NAME: Sathya Narayanan

Start Time: 6:15 PM EST

EL 604 - Wireless and Mobile Networking

Fall 2001
Final Exam Solution - Dec. 12, 2001
Instructions:
• Be sure to write your name on your submission.
• This is an open book test. Use your class notes, the EL604 textbook.
• Be neat. Unreadable solutions will not be graded.
• Show all the steps in your solution. Points will be awarded for correct steps.
• Number of questions: 10 multiple choice + 3 problems
• Total number of points: 35
• Total time: 2 hours
Multiple Choice Questions (10 points): More than one item may be correct or
none may be cor-rect.
Mark all correct items for each question if any. Neatly place a check mark next
to the cor-rect
answers (1 point each).
1. The purpose of the random-access MAC protocol used on the GSM air
interface is
a. to obtain a dedicated control channel
b. to obtain a voice channel
c. to send voice data
d. to receive pages
Answer: a

2. In a MAHO handoff scheme,

a. A basestation takes all measurements to determine when to perform a handoff
b. A mobile takes measurements of signals and reports back to basestations
c. The network selects the new base station
d. The mobile chooses the new base station
Answer: b, c

3. The following wireless systems use FDD:

a. NA-TDMA
b. GSM
c. AMPS
d. 802.11
Answer: a, b, c, d

4. The following wireless systems are strictly TDMA (i.e., have no FDMA or
CDMA):
a. NA-TDMA
b. GSM
c. AMPS
d. 802.11
Answer: none

5. The purpose of a WAP gateway is

a. convert analog voice to digital format
b. to enable a portable device to obtain an IP address
c. to convert HTML code into WML code
d. to send data using WAP protocols
Answer: c

6. In a network implementing mobile IP, if a mobile node discovers that it is

located in its home network,
a. it sends an Agent solicitation
b. it sends a Registration
c. it does nothing related to mobility
d. it performs decapsulation on received packets
Answer: b

7. In a public key cryptographic technique

a. The encryption key and decryption key are identical
b. The encryption key and decryption key are different
c. The decryption key is hard to compute, given only the encryption key
d. The decryption key is impossible to compute, given only the encryption key
Answer: b, c

8. Digital signatures are

a. Used for authenticating digital documents
b. Used for encrypting and authenticating digital documents
c. Often based on a public key encryption technique
d. Can never be forged as long as the signature key is kept secure
e. Are extremely difficult to forge as long as the signature key is kept secure
Answer: a, c, e

9. In a GSM system, after a first handoff from MSC-A to MSC-B, if the mobile
moves into the coverage area of a base station connected to a third MSC, MSC-
C, which of the following is true:
a. The connection is extended from MSC-B to MSC-C
b. The segment from MSC-A to MSC-B is dropped
c. A new segment is set up from MSC-A to MSC-C
d. The end-to-end connection is rerouted
Answer: b, c

10. What identifier is used to page a GSM mobile for call delivery?
a. TMSI
b. IMSI
c. MSRN
d. MSISDN
Problem 1: (10 points)
Compare GSM and IS-136 on the following measures:
1. Carrier spacing
2. Bit rate assigned per voice call in each direction
3. Frame duration (in ms)
4. Speech coding rate
5. Number of data bits (voice carrying bits) per traffic frame
Answer:
Table: Comparison of GSM and IS-136
Parameter GSM IS-136
Carrier spacing 200 Khz 30 Khz
Bit rate assigned per voice call in each 22.8 Kbps 48.6 kbps
direction in a full-rate channel
Frame duration (in ms) 26 40
Speech coding rate 13kbps 13 kbps
Number of data bits (voice carrying bits) 114 260
per traffic frame

Problem 2 (5 points):
1. Does a mobile laptop need to be programmed with the IP address of a DHCP
server to allow it to then obtain an IP address dynamically?
2. In which field of the DHCP message is the lease time carried?
3. Are the T1 and T2 timers mentioned in the state machine pre-programmed into
DHCP client and server implementations, or are these carried in DHCP
messages?
4. Does there have to be at least one DHCP server per IP subnet? If not, what
mechanism is used to provide dynamic IP addresses to hosts connecting to
subnets without DHCP servers?
5. If DHCP is used to assign a dynamic IP address to a host running a web
server, what complementary mechanism is needed to allow the web server to
serve its web pages?
Answer:
1. No
2. Lease time option
3. Carried in the DHCP options ‘renewal time value’ and ‘rebinding time
value'
4. No. DHCP relay agents (usually the IP routers) relay the DHCP request
messages for the messages to reach the DHCP server.
5. DNS – Domain Name Service – so that when a client tries to access the
server, the DNS lookup will provide the client with the current IP address
of the server.
Problem 3 (10 points):
Consider the IS41 based network shown in the figure above. Answer the
following questions:
1. What is the shortest path from MSC1 to MSC2? To determine the shortest
path, find the path whose “path metric” is the smallest. The “path metric” is the
sum of the link weights of all the links on the path.
Answer:
The shortest path is MSC1 – PSTN-C – PSTN-E – MSC2

2. If PSTN Switch B has mobility support (i.e., it has MAP software), what is the
path on which a call from 212-555-5672 to 718-555-1234 is routed? Note that the
mobile 718-555-1234 is not located in its home area.
Answer:
PSTN-B to PSTN-E to MSC2

3. For the case described in question 2 of this problem (i.e., the previous
question), describe the MAP messages used to find the mobile. Name the
messages and state the source and destination of these messages.
Answer:
 LocationQuery from PSTN-B to HLR
 RouteRequest from HLR to VLR2
 RouteRequest from VLR2 to MSC2
 Reply with TLDN from MSC2 to VLR2
 Reply from VLR2 to HLR to PSTN-B

4. If none of the PSTN Switch nodes shown in the network have mobility support,
what is the path on which the call from 212-555-5672 to 718-555-1234 is routed?
Answer:
PSTN-B to PSTN-A to MSC1 to PSTN-C to PSTN-E to MSC2

5. For the case described in question 4 (i.e., previous question), describe the
MAP mes-sages used to find the mobile. Name the messages and state the
source and destination of these messages.
 LocationQuery from MSC1 to HLR
 RouteRequest from HLR to VLR2
 RouteRequest from VLR2 to MSC2
 Reply with TLDN from MSC2 to VLR2
 Reply from VLR2 to HLR
 Reply from HLR to MSC1

6. How are the MAP messages listed in your answers to questions 3 and 5
transported, i.e., through what network? What is the type of this network?
Answer: Connect Less network – SS7 network.

7. What address format is used to send the MAP messages?

Answer: Point codes (SS7 addresses)

8. Name the top two protocol layers of the MAP messages?

Answer: TCAP and SCCP

9. How does the HLR know the current location of the mobile?
Answer: The move operation. The mobile node when it is in the 415-555 area,
sends a registration message to the MSC which gets routed to the HLR. The
HLR stores the current location of the mobile station.

10. If the HLR does not cancel the registration for the mobile 718-555-1234 at
VLR1 when the mobile moves to the 415-555 area, and none of the PSTN
switches support mobility what will happen?
Answer: The calls address to the mobile 718-555-1234 will all fail. The HLR will
direct all the calls address to the mobile to MSC1 and MSC1 will not get
response from the mobile station.

End time: 7:33 PM EST