Types and Methods of Data Transmission aCTIVITY 10.1
Types and Methods of Data Transmission aCTIVITY 10.1
Activity 2.1
1. Suppose a video conference is taking place between delegates in two different countries. Packet
switching is being used to send video and sound data between the delegates: Delegate 1 in USA
Delegate 2 in India Video and sound sent between delegates using packet switching
Describe:
i any potential problems with sound and video quality
ii how these problems could be caused.
The potential problems with sound and video quality in a video conference using packet switching, how
packet switching can be used to download a large web page, the concept of cyclic redundancy check,
how systems deal with lost packets, and how packet switching might improve data security have been
explained comprehensively
Explanation
i. Potential problems with sound and video quality in a video conference using packet switching can
include delays, jitter, packet loss, and varying levels of quality due to network congestion or errors in
transmission
ii. These problems could be caused by factors such as network congestion, limited bandwidth, errors in
packet transmission, network latency, and the prioritization of certain types of data over others
2. Explain how packet switching could be used to download a large web page from a website.
Packet switching can be used to download a large web page from a website by breaking the web page
data into smaller packets, each containing a portion of the webpage. These packets are then sent
individually across the network to the destination, where they are reassembled in the correct order to
reconstruct the complete web page
3. a The trailer in a packet will use one form of error checking. Explain what is meant by a cyclic
redundancy check.
b The payload contains the following data:
11110000 10000011 00110011 00111111 11111110 11100011
Use this data to show how the receiving computer can verify that the received payload was
error-free
a. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is a type of error-checking code used to detect errors in data during
transmission. It involves generating a fixed-size binary sequence (the CRC) based on the data being
checked. The receiving end performs the same calculation and compares the generated CRC with the
received one to determine if the data is error-free
Types and methods of data transmission
Activity 2.1
b. Using the provided data (11110000 10000011 00110011 00111111 11111110 11100011), the
receiving computer can calculate a CRC based on this data and compare it with the CRC sent along with
the payload to verify if the payload was received error-free
4 a Explain how it is possible for packets to be lost during their transmission across a network.
b Describe how it is possible for a system to deal with lost packets and prevent them from slowing down
the transmission process.
c Explain why you think packet switching might improve data security
a. Packets can be lost during their transmission across a network due to network congestion, hardware
failures, software errors, or issues with the routing of packets
b. Systems can deal with lost packets by implementing protocols that request retransmission of lost
packets, buffering packets at the receiving end, or using error correction techniques to reconstruct lost
data
c. Packet switching might improve data security by breaking data into packets that can take different
routes across the network, making it harder for unauthorized users to intercept and reconstruct the
entire data stream. Additionally, packet switching allows for the implementation of encryption and
authentication mechanisms at the packet level, enhancing data security