LTE - Long Term Evaluation (4G) ================================= .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is LTE?** * LTE is a 4th generation (4G) mobile communication standard developed by 3GPP as the evolution of UMTS. It offers significantly higher data rates, lower latency, and improved spectral efficiency. LTE uses OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) for downlink and SC-FDMA (Single Carrier FDMA) for uplink. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Why is LTE useful?** * LTE brought major advancements over UMTS, including: * Higher Data Rates – Up to 100 Mbps (DL) and 50 Mbps (UL), even higher with LTE-Advanced. * Low Latency – Round-trip times under 10 ms, enabling real-time applications. * All-IP Architecture – Voice, video, and data are all transmitted over IP. * Improved Spectral Efficiency – Better use of available bandwidth. * Scalability – Supports bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. * Seamless Handover – Between LTE and legacy networks (UMTS/GSM). .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How it works?** * UE Attachment – The device connects to the LTE network and authenticates via the MME. * Bearer Setup – The MME and Serving Gateway (SGW) establish data bearers. * Data Transmission – Data flows over the air via the eNodeB using OFDMA/SC-FDMA. * Mobility Management – The MME handles handovers and tracking area updates. * Session Termination – Bearers are released when the session ends. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Where is LTE used?** * 4G Mobile Networks – For high-speed internet, VoLTE, and streaming. * Fallback for 5G – When 5G coverage is unavailable. * IoT and M2M – Especially with LTE-M and NB-IoT variants. * Fixed Wireless Access – Broadband in rural or underserved areas. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Which OSI layer does LTE belong to?** * LTE spans multiple OSI layers, but its core control and signaling functions are implemented at Layer 3: * NAS (Non-Access Stratum) – Handles mobility and session management between UE and MME. * RRC (Radio Resource Control) – Manages radio bearers, handovers, and measurements. * GTP (GPRS Tunneling Protocol) – Used for bearer management and data tunneling. * Mobility Management Entity (MME) – Operates at Layer 3 to manage signaling and mobility. * Protocol Stack – LTE includes PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP (Layers 1–2), and RRC/NAS (Layer 3), with Layer 3 being central for control plane operations. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Is LTE Windows specific?** No, LTE (Long-Term Evolution) is not Windows specific. It is a cellular communication standard used by mobile networks and devices, independent of desktop operating systems. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Is LTE Linux specific?** No, LTE is not Linux specific. While many LTE core network implementations or open-source projects run on Linux, the LTE standard itself is platform-independent and implemented on various hardware and software platforms. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Which Transport Protocol is used by LTE?** LTE user data is carried over the **GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP)**, which runs on **UDP**. Control signaling uses **SCTP**, **UDP**, or **TCP** depending on the interface and function. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Which Port is used by LTE?** Common ports used in LTE include: - **UDP port 2152** for GTP-U (user data tunneling) - **UDP port 2123** for GTP-C (control plane) - Other ports vary depending on signaling protocols like SCTP (e.g., port 36412 for S1-MME interface) .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Is LTE using Client server model?** LTE uses a **network architecture model** involving User Equipment (UE), eNodeB (base station), and Evolved Packet Core (EPC). While some control interactions resemble client-server communications (e.g., UE requests services from EPC), LTE as a whole is a distributed cellular network system rather than a strict client-server model. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow Topics in this section, * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`LTE Version&RFC Details ` * :ref:`LTE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`LTE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 ` * :ref:`LTE Protocol Packet Details ` * :ref:`LTE Usecases ` * :ref:`LTE Basic Features ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : All-IP Network ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : High Data Rates ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : Low Latency ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : Scalable Bandwidth ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : OFDMA and SC-FDMA ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : MIMO Support ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : Seamless Mobility ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : Quality of Service (QoS) ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : Carrier Aggregation ` * :ref:`LTE Feature : Enhanced Security ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. _LTE_step1: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section * In this section, you are going to learn .. _LTE_step2: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Terminology * Terminology .. _LTE_step3: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Version Info * Version Info .. _LTE_step5: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Version&RFC Details .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_rfc_details.csv :widths: 10,10,10,30 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step20: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 * Setup .. _LTE_step21: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 * Setup .. _LTE_step6: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Protocol Packet Details **NAS Attach Request Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet1_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **NAS Authentication Request Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet2_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **RRC Connection Request Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet3_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **RRC Connection Setup Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet4_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **RRC Connection Reconfiguration Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet5_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **PDCP Data PDU Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet6_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **RLC AM Data PDU Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet7_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **MAC PDU Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet8_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **PHY Transport Block Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet9_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **GTP-U Header Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet10_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **LTE S1AP Initial UE Message Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet11_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **Diameter Authentication Info Request Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet12_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **NAS Attach Accept** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet13_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **NAS Attach Complete Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet14_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 **NAS Authentication Respose Packet** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_packet15_details.csv :widths: 10,20,30,10 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step7: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Usecases .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_usecases.csv :widths: 10,20,30 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step8: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Basic Features .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_features.csv :widths: 10,10,30 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step9: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : All-IP Network **All-IP Network - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature1_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step10: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : High Data Rates **High Data Rates - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature2_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step11: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : Low Latency **Low Latency - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature3_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step12: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : Scalable Bandwidth **Scalable Bandwidth - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature4_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step13: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : OFDMA and SC-FDMA **OFDMA and SC-FDMA - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature5_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step14: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : MIMO Support **MIMO Support - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature6_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step15: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : Seamless Mobility **Seamless Mobility - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature7_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step16: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : Quality of Service (QoS) **Quality of Service (QoS) - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature8_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step17: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : Carrier Aggregation **Carrier Aggregation - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature9_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step18: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: LTE Feature : Enhanced Security **Enhanced Security - Testcases** .. csv-table:: :file: ./LTE/LTE_feature10_test_cases.csv :widths: 10,10,30,20 :header-rows: 1 .. _LTE_step19: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Reference links * Reference links