JAYASAKTHI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(Approved by AICTE & Affiliated to AnnaUniversity,Chennai)

St. Mary’s Nagar Thiruninravur,Chennai- 602 024

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Question Bank
Year / Sem: III Yr / V Sem CS3591 computer networks

UNIT I

PART-A (2 marks)

1. Define protocol in networking.

2. What is the purpose of layering in the protocol architecture?
3. List the layers of the TCP/IP Protocol Suite.
4. What are the different layers of the OSI Model?
5. Differentiate between TCP and UDP.
6. What is the function of the Application Layer in the OSI Model?
7. Define socket. Why is it important in networking?
8. Mention any two functions of the HTTP protocol.
9. What is the role of DNS in networking?
10. Differentiate between POP3 and IMAP email protocols.
11. What is the purpose of the SMTP protocol?
12. Explain the use of MIME in email communication.
13. What is the importance of the SNMP protocol in networks?
14. How does FTP differ from HTTP?
15. What is the significance of port numbers in networking?
16. Define encapsulation in the context of the TCP/IP model.
17. What is the purpose of flow control in data transmission?
18. How does IPv4 differ from IPv6?
19. What is a protocol data unit (PDU)?
20. What are protocol suites? Give an example.
21. Define the term bandwidth in the context of network communication.
22. What is a MAC address, and where is it used?
23. Differentiate between connection-oriented and connectionless services.
24. What is a domain name? How is it different from an IP address?
25. Explain the purpose of a subnet mask in IP addressing.
26. What does ICMP stand for, and what is its purpose?
27. What is the significance of the transport layer in the TCP/IP model?
28. Define congestion control in TCP. Why is it important?
29. Mention the role of IP addressing in networking.
30. Differentiate between peer-to-peer and client-server architecture.
31. What is the purpose of a firewall in network security?
 32. Explain the term URL and its components.
33. What is the role of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) in a network?
34. Define multicasting in network communication.
35. What is the difference between stateless and stateful protocols?
36. What is TLD (Top-Level Domain) in DNS?
37. Explain the purpose of the checksum in TCP.
38. What is a socket address, and how is it formed?
39. What is a network layer in the OSI model responsible for?
40. Define cross layer design in communication networks

PART-B (13) marks

1. Explain the OSI Model in detail, discussing each layer's functions and protocols.
2. Compare and contrast the OSI Model and the TCP/IP Model with respect to design,
1. functionality, and layering.
2. 3.Describe the TCP/IP protocol suite in detail, including the functions of each layer and
the major protocols involved.
3. What is a socket? Explain different types of sockets (stream and datagram) with
examples.
4. Explain the working of the HTTP protocol in web communications, with an example of
an HTTP request and response.
5. Describe the FTP protocol in detail, highlighting its connection modes (active and
passive) and file transfer mechanism.
6. Discuss the DNS protocol in detail, explaining how it converts domain names to IP
addresses, and the hierarchical structure of DNS.
7. Compare SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocols in terms of functionality, use case, and
working in email systems.
8. Explain MIME and its importance in enhancing email protocols to support multimedia
content.
9. Describe the working of the SNMP protocol, including its architecture, agents, and the
management information base (MIB).
10. Explain the process of encapsulation and decapsulation in the TCP/IP protocol suite with
an example.
11. Write short notes on: a) IPv4 vs. IPv6
b) DNS Query Process
c) Three-Way Handshake in TCP
12. Discuss the role of the application layer in the TCP/IP model with examples of protocols
used in real-world applications.
13. Compare TCP and UDP protocols, discussing their key differences and typical
applications where each is used.
14. Discuss how error detection and correction is handled in the TCP/IP model, mentioning
the role of protocols like TCP and ICMP.
15. Explain the concept of protocol layering and how it helps in network communication.
Use examples from both the OSI and TCP/IP models.
16. Discuss the layers of the OSI model and how data is passed through these layers from
source to destination.
17. Describe the socket programming interface. Explain the process of creating a TCP
client-server application using socket programming.
18. Discuss the working of DNS. How does it resolve a domain name into an IP address?
What are the different types of DNS records?
19. Write in detail about TCP/IP encapsulation and the concept of datagram and segments in
network communication.
20. Compare and contrast FTP and HTTP protocols in terms of working mechanisms,
connection types, and use cases.
21. Explain how POP3, IMAP, and SMTP work together in an email system. Illustrate the
flow of an email from sender to recipient.
22. Discuss SNMP architecture and explain how SNMP is used for network management.
What are the roles of the agent and manager?
23. Explain the three-way handshake in TCP and the connection termination process. Why
is it necessary to have these mechanisms?
24. Describe MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). How does it extend the
capability of the SMTP protocol to handle non-text content in emails?
25. Explain the transport layer services provided by TCP and UDP. When should you
choose one over the other?
26. Discuss the advantages and limitations of the OSI model compared to the TCP/IP model.
Why is the TCP/IP model preferred in real-world networks?
27. Explain the process of packet switching in a network. Compare it with circuit switching.
28. Describe how the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) works in assigning IP
addresses automatically.
29. Explain the differences between IPv4 and IPv6 addressing schemes. Why is there a need
for IPv6?

PART-C (15) marks

1. Given a scenario, where a client sends a request to download a file from an FTP server.
Draw and explain the interaction between the client and server using the FTP protocol.
2. Consider a case where a user tries to open a website. Explain the complete process
from the moment the user enters the URL till the webpage is loaded, including DNS
resolution, HTTP request-response, and TCP/IP protocol involvement.
3. Analyze the communication process between an email client and an email server using
SMTP and IMAP protocols. Draw the interaction diagram and explain each step.
4. Assume a packet travels across multiple networks. Describe how the packet moves
through the layers of the TCP/IP model, detailing the process of encapsulation and
decapsulation at each hop.
5. You are tasked with monitoring a network's performance. Describe how you would
use the SNMP protocol to gather and manage network performance data. What kind of
information would you retrieve, and how would you analyze it?
6. A file transfer operation is to be performed between two computers using FTP.
Explain in detail how the control connection and data connection are established, and
describe how FTP handles file transfer in both active and passive modes.
7. A user tries to send an email using SMTP. Discuss each step involved in the process,
from composing the email to the final delivery. Include any intermediate steps like DNS
resolution and the role of the mail transfer agent.
8. Given a network topology, analyze how DNS caching affects the resolution time of
domain names. What factors influence DNS query performance?
9. In a network using TCP for data transmission, how would you handle packet loss,
congestion, and flow control? Describe the mechanisms TCP uses to ensure reliable data
transfer and prevent congestion.
10. Design and explain a simple socket-based client-server application that can exchange
text messages between a client and a server. Provide the code structure in pseudocode or
any programming language of your choice.
11. Suppose a network administrator needs to monitor network performance using
SNMP. Describe the process of configuring SNMP agents and managers, retrieving data,
and analyzing the network performance metrics.
12. Analyze the differences between IMAP and POP3 protocols from the perspective of a
mobile email user. What are the advantages of using IMAP for managing emails on
multiple devices?
13. Assume a scenario where an HTTP server needs to handle multiple client requests
simultaneously. Discuss how this can be achieved using socket programming and
multithreading.
14. Illustrate and explain the DNS query resolution process in a recursive DNS resolver.
What role do root servers, TLD servers, and authoritative servers play in this process?
15. Discuss the importance of the transport layer in ensuring reliable communication in a
network. Use an example to explain how flow control and error detection are
managed.

UNIT II

PART-A (2 marks)

1. What is the primary function of the Transport Layer in networking?

2. Differentiate between UDP and TCP.
3. Define flow control in the context of the TCP protocol.
4. What is the purpose of the three-way handshake in TCP connection establishment?
5. What is a TCP segment, and how is it different from a packet?
6. What is UDP, and why is it considered connectionless?
7. What is congestion in a network? How does it affect communication?
8. What is the significance of SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol)?
9. Define Quality of Service (QoS) in networking.
10. Explain the concept of congestion control in the TCP protocol.
11. What is the role of sequence numbers in TCP communication?
12. Differentiate between congestion control and flow control.
13. What is RED (Random Early Detection) in congestion avoidance?
14. Define the DECbit algorithm in the context of congestion avoidance.
15. What is the SYN flag in TCP, and when is it used?
16. What does multiplexing and demultiplexing mean in the transport layer?
17. How does UDP handle error detection?
18. What is a checksum, and why is it important in TCP/UDP?
19. Explain the concept of delayed ACK in TCP.
20. Define jitter in network communication. 
21. What is the purpose of port numbers in the transport layer?
22. Define SCTP multi-streaming and its advantages.
23. What is Round-Trip Time (RTT) in TCP, and why is it important
24. Explain the concept of multiplexing at the transport layer.
25. 24.What is the role of acknowledgments (ACKs) in TCP?
26. 25.Define the term window size in TCP and its significance.
27. How does UDP provide low latency in communication?
28. What is the Nagle’s algorithm in TCP?
29. What is the difference between congestion window and receiver window in TCP?
30. What does time-to-live (TTL) signify in networking?
31. Explain how UDP handles error detection.
32. What is TCP's exponential backoff mechanism?
33. Define slow start in TCP and why it is used.
34. How does Selective Acknowledgment (SACK) improve TCP performance?
35. What is fast retransmit in TCP?
36. Explain the difference between unicast, multicast, and broadcast at the transport layer.
37. What is the purpose of connection-oriented communication in TCP?
38. Define head-of-line blocking and how SCTP prevents it.
39. How does TCP handle out-of-order segments?
40. What is the function of flow label in IPv6?

PART-B (13) marks

1. Explain the working of UDP. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using
UDP over TCP?
2. Discuss the TCP connection management process. Explain how connections are
established and terminated using a three-way and four-way handshake.
3. Describe the flow control mechanism in TCP. Explain how the sliding window
protocol is used to achieve flow control.
4. Explain the concept of congestion control in TCP. Discuss the phases involved,
including slow start, congestion avoidance, fast retransmit, and fast recovery.
5. What is congestion avoidance in networking? Discuss the working of the DECbit
algorithm for congestion avoidance.
6. Explain the RED (Random Early Detection) algorithm in detail. How does it help in
congestion avoidance?
7. Compare and contrast UDP and TCP with respect to connection establishment, flow
control, error checking, and use cases.
8. Discuss the features of SCTP and how it differs from TCP and UDP. Highlight its role
in multimedia transmission.
9. What is the significance of Quality of Service (QoS) in a network? Explain how QoS
can be implemented using traffic shaping, policing, and scheduling algorithms.
10. Discuss the three-way handshake in TCP. Why is this process important for ensuring
reliable connection establishment?
11. Describe the TCP congestion control algorithms such as slow start, congestion
avoidance, and fast recovery. How do these mechanisms help in maintaining network
stability?
12. Explain the difference between TCP flow control and TCP congestion control. Why
are both mechanisms necessary for proper communication?
13. Write short notes on: a) SCTP multi-homing
b) TCP fast retransmit and fast recovery
c) Jitter and its impact on Quality of Service (QoS)
14. Discuss the four-way handshake process for TCP connection termination. Why are
four steps needed for termination?
15. Describe the Selective Acknowledgement (SACK) option in TCP and how it improves
performance during packet loss.
16. Compare TCP and UDP in terms of features, reliability, flow control, and use cases.
Why would you choose UDP over TCP in certain applications?
17. Explain the process of TCP connection establishment using the three-way handshake.
Why is it necessary to have this mechanism?
18. Describe congestion control mechanisms in TCP, including slow start, congestion
avoidance, and fast retransmit. How does each mechanism contribute to reliable
communication?
19. What is the Nagle’s algorithm? How does it affect the performance of TCP under
conditions of frequent small packet transmissions?
20. Explain SCTP’s multi-homing feature. How does it contribute to the reliability of data
transmission in SCTP?
21. Discuss the differences between flow control and congestion control in TCP. How
are both mechanisms implemented in the protocol?
22. Explain the DECbit congestion avoidance algorithm. How does it help in controlling
congestion in the network?
23. Describe the RED (Random Early Detection) algorithm. How does it differ from
traditional queue management techniques?
24. Compare SCTP with TCP in terms of data transmission, connection management, and
use cases. In what scenarios would SCTP be preferred over TCP?
25. What are the various types of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters? Explain how
latency, jitter, and bandwidth are handled in QoS.
26. Discuss TCP's adaptive retransmission mechanism. How does TCP estimate the
timeout value based on RTT?
27. What are the key features of SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol)? How
does it enhance reliability and performance in modern networks?
28. Explain congestion avoidance techniques in TCP. What role does Additive
Increase/Multiplicative Decrease (AIMD) play in congestion avoidance?
29. Discuss the importance of jitter and delay in Quality of Service (QoS). How can these
factors impact the performance of real-time applications like VoIP?
30. Explain congestion window management in TCP. How does the size of the congestion
window change during data transmission?

PART C - (15 Marks)

1. Analyze the behavior of TCP’s congestion control under varying network conditions.
Consider scenarios like packet loss, congestion, and high throughput. How does TCP
adapt to ensure smooth communication?
2. Given a situation where a UDP-based application is experiencing packet loss, discuss
how this might affect the performance of the application. How can you mitigate packet
loss when using UDP?
3. Suppose a network uses RED for congestion avoidance. Explain how RED detects
congestion and mitigates it before it becomes severe. What are the key parameters
involved, and how do they influence performance?
4. In a network with TCP and SCTP connections, compare how flow control and
congestion control are handled by both protocols. Provide a scenario where SCTP may
perform better than TCP.
5. Design a scenario where Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms are required for a VoIP
(Voice over IP) application. Explain the importance of QoS parameters like delay, jitter,
and bandwidth reservation in ensuring good call quality.
6. Given a TCP connection, explain the steps involved in its congestion control process
starting from slow start to congestion avoidance, assuming the network becomes
congested halfway through the session.
7. Assume that a network administrator needs to optimize the performance of a TCP-
based application in a congested network. Discuss how they can use techniques like
window scaling, SACK, and TCP pacing to improve performance.
8. A network experiences high congestion, and packet drops are frequent. Analyze how
the DECbit algorithm would detect and prevent further congestion. How is DECbit
different from TCP’s traditional congestion control mechanisms?
9. Illustrate the four phases of TCP’s congestion control with appropriate diagrams and
explain the transition between each phase (slow start, congestion avoidance, fast
retransmit, and fast recovery).
10. Compare the real-time performance of TCP, UDP, and SCTP in a multimedia
streaming scenario. Which protocol would you choose and why, considering aspects like
reliability, latency, and throughput?
 UNIT III

PART-A (2 marks)

1. What is packet switching?

2. Define IPv4.
3. What is subnetting?
4. What is the use of ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)?
5. Define RARP.
6. What is an IP address?
7. Explain the significance of TTL in IP.
8. What is a default gateway?
9. What are private IP addresses?
10. What is the loopback address?
11. Define CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing).
12. What is NAT (Network Address Translation)?
13. What are the types of IPv6 addresses?
14. What is the difference between static IP and dynamic IP?
15. What is ICMP?
16. What does ping do in networking?
17. What is the role of a DHCP server?
18. Define MAC address.
19. What is the purpose of the ARP cache?
20. What is the full form of DHCP?
21. What is the difference between datagram and virtual circuit packet switching?
22. What is the purpose of fragmentation in IP?
23. Define the term IP subnet mask.
24. What is the difference between broadcast and multicast addresses?
25. Define Anycast in IPv6.
26. What is ICMP Destination Unreachable message used for?
27. What is the size of an IPv4 address and an IPv6 address?
28. What does the DHCP lease time signify?
29. Differentiate between ARP and Proxy ARP.
30. Define Dual Stack in IPv4 and IPv6 coexistence.
31. What is the purpose of an IPv6 prefix?
32. What is the use of Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) in IPv6?
33. How does ARP spoofing work?
34. Define the Reserved IP addresses.
35. What is link-local address in IPv6?
36. Explain the role of the source address in an IP packet.
37. What is IPv6 stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC)?
38. What is the function of the Protocol field in an IP header?
39. What is the purpose of a DHCP server pool?
40. What is an IP Broadcast Address?
 PART-B (13 marks)

1. Explain the working of Packet Switching. Compare it with Circuit Switching and
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of packet-switched networks.
2. Describe the IPv4 header structure in detail. Explain the significance of each field.
3. Discuss IP Addressing and Subnetting. Explain how subnetting helps in optimizing
network performance with an example.
4. What is IPv6? Explain the key differences between IPv4 and IPv6, and describe the
advantages of IPv6.
5. Explain how ARP works. Discuss how ARP maps an IP address to a MAC address,
and explain the significance of the ARP Cache.
6. Explain the ICMP protocol and its purpose. Describe the working of Ping and
Traceroute in network troubleshooting.
7. Describe the DHCP process in detail. Explain each step involved in how DHCP
assigns an IP address dynamically to a host, including DHCP Discover, Offer,
Request, and Acknowledge.
8. Explain the key differences between Classful and Classless Addressing in IPv4.
Discuss CIDR and its role in optimizing IP address allocation.
9. Explain the working of the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) with the help of an
example. Discuss the role of ARP Cache and the process of resolving an IP address to a
MAC address.
10. Discuss the different types of ICMP messages and their use cases. Provide detailed
explanations for Echo Request/Reply, Destination Unreachable, Time Exceeded, and
Redirect messages.
11. What is the role of DHCP in IP addressing? Discuss the DHCP message types
(Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) and the process involved in leasing an IP
address. Explain how DHCP helps in IP management in large networks.
12. Explain the difference between public and private IP addresses. How do
organizations use NAT (Network Address Translation) to overcome the IPv4 address
shortage? Provide a detailed explanation of the types of NAT.
13. Explain the structure of an IPv6 header. How does the IPv6 header simplify
processing compared to IPv4? Discuss the different fields of the IPv6 header.
14. Describe the process of subnetting a network. Explain how to calculate the subnet
mask, network address, broadcast address, and usable IP range for a given network with
examples.

PART-C (15 marks)

1. What is Subnetting? Explain the process of subnetting with an example. Given the IP
address 192.168.1.0/24, divide it into 6 subnets, and explain how you calculate the
subnet masks and network addresses.
2. Explain the concept of NAT (Network Address Translation) in detail. Discuss the
different types of NAT (Static NAT, Dynamic NAT, PAT) and explain how NAT helps
in IPv4 addressing limitations.
3. Discuss IPv6 addressing schemes. Describe the structure of an IPv6 address, different
types of addresses in IPv6 (Unicast, Multicast, Anycast), and the advantages of using
IPv6 over IPv4. Explain IPv6 Stateless Address Auto-Configuration (SLAAC).
4. Explain the working of DHCP in a network. Describe the phases of the DHCP leasing
process and explain how DHCP helps manage IP addresses in large networks. Discuss
the role of DHCP Relay Agent and how DHCP handles IP address conflicts.
5. Explain IP Fragmentation in IPv4 in detail. Why is fragmentation necessary? How
does the process work, and what are the issues associated with it, such as reassembly
and fragmentation overhead?
6. Discuss ICMP in detail. Explain the different message types in ICMP, such as ICMP
Echo Request/Reply (used in Ping), Destination Unreachable, Time Exceeded, and
Redirect messages. How does ICMP contribute to network management and
troubleshooting?
7. Describe ARP and RARP protocols. Explain how ARP resolves an IP address to a
MAC address and how RARP works to map a MAC address to an IP address. Discuss
th Explain in detail the working of Packet Switching. Compare it with Circuit
Switching and discuss the advantages of packet-switched networks. Provide a detailed
description of the two types of packet switching: datagram and virtual circuit.
8. Explain in detail how subnetting works. Given an IP address 192.168.10.0/24, divide
it into 8 subnets and calculate the subnet masks, network addresses, and broadcast
addresses for each subnet.
9. Discuss IPv6 address types (Unicast, Anycast, Multicast) in detail. Explain how IPv6
Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) works and how it is different from
DHCPv6.
10. Describe the DHCP architecture and the role of DHCP Relay Agent. Explain how IP
address conflicts are managed in DHCP, and the advantages of using DHCP over
static IP assignment.
11. Explain the process of IP fragmentation and reassembly in IPv4. Why is
fragmentation necessary? Discuss the issues associated with fragmentation and how it is
handled in IPv6.
12. Describe the workings of ICMP. Explain the types of ICMP messages, such as Echo
Request/Reply, Time Exceeded, Destination Unreachable, and Source Quench.
Discuss their significance in network diagnostics.
13. Discuss the difference between ARP and RARP protocols. Explain how ARP
resolves an IP address to a MAC address and how RARP maps a MAC address to an IP
address. Provide a detailed explanation of the ARP table and how ARP spoofing can
occur.

UNIT IV

PART-A (2 marks)

1. What is unicast routing?

2. Define Distance Vector Routing (DVR).
3. What is the “count-to-infinity” problem?
4. List the differences between RIP and OSPF.
5. What is Split Horizon in DVR?
6. Define the purpose of Link State Advertisements (LSA) in OSPF.
7. What is a Path-Vector Routing Protocol?
8. What are Autonomous Systems (AS) in BGP?
9. What is the function of a designated router (DR) in OSPF?
10. What does BGP use to prevent routing loops?
11. What is DVMRP?
12. What is Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF)?
13. Define Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM).
14. List two differences between PIM-DM and PIM-SM.
15. What is a Rendezvous Point (RP) in multicast routing?
16. What is Poison Reverse in Distance Vector Routing?
17. Define link-state packet (LSP).
18. What is the role of Dijkstra’s algorithm in OSPF?
19. What is route aggregation in BGP?
20. Define the concept of flooding in Link State Routing (LSR).
21. What is the difference between RIP version 1 and version 2?
22. What are Link State Advertisements (LSAs) in OSPF?
23. What is the Autonomous System (AS) number in BGP?
24. What is the purpose of a backup designated router (BDR) in OSPF?
25. What does “Protocol Independent” mean in PIM?
26. What is a stub area in OSPF?
27. What is hop count in Distance Vector Routing?
28. What is Reverse Path Broadcasting (RPB)?
29. What is an inter-domain routing protocol? Give an example.
30. Define TTL (Time To Live) in RIP.

PART-B (13 marks)

1. Explain the Distance Vector Routing (DVR) algorithm in detail. How does the Routing
Information Protocol (RIP) implement DVR? Provide examples.
2. Explain the count-to-infinity problem in Distance Vector Routing. How does RIP solve
it using techniques like Split Horizon and Poison Reverse?
3. Describe Link State Routing (LSR) and the operation of OSPF in detail. How does
OSPF use Dijkstra’s algorithm to find the shortest path?
4. What are the key features of the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol? How does it
ensure faster convergence compared to DVR protocols like RIP?
5. Explain the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and how it handles path-vector routing.
What are the main attributes used by BGP for route selection?
6. Discuss the differences between BGP and OSPF. Why is BGP more suited for inter-
domain routing, while OSPF is better for intra-domain routing?
7. Explain Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) in both Dense Mode (PIM-DM) and
Sparse Mode (PIM-SM). Compare and contrast their operation.
8. Explain the functioning of the Bellman-Ford algorithm used in Distance Vector Routing
with an example. How does this algorithm help in calculating the shortest path?
9. Describe the process of flooding in Link State Routing. How does flooding ensure
reliable delivery of routing information across all nodes? Discuss how OSPF handles
flooding.
10. Compare and contrast RIP and OSPF in terms of their working principles, efficiency,
scalability, and convergence time.
11. Explain the concept of hierarchical routing in OSPF and its significance. How do
different types of OSPF areas (backbone, stub, and not-so-stubby) contribute to
hierarchical routing?
12. What is Path-Vector Routing? Explain how BGP uses Path-Vector Routing and compare
it with Distance Vector Routing and Link State Routing.
13. Discuss the concept of BGP attributes (AS_PATH, NEXT_HOP, LOCAL_PREF, and
MED). How do these attributes influence BGP’s route selection process?
14. Explain the concept of Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) in multicast routing. How does
RPF work in DVMRP and PIM-DM?
15. How does Protocol Independent Multicast - Sparse Mode (PIM-SM) handle multicast
routing? Explain the roles of Rendezvous Points (RP) and how they contribute to
efficient multicast delivery.

PART-C (15 marks)

1. Explain in detail the operation of the Link State Routing (LSR) protocol. How does
OSPF implement this protocol, and what mechanisms does OSPF use for efficient
routing and scalability in large network
2. Explain the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) in detail. How does BGP handle policy-
based routing, and what are the major types of BGP (External BGP and Internal BGP)?
How does BGP prevent routing loops and manage path selection
3. Discuss the differences between Distance Vector Routing (DVR) and Link State
Routing (LSR). Provide a detailed explanation of both protocols, and highlight their
advantages, disadvantages, and use cases.
4. Describe the various techniques used in OSPF for faster convergence and efficient
routing. Include explanations of areas, LSAs, DR/BDR, and the use of Dijkstra’s
algorithm.
5. Explain multicast routing in detail. Discuss the operation of DVMRP and how Protocol
Independent Multicast (PIM) operates in both Dense and Sparse modes. Compare their
performance in terms of network efficiency and scalability.
6. Describe in detail the working of the Routing Information Protocol (RIP). How does RIP
handle routing updates and what techniques are used to prevent routing loops? Discuss
its limitations and how these are addressed in RIP version 2.
7. Discuss the concept of Link State Routing in detail. Explain the operation of the Open
Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol and how it overcomes the limitations of Distance
Vector Routing protocols like RIP.
8. Explain how BGP is used for inter-domain routing. Discuss in detail the differences
between External BGP (eBGP) and Internal BGP (iBGP). What mechanisms are used by
BGP to ensure loop-free and policy-based routing?
9. Explain the principles of multicast routing. Discuss the operation of Distance Vector
Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) and how it extends DVR to handle multicast
routing.
10. Compare and contrast Protocol Independent Multicast in Dense Mode (PIM-DM) and
Sparse Mode (PIM-SM). Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of
network scalability, overhead, and efficiency.
11. Explain the concept of hierarchical routing in OSPF and the role of areas in OSPF’s
scalability. Discuss how OSPF achieves faster convergence and efficient routing in
large-scale networks.

UNIT V

PART-A (2 marks)

1. What is framing in the data link layer?

2. Define flow control in networking.
3. What is error control in the data link layer?
4. List the main functions of the data link layer.
5. What are the differences between Stop-and-Wait and Sliding Window flow control?
6. What is the primary purpose of the HDLC protocol?
7. What are the different modes of operation in HDLC?
8. Define Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).
9. What is the difference between HDLC and PPP?
10. What is Media Access Control (MAC)?
11. What is the purpose of the CSMA/CD protocol in Ethernet?
12. What is a Virtual LAN (VLAN)?
13. What is the function of a VLAN tag in Ethernet frames?
14. What are the key characteristics of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi)?
15. What is attenuation in the physical layer?
16. Differentiate between analog and digital signals.
17. What is the role of transmission media in networking?
18. What is circuit switching?
19. What are the differences between circuit switching and packet switching?
20. What is meant by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in communication systems?
21. What is the purpose of a frame delimiter in data link layer protocols?
22. What is bit stuffing, and why is it used in data link layer protocols?
23. What is the purpose of flow control in networking?
24. What is a piggybacking technique in Sliding Window protocol?
25. What is the function of ARQ (Automatic Repeat Request) in error control?
26. What are the key differences between HDLC and Ethernet?
27. Define Control Field in HDLC frame structure.
28. What is the maximum transmission unit (MTU) in Ethernet?
29. Define CSMA/CA and where it is typically used.
30. What is the purpose of a VLAN trunk?
31. What are the differences between CSMA/CA and CSMA/CD?
32. What is the function of an access point in wireless LANs (WLANs)?
33. What is beaconing in IEEE 802.11 wireless networks?
34. What are the three primary types of switching techniques?
35. Define bandwidth in terms of transmission media.
36. What is a modem, and what role does it play in data transmission?
37. What is the Shannon capacity formula?
38. What are the characteristics of twisted-pair cable?
39. Define baseband and broadband transmission.
40. What is frequency division multiplexing (FDM)?

PART-B (13 marks)

1. Explain the concept of framing in the data link layer and the different types of framing
methods (character count, byte stuffing, bit stuffing). Provide examples for each method.
2. Explain the flow control mechanisms in the data link layer. Discuss Stop-and-Wait and
Sliding Window protocols with examples.
3. Discuss the concept of error control in the data link layer. How do error detection and
correction techniques like parity bits, CRC, and Hamming code work?
4. Explain the HDLC protocol in detail, including its frame structure, modes of operation,
and the various frame types (I-frame, S-frame, U-frame).
5. Explain the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) with its frame structure, error detection, and
authentication mechanisms. How does PPP ensure a reliable point-to-point connection?
6. Explain the basics of Ethernet, including the Ethernet frame structure, the concept of
Media Access Control (MAC), and the role of CSMA/CD in Ethernet communication.
7. What is a Virtual LAN (VLAN)? Explain its benefits, the concept of VLAN tagging,
and how VLANs enhance network segmentation.
8. Explain the IEEE 802.11 protocol and how it supports wireless LAN communication.
Discuss the MAC mechanism in Wi-Fi, focusing on CSMA/CA and how it differs from
CSMA/CD.
9. What are the different types of transmission media in networking? Discuss the
characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of twisted pair, coaxial cable, and fiber
optic cables.
10. Explain the concept of circuit switching. Discuss the three phases of circuit switching
(establishment, transfer, and teardown), and compare it with packet switching.
11. Explain the concept of sliding window protocol in detail. Discuss how flow control and
error control are achieved using this protocol with an example.
12. Explain in detail the concept of error detection and correction. Discuss parity checks,
cyclic redundancy checks (CRC), and Hamming code with examples.
13. Explain how HDLC achieves reliable communication over noisy channels. Discuss the
different frame types in HDLC (I-frames, S-frames, U-frames) and their purposes.
14. Discuss the principles of VLAN (Virtual LAN) and how VLAN tagging works in
Ethernet frames. What are the benefits of VLANs in enterprise networks?
15. Explain the working of CSMA/CD in Ethernet. How does collision detection work, and
what steps are taken by devices in the event of a collision? Provide an example scenario.
16. Explain the significance of the Shannon capacity theorem in communication systems.
How does it relate to bandwidth, noise, and data transmission rate?
17. Explain circuit switching in detail. Discuss the three phases of circuit switching and
compare it with packet switching. Provide examples of networks where circuit switching
is used.

PART-C (15 marks)

1. Describe the flow control and error control mechanisms used in data link layer
protocols. Compare the working of Stop-and-Wait ARQ and Go-Back-N ARQ with
examples.
2. Explain the Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer. Discuss how the CSMA/CD
protocol operates in Ethernet networks and the significance of collision detection. Use
an example to explain how Ethernet handles collisions.
3. Discuss the HDLC protocol in detail, focusing on its frame types, modes of operation,
and flow control mechanisms. Explain how HDLC achieves reliable communication and
handles error recovery.
4. Describe the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) in detail. Explain the PPP frame format, error
control mechanisms, and the different authentication protocols used (PAP, CHAP).
Discuss how PPP operates over different physical media.
5. Explain in detail the architecture of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and how it supports wireless
communication. Discuss the MAC layer and how the CSMA/CA protocol works in
wireless LANs to prevent collisions. Compare CSMA/CA with CSMA/CD used in
wired networks.
6. Explain the various types of switching techniques (circuit switching, packet switching,
and message switching). Compare their working, advantages, and disadvantages, and
provide examples of networks where each type is used.
7. Explain the role of data and signals in the physical layer. Discuss the characteristics of
digital and analog signals, and explain the factors that affect signal performance, such as
bandwidth, noise, and attenuation.
8. Explain the concept of transmission media in networking. Compare guided and
unguided transmission media, and discuss the characteristics, advantages, and
applications of coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, and satellite communication.
9. Explain the concept of multiplexing in data transmission. Discuss the working of
Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), and
Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM). Provide real-world applications for each
type of multiplexing.
10. Compare and contrast different types of transmission media, such as twisted pair,
coaxial cable, and fiber optics, with a focus on their physical characteristics, signal
transmission capabilities, and common uses in networking.