgery. virtual circuit model of Non-IP networking can provide the deterministic and ultra-reliable data flows as required by these applications.

Example Use Case

A typical VSAT network architecture can be split into two distinct parts:

1. The Terrestrial Network (IP-Based)
2. The Satellite Space Segment (Often Non-IP)

Why Non-IP Protocols are Used for the Satellite Link ?

1. Bandwidth Efficiency and Overhead Reduction : Standard TCP/IP uses 40 bytes or more header. VSAT systems use proprietary link-layer protocols with much smaller headers.Such proprietary protocols are suitable for sending small, frequent packets of data.
2. Latency Mitigation (TCP Spoofing) : Round Trip Time (i.e. latency) of geostationary satellite link is about 500-600 ms. Such high latency leads to network congestion and slows down its transmission rate.To combat this, VSAT uses PEPs (Performance Enhancing Proxies) or TCP spoofing. The technique isolates terrestrial path from satellite space segment to keep the data flow at high speed. In this technique, Hub acknowledges TCP packets locally on behalf of remote client. Hub then uses own non-IP latency optimized protocol to send data over satellite to VSAT link. Similarly VSAT does the same thing in reverse.
3. Media Access Control : In VSAT, hundreds or thousands of terminals must share same bandwidth of satellite. Standard IP does not provide any mechanism to manage this efficiently. VSAT systems use sophisticated non-IP medium access control (MAC) schemes like TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access). It assigns specific time slots or frequency channels to each VSATs and prevents collisions and ensures fair accesss. This is layer-2 function that operates independent of IP protocols.
4. Prioritization and Quality of Service (QoS) : VSAT networks often carry a mix of traffic (voice, video, data). The hub uses non-IP mechanisms to identify and prioritize traffic over the satellite link, ensuring that real time applications like VoIP get the best performance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Following are some of the major KPIs used in Non-IP Networking.

1. Latency (End to End Delay): The time it takes for a data packet to travel from its source to its destination. It is a critical factor for applications requiring real-time interaction and control.
2. Jitter (Delay Variation): The variation in latency over time. Low jitter is crucial for smooth and stable real time applications like audio, video and haptic feedback.
3. Reliability: The probability of successful data packet delivery within a specified time frame. It is often expressed as a percentage of successfully delivered packets or in terms of “nines” (e.g., 99.999%).
4. Throughput: The rate at which data can be successfully transmitted over a communication channel, typically measured in bits per second (bps).
5. Packet Loss Rate: The percentage of data packets that fail to reach their destination. For critical applications, this rate must be extremely low.
6. Scalability: The ability of the network to handle a growing number of connected devices and increasing data traffic without a degradation in performance.
7. Header Overhead: The proportion of a data packet’s size that is used for control and addressing information rather than the actual data payload. NIN aims to dramatically reduce this.
8. Power Consumption: The amount of energy consumed by network interfaces and devices. This is a critical KPI for battery powered IoT devices.
9. Security: The ability of the network to protect data from unauthorized access, modification, or disruption. NIN architectures often aim to build security in by design rather than as an add-on.

Application specific KPIs versus Limit/Requirement

Summary: Non-IP networking offers a compelling alternative to legacy IP based systems, particularly when ultra-low latency, minimal overhead and specialized protocol stacks are required.