Identify the five components of a data communications system.

The five components of a data communications system are:

Message
Sender
Receiver
Protocol
Medium

What are the advantages of distributed processing?

The advantages of distributed processing include:

Reliability
Security
Collaboration via information sharing
Faster processing due to work being distributed among several systems.

What are the three criteria necessary for an effective and efficient network?
The three criteria necessary for an effective and efficient network are:

Performance
Reliability
Security

What are the advantages of a multipoint connection over a point-to-point connection?

The advantages of a multipoint connection over a point-to-point connection are ease of installation, low cost,
reliability. A point to point connection is used for connecting 2 devices, whereas in a multipoint connection more
than 2 devices share the communication link. Therefore, multipoint connection provides more reliability.It is easier
to add more users in a multipoint connection, than creating individual connections between all users separately. This
also leads to low cabling cost and installation cost.

What are the two types of line configuration?

There are two types of line configurations: Multipoint and point to point. A multipoint line configuration connects
multiple users, while a point to point connection maintains individual connection links between all pairs of users.

Categorize the four basic topologies in terms of line configuration.

There are four basic network topologies - bus, ring, mesh and star.
Multipoint: Bus, Ring. A bus topology consists of a single cable connecting all devices in the network. Same goes for a
ring topology, where a single ring connection is used to connect all devices together. The devices communicate via
the shared cable.
Point to point: Mesh, Star. A mesh topology consists of a network of devices all connected to each other individually.
Same goes for a star topology. Each device is connected to almost every other device in this network.

What is the difference between half-duplex and full-duplex transmission modes?

In half duplex mode, both stations can transmit and receive, but only one at a time. When one station sends a
message, it cannot receive messages. In full duplex mode, both stations can transmit and receive messages
simultaneously.

Name the four basic network topologies, and cite an advantage of each type.
The four basic network topologies include bus, ring, star and mesh. The advantages of each topology are mentioned
below:
Mesh: Robust, secure, privacy, reduced traffic
Star: Robust, less expensive than mesh
Bus: Easy to install, inexpensive, less cabling
Ring: Easy to install and reconfigure, fault isolation

For n devices in a network, what is the number of cable links required for a mesh, ring, bus, and star topology?
The number of cable links required by each network topology are given below. n is the number of devices in the
network.
Mesh: n * (n-1) / 2
Ring: n
Bus: n + 1 (n for cables, 1 for backbone)
Star: n

What are some of the factors that determine whether a communication system is a LAN or WAN?
Geographical area spanned by a network determines whether it is a LAN or a WAN. A LAN, or Local Area Network,
spans a relatively smaller area, whereas a WAN, or Wide Area Network, covers a much larger area. Also, WANs have
a higher propagation delay than LANs because of the large distance to be covered.

What is an internet? What is the Internet?

The internet is a general term for an interconnected network, while the Internet refers to a specific worldwide
internetwork.

Why are protocols needed?

Protocols are set of rules and standards which are used to facilitate timely and accurate communication between
multiple devices with different configurations.

Why are standards needed?

Standards are needed to create and maintain an open and competitive market for manufacturers to coordinate
protocol rules, and thus guarantee compatibility of data communication technologies.

What is the maximum number of characters or symbols that can be represented by Unicode?
Unicode uses 32 bits, so maximum number of characters or symbols is 2^32.

A color image uses 16 bits to represent a pixel. What is the maximum number of different colors that can be
represented?
The maximum number of different colors that can be represented is 2^16.

Assume six devices are arranged in a mesh topology. How many cables are needed? How many ports are needed for
each device?
Let n be the number of connected devices in the network. Now, for mesh topology, we know the equation is no. of
cables = n * (n-1)/2 = 6 * 5 / 2 = 15 cables. Number of devices connected per device = n-1 = 5, so number of ports per
device = 5.

For each of the following four networks, discuss the consequences if a connection fails.

a. Five devices arranged in a mesh topology

No major setback to the complete network, if one connection fails, others will continue to work.

b. Five devices arranged in a star topology (not counting the hub)

Connection to that particular device is lost, others can communicate.

c. Five devices arranged in a bus topology

If the backbone connection fails, then all communication is over.

d. Five devices arranged in a ring topology

One failed connection will disable the entire network

You have two computers connected by an Ethernet hub at home. Is this a LAN, a MAN, or a WAN? Explain your
reason.
LAN, because the geographical area spanned by the network would be very small, connects two computers locally.

In the ring topology in Figure 1.8, what happens if one of the stations is unplugged?
If one station is unplugged, then the whole system would be disconnected (if no measures are in place to bypass a
station).

In the bus topology in Figure 1.7, what happens if one of the stations is unplugged?
If one of the stations is unplugged, connection to only that station will be affected.

Draw a hybrid topology with a star backbone and three ring networks.
Draw a hybrid topology with a ring backbone and two bus networks.

Performance is inversely related to delay. When you use the Internet, which of the following applications are more
sensitive to delay?
a. Sending an e-mail : Not highly sensitive to delay, once a message is sent, it remains in the inbox for a while
b. Copying a file : Not very sensitive to delay either.
c. Surfing the Internet : It is sensitive to delay, as it is an interactive application and users demand immediate results.

When a party makes a local telephone call to another party, is this a point-to-point or multipoint connection? Explain
your answer.
When a party makes a local telephone call to another party, it will be a point to point connection because it is a local
call between only two parties.

Compare the telephone network and the Internet. What are the similarities? What are the differences?
Similarities: 2-way communication, wired/wireless capabilities.
Differences: Internet has file sharing system, voice and video chat, telephone enables only voice communication.
Telephone-circuit switched network, Internet-packet switched network
Review Questions

1. For n devices in a network, what is the number of cable links required for a mesh, ring, bus, and star topology?
Ans: n(n-1)/2 cable link are required for mesh, n for ring, n-1 cable link for bus, and n cable link for star topology.
2. What is the difference between half-duplex and full-duplex transmission modes?
Ans: In half-duplex mode, each station can both transmit and receive, but not at the same time.When one device is
sending, the other can only receive,and vice versa. Like walkie-talkies.
In full-duplex mode, both station can transmit and receive simultaneously. Like telephone network.
3. What are some of the factors that determine whether a communication system is a LAN or WAN?
Ans: Size and Coverage of area determine whether a communication system is LAN or WAN. A LAN normally covers
an area less than 2 mile, a WAN can be worldwide.
4. Identify the five components of a data communications system?
Ans: A data communications system has five components-(i) Message, (ii) Sender, (iii) Receiver, (iv)Transmission
medium, (v) Protocol.
5. What are the advantages of a multipoint connection over point-to-point connection?
Ans: In a multipoint environment, the capacity of the channel is shared, either spatially or temporally. If several
devices can use the link simultaneously, it is a spatially shared connection. If users must take turns, it is a timeshared
connection.
6. Why are standard needed?
Ans: Standard are essential in creating and maintaining an open and competitive market for equipment
manufacturers and in guaranteeing national and international interoperability of data and telecommunications
technology and processes. Standard provide guidelines to manufacturers, vendors, government agencies, and other
service providers to ensure the kind of interconnectivity necessary in today's marketplace and in international
communications.
7. What are the advantages of distributed processing?
Ans: Most networks use distributed processing, in which a task is divided among multiple computers. Instead of one
single large machine being responsible for all aspects of a process,separate computers (usually a personal computer
or workstation) handle a subset.
8. Name the four basic network topologies, and cite advantage of each type.
Ans:
Bus Topology: Easy installation, less cabling, easy expandation etc.
Ring Topology: Less effort in adding or removing devices, simple fault isolation.
Star Topology: Less expensive than mesh, robustness etc.
Mesh Topology: Robustness, present of privacy and security.
9. What is an internet? What is the Internet?
Ans: When two or more networks are connected, they become an internetwork, or internet.
The most notable internet is called the Internet, a collaboration of more than hundreds of thousands of
interconnected networks. Private individuals as well as various organizations such as government agencies, schools,
research facilities, corporation, and libraries in more than 100 countries use the internet.
10. What are the two types of line configuration?
Ans: Point to point and Multipoint.
11. What are the three criteria necessary for an effective and efficient network?
Ans: Performance, Reliability, Security.
12. Why are protocols needed?
Ans: In computer networks, communication occurs between entities in different systems. An entity is anything
capable of sending or receiving information. However, two entities can not simply send bit streams to each other
and expect to be understood. For communication to occur, the entities must agree on a protocol.
13. Categorize the four basic topologies in terms of line configuration.
Ans:
Point to point- mesh and star.
Multi point- bus and ring.
Exercises

14. What is the maximum number of characters or symbols that can be represented by Unicode?
Ans: The code can define up to 2^(32) (4,294,967,296) characters or symbols.
15. A color image uses 16 bits to represent a pixel. What is the maximum number of different colors that can be
represented?
Ans: The number of different colors you can represent with 16 bits is 216, or about 65k colors.
16. Assume six devices are arranged in a mesh topology. How many cables are needed? How many ports are needed
for each device?
Ans: Cables needed (6*5)/2 = 15 and,
Each device needs to be connected to 5 other devices. So, each device needs to have 5 ports. Six devices times five
ports equals 30 total ports.
17. For each of the following four networks, discuss the consequences if a connection fails.
a. Five devices arranged in a mesh topology,
Ans: Mesh is high redundancy. Only one device would be disconnected if all the connections were to fail for that
device. You can have many connections to other devices thats why its less likely to fail. The only cause for failure at
this point is really the power and if you just don't have any. Even if one of the connections between two devices fail
there is no effect on network and they can still communicate through other channels.
b. Five devices arranged in a star topology (not counting the hub),
Ans: Star runs to a central device like a switch, so if the switch itself fails then the whole network will be
disconnected.
c. Five devices arranged in a bus topology,
Ans: Bus runs in a straight line from one network device to another. So if one gets disconnect then the all the devices
connected down the line get disconnect.
d. Five devices arranged in a ring topology.
Ans. Ring is like a bus except it connects back onto itself. So if one device fails they all fail. The exception is if there is
a redundant inside ring like that used in FDDI (fiber ring) then if both get disconnect from one device then they all
do.
18. You have two computers connected by an Ethernet hub at home. Is this a LAN, a MAN, or a WAN? Explain your
reason.
Ans: This is a LAN (Local Area Network). A WAN is a Wide Area Network that typically connects machines that are
geographically remote. A Man is a Metropolitan Area Network - that connects together all machines in an
enterprise, campus or town.
19. In the ring topology in Figure 1.8, what happens if one of the stations is unplugged?
Ans: The network would stop functioning because the token has to pass through each station in the ring.
20. In the bus topology in Figure 1.7, what happens if one of the stations is unplugged?
Ans: From that station rest all will stop functioning.
21. Draw a hybrid topology with a star backbone and three ring networks.
Ans: topology-with-a-Star-backbone-connecting-three-ring-networks.gif
22. Draw a hybrid topology with a ring backbone and two bus networks.
Ans: ring-backbone-with-two-bus-network.jpg
23. Performance is inversely related to delay. When you use the Internet, which of the following applications are
more sensitive to delay?
a. Sending an e-mail
b. Copying a file
c. Surfing the Internet
Ans: It is true that performance is inversely proportional to delay.
Sending an email is more sensitive to delay than copying a file and surfing the internet.Because E-mailing may be
interrupted due to high latency, but can always assume as soon as the server is performing again, without user
interaction.
Copying a file is less sensitive to delay than surfing the web and sending an e-mail.
Surfing the web is not so much affected by delay because due to effect of latency on surfing the net.
24. When a party makes a local telephone call to another party, is this a point-to-point or multipoint connection?
Explain your answer.
Ans: It is Point-to-Point connection because multipoint connection needs more than two end points.
25. Compare the telephone network and the Internet. What are the similarities? What are the differences?
Ans: Both are the ways of Communications, Both can be make by wires/wireless. Both are capable to two way traffic
of signals.Internet allows us to share our files with our Friends while telephone don't. Video chat is being used by
people who has the access to internet, but it isn't possible through telephone.