Zeroize: A New Method to Improve the Utilization of 5G Networks When Running VoIP over IPv6
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The paper describes a simple protocol modification to overload the IP header of VoIP packets with data and save bandwidth over 5G. While the solution is elementary and certainly can reduce bandwidth, there are some important considerations that the paper omits:
1) Most current VoIP codecs are extremely efficient, achieving high compression rates (a voice stream is 2.5 kb/s with LPC). Since voice is today a minor contribution to the global Internet and 5G traffic, there is not much point in reducing very much bandwidth here.
2) Replacing the unused IP headers with data is straightforward, but changes the semantics of the E2E protocols, and c clearly interferes with implementation, SDN-based networks, firewalls, etc. This is an important issue that this manuscript neglects.
3) The Zeroize algorithm presented in Figure 2 mixes lengths in bytes and bits. It is inconsistent.
4) I do not see the point in Figures 4, 5 & 6: the bandwidth savings can be computed explicitly with simple formulas, since all the lengths are known; and the savings are directly proportional to the number of calls, evidently. The paper does not explain how the figures and data have been obtained
Author Response
Dear Sir
Paper Title: Zeroize: A new method to improve utilizing 5G networks when running VoIP over IPv6
Paper ID: asi-1348567
Thanks a lot for your comments. It helps a lot to enhance the paper. It also opens the horizon for new research papers on considering security and SDN with the proposed method.
Response to comments- Reviewer 1
The paper describes a simple protocol modification to overload the IP header of VoIP packets with data and save bandwidth over 5G. While the solution is elementary and certainly can reduce bandwidth, there are some important considerations that the paper omits:
1) Most current VoIP codecs are extremely efficient, achieving high compression rates (a voice stream is 2.5 kb/s with LPC). Since voice is today a minor contribution to the global Internet and 5G traffic, there is not much point in reducing very much bandwidth here.
Response: The proposed method is workable in all type of technologies, not only 5G. 5G is supposed here as an example and it is one of the most recent technologies. In addition, though VoIP is a minor contribution, still it is one of the key technologies that used widely. We have added some statistics about VoIP traffic size over the Internet in paragraph 2. Finally, 20% of the bandwidth is saved when using the proposed method which is impact the VoIP quality as well.
2) Replacing the unused IP headers with data is straightforward, but changes the semantics of the E2E protocols, and c clearly interferes with implementation, SDN-based networks, firewalls, etc. This is an important issue that this manuscript neglects.
Response: In general, implementing the firewall rules to deny a VoIP call is performed during the call setup by SIP or H323 VoIP signaling protocols, not during transferring the voice media data using RTP/UDP/IP protocols. In addition, the compatibility of the proposed method with the SDN-based networks was not investigated in this paper. However, the security and issues and compatibility with the SDN-based networks of the proposed method will be investigated in future works, as stated in the conclusion.
3) The Zeroize algorithm presented in Figure 2 mixes lengths in bytes and bits. It is inconsistent.
Response: Figure 2 has been modified: Line 1, Line 16, and Line 17
4) I do not see the point in Figures 4, 5 & 6: the bandwidth savings can be computed explicitly with simple formulas, since all the lengths are known; and the savings are directly proportional to the number of calls, evidently. The paper does not explain how the figures and data have been obtained.
Response: the simulation and the simulated network topology have been clarified in Section 4.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Please consider to provide the following:
-some more explanation on the pseudocode of Zeroize Methods, Figure 2 , p5
-short description of the main characteristics of both methods, SVF, ZSP and their similarities with the Zeroize method p.6, line 210
-explanation as of why the SVF,ZSP methods are the same in Figure 6.
-an example with the SVF and ZSP methods that shows their consuming behavior that burden the network
Author Response
Dear Sir
Paper Title: Zeroize: A new method to improve utilizing 5G networks when running VoIP over IPv6
Paper ID: asi-1348567
Thanks a lot for your comments. It helps a lot to enhance the paper quality.
Response to comments- Reviewer 2
Please consider to provide the following:
-Some more explanation on the pseudocode of Zeroize Methods, Figure 2 , p5
Response: more explanation on the pseudocode (Figure 2) is added to section 3.3.
-Short description of the main characteristics of both methods, SVF, ZSP and their similarities with the Zeroize method p.6, line 210
Response: The key similarities that are related to this work is added.
-Explanation as of why the SVF,ZSP methods are the same in Figure 6.
Response: explanation as of why the SVF and ZSP methods are the same is added in section 4.1.
-An example with the SVF and ZSP methods that shows their consuming behavior that burden the network
Response: More explanation on how SVF and ZSP methods burden the network has been added in Section 4.2.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
The Abstract for the paper is well articulated. The Introduction should be expounded upon, as is seems disjointed from the Abstract. Moreover, there should be an actual introduction to the various sections of the paper. The last couple sentences should be cleaned up as either a paragraph rather than just dangling; perhaps, the first paragraph of this section should be broken up. The proposed system of Section III seems truncated. Perhaps, the features should have a descriptor as to the value-added proposition; some features are not relevant for the paper (and not elaborated upon). The technical components of the project are fairly well delineated in Section IV, but a block diagram architecture would be very helpful. The Results of Section V should be re-examined; in its current form, the relevance to the paper and interpretation is not clear.
Author Response
Dear Sir
Paper Title: Zeroize: A new method to improve utilizing 5G networks when running VoIP over IPv6
Paper ID: asi-1348567
Thanks a lot for your comments. It helps a lot to enhance the paper quality.
Response to comments- Reviewer 3
The Abstract for the paper is well articulated. The Introduction should be expounded upon, as it seems disjointed from the Abstract. Moreover, there should be an actual introduction to the various sections of the paper. The last couple sentences should be cleaned up as either a paragraph rather than just dangling; perhaps, the first paragraph of this section should be broken up. The proposed system of Section III seems truncated. Perhaps, the features should have a descriptor as to the value-added proposition; some features are not relevant for the paper (and not elaborated upon). The technical components of the project are fairly well delineated in Section IV, but a block diagram architecture would be very helpful. The Results of Section V should be re-examined; in its current form, the relevance to the paper and interpretation is not clear.
Response: The introduction section has been enhanced as required. The last paragraph has been enlarged to deliver the contribution and the value of the paper. A block diagram architecture (Figure 3) has been added to help to understand the proposed method. As for the result section, the main aim of the proposed method is to enhance bandwidth utilization. Two metrics are used to measure the bandwidth utilization: Channel Capacity and Apportioned Bandwidth Reduction. However, we have elaborated the result discussion wherever needed.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
This revised version of the manuscript contains a few corrections and improvements which are appreciated. The writing is more clear and the pseudocode of the proposed method is now correct. Unfortunately, other issues persist and have not been addressed:
1) Overloading the header fields of IPv6 (or any other protocol) changes its semantics. While this may be acceptable or justified in some cases, it should be accompanied by a discussion of how other network boxes/end points or protocols could be affected by this design.
2) The pseudocode for reusing the source address field with voice samples is totally deterministic. Therefore, the bandwidth saving is perfectly calculable with a very simple formula.
3) The motivation for this work is still weak, in my opinion. VoIP uses very low bandwidth (a few kb/s) and accounts for a limited fraction of the current Internet traffic so, even if its overhead is high, savings in aggregated bandwidth will not be large. Redesigning a protocol for providing some compression is not hard, but it is not realistic either. Thus, the benefits in doing it should be strong and significant in order to adopt the changed protocol, which I'm not sure is so in this case.
Author Response
Dear Sir,
Response to comments is attached.
Regards,
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Thank you for these revisions. The logical flow is much improved. Please consider expounding a bit more at the Conclusion; otherwise, thank you for an improved read.
Author Response
Dear Sir,
Response to comments is attached.
Regards,
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 3
Reviewer 1 Report
After substantial rewriting and editing, the manuscript has improved its presentation. The technical contributions is marginal and has not been enhanced through the review process yet the paper has not technical flaws.
Author Response
Dear Sir
Paper Title: Zeroize: A new method to improve utilizing 5G networks when running VoIP over IPv6
Paper ID: asi-1348567
Thanks a lot for your comments.
Response to comments- Reviewer 1
After substantial rewriting and editing, the manuscript has improved its presentation. The technical contributions is marginal and has not been enhanced through the review process yet the paper has not technical flaws.
Response: Section 4.1 has been expanded to provide a mathematical equation that finds the bandwidth needed by each call.
Regards,
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
