Chapter-1

Q1-1.Why are protocols needed?

Network protocols are sets of rules for exchanging
information. This exchange usually occurs much like
a dialog between two computers. The exchange often
begins with the client sending a signal to the server,
providing key information about what kind of data is
being requested.

Without a set of rules, computers would not have the

capability of "talking" to each other across the
Internet. Certain protocols help computers identify
themselves on the Internet.

Q1-2. What are the two types of line configuration?

(1) Point to Point: A point-to-point connection provides a

dedicated link between two devices. The entire capacity of
the link is reserved for transmission between those two
devices.
(2) Multipoint: A multipoint connection is one in which
more than two specific devices share a single link.
Q1-3.Note book.
Q1-6.What is an internet? What is the internet?
Answer: The internet is a general term for an interconnected
network, while the internet refers to a specific worldwide
internetwork.

Q1-7. What are the advantages of a multipoint connection

over a point to point one?
(1) A point-to-point connection provides a dedicated link
between two devices, while a multipoint connection is one
in which more than two specific devices share a single link.
Therefore, multipoint connection provides more reliability.
(2) In multipoint connection, it is easier to add more users
compared to point-to-point connection. This leads to low
cabling cost and installation cost.

Q1-9. From book.

 Q1-10. Comparison among simplex, half duplex and full
duplex
Basis for simplex Half duplex Full duplex
comparison
Direction of Communication Communication Communication is
communication is unidirectional is two- two-directional and
directional, but done
one at a time simultaneously
Send/receive A sender can A sender can A sender can send
send data but send and and receive data
cannot receive receive data but simultaneously
one at a time
Performance The half duplex Half duplex Full duplex yields
and full duplex yields higher best performance.
yields better performance
performance than the
than the simplex
simplex
Example Keyboard and Walkie-talkies Telephone
monitor
Q1-11. Categorize the four basic topologies in terms of line
configuration.
Point- to –point:
(1) Mesh. In a mesh topology, every device has a dedicated
point-to-point link to every other device.
(2) Star. Each device has a dedicated point-to-point link only
to a central controller, usually called a hub.
Multipoint:
(1)Bus: One long cable acts as a backbone to link all the
devices in a network.
(2)Ring: A signal is passed along the ring in one direction,
from device to device, until it reaches its destination. It
connects all devices together.

Q1-12. From book.

Q1-14. For n devices in a network, what is the number of

cable links required for a mesh, ring, bus, and star
topology?
Answer: 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

Q1-17. What are some of the factors that determine

whether a communication system is LAN or WAN

Answer: Geographical area spanned by a network

determines whether it is a LAN or a WAN. A LAN, or Local
Area network, spans a relative 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.
Chapter-3
Q3-2. What's the difference between a low -pass
channel and a band-pass channel?

Answer:
i) Low-pass refers to a channel with a bandwidth that
starts from zero while a bandpass is a channel with a
bandwidth that does not start from zero.
ii) Low-pass has one threshold frequency. Band-pass
has two threshold frequencies.
iii) A low-pass channel has bandwidth with frequency
between 0 and infinity where band-pass channel has
bandwidth with frequency between f1 and f2.
iv)Low-pass is used in base-band and bandpass is
used in broadband.

Q3-5. Why do optical signals used in fiber optic cables

have a very short wave length?

Answer: Optical signals have very high frequencies.

A high frequency means a short wave length because
the wave length is inversely proportional to the
frequency (λ = v/f), where v is the propagation speed
in the media.

Q3-7. We send a voice signal from a microphone to a

recorder. Is this a base band or broad band
transmission?
Answer: This is baseband transmission because no
modulation is involved.

Q3-10. Name three types of transmission

impairment?
Answer. There are various kinds of transmission
impairments in network while transferring data and
information through network
Types of transmission impairments:
i) Attenuation
Attenuation means a loss of energy. The strength of a signal
falls off with distance over any transmission medium. For
guided media, this reduction in strength or attenuation is
generally logarithmic and is thus typically expressed as a
constant number of decibels per unit distance. In fig. shows
the effect of attenuation and amplification.
ii) Distortion
Distortion means that the signal changes its form or shape.
Delay distortion is a phenomenon peculiar to guided
transmission media. The distortion is caused by the fact
that the velocity of propagation of a signal through a guided
medium varies with frequency. For a band limited signal,
the velocity tends to be highest near the center frequency
and lower toward the two edges of the band. Thus, various
frequency components of a signal will arrive at the receiver
at different times. This effect is referred to as delay
distortion, as the received signal is distorted due to variable
delay in its components.
iii) Noise
Noise is refers to any unwanted signal. For any data
transmission event, the received signal will consist of the
transmitted signal, modified by the various distortions
imposed by the transmission system, plus additional
unwanted signals that are inserted somewhere between
transmission and reception; the latter, undesired signals are
referred to as noise-a major limiting factor in
communications system performance.
Q3-12. What does the amplitude of a signal
measure? What does the frequency of a signal
measure? What does the phase of a signal measure?
Answer:
i) Signal amplitude is measured between the signals
positive and negative extremes. Signal amplitude
maybe expressed in units of Volts or Amperes.

ii) Frequency of a signal is a measure of the rate at

which the signal repeats itself. Normally expressed in
Hertz (signal repetitions per second).

iii) The phase of a signal must be measured with

respect to a referenced wave form of the same time
duration per cycle (period). The phase of a signal
measures the number of degrees (phase angle) that
the start of the signal is advanced or retarded from a
reference signal of the same cycle time duration. The
phase of a signal has no significance unless it is
referenced to another waveform with the same period
as the signal.
 Q3-15. We modulate several voice signals and send them
through the air. Is this baseband or broadband transmission
l?
Answer: this is baseband transmission.

Chapter-4
Q4-7. Difference Between Serial and Parallel
Transmission.

BASIS FOR Serial Parallel

COMPARISON transmission transmission
Meaning Data flows in Multiple lines
bi-direction, bit are used to send
by bit data
Cost economical Expensive
Bits transferred at 1 clock 1 bit 8 bits or byte
pulse
Speed Slow fast

Application Used for long Used for short

distance distance
communication. communication.
 Computer to Computer to
computer printer

Q4-8. Define block coding and give its purpose.

Answer: A method in which a block of data bits is
mapped into a block (often slightly larger) of signaling
bits prior to transmission.
Block coding provides redundancy to ensure
synchronization and to provide inherent error detecting.
In general, block coding changes a block of m bits into a
block of n bits, where n is larger than m.

Q4-10. List three different techniques in serial

transmission and explain the differences.
Answer: The three different techniques in serial
transmission are:
(i) Asynchronous - In this, we send 1 start bit at the
beginning and 1 or more stop bits at the end of each byte
i.e. irregular intervals.

(ii) Synchronous - In this, We send bits in a serial order

without any gaps. i.e. regular intervals

(iii) Isynchronous: It sends a block of data asynchronously.

Basis for Synchronous Asynchronous
comparison transmission transmission
Meaning Sends data in Sends one byte or
the form of character at a
blocks or time
frames
Speed Fast Slow
Cost Expensive Economical
Time interval Constant Random
Gap between the Absent Present
data
examples Video Letters, emails
conferencing, and forums etc.
chat rooms etc.
Chapter-5
Q5-2.Define carrier signal and explain its role in analog
transmission.
Answer:
i) In analog transmission, a sending devices produce a high
frequency signal that acts as a base for the information signal.
This base signal is called carrier signal or carrier frequency. It is a
constant frequency signal.
ii) The carrier frequency is chosen so that it is compatible with
the transmission medium.
iii) The receiving device must be tuned into the frequency of this
carrier signal.
iv) Digital information changes one or more characteristics of the
carrier signal. This digital information is the input signal or
modulating signal.
v) This type of modification is called modulation or shift keying.
The resultant signal is called a modulated signal.

Q5-4. Which of the three analog to analog conversion techniques

is the most susceptible to noise? Defend your answer.
Answer: We can say that the most susceptible technique is AM
because the amplitude is more affected by noise than the phase or
frequency.
Q5-9. Which of the four digital to analog conversion techniques
(ASK, FSK, PSK) is the most susceptible to noise? Defend your
answer?
Answer: ASK is most susceptible to noise because noise affects
amplitude the most rather than frequency or phase and ASK is the
modulation technique that changes the amplitude of the carrier. 2. A
constellation diagram is a representation of a signal modulated by a digital
modulation scheme such as ASK, PSK, FSK, QAM. It helps in defining
the amplitude and phase of a signal element. The diagram is useful while
dealing with multilevel

Chapter-6
Q6-1. Distinguish between synchronous and statistical
TDM.
Parameter Synchronous Statistical TDM
TDM
Working In Synchronous In Statistical TDM
TDM data flow of slots are allotted
each input dynamically. i.e.
connection is input line is given
divided into units slots in output frame
and each input if and only if it has
occupies one output data to send
time slot
No. of slots In Synchronous In Statistical TDM,
TDM no. of slots in No. of slots in each
each frame are frame are less than
equal to no. of input the no. of input lines.
lines. equal to no. of
input lines.
Buffers Buffering is not Buffering is done
done, frame is sent and only those
after a particular inputs are given
interval of time slots in output frame
whether someone whose buffer
has data to send or contains data to
not. send
Addressing Slots in Slots in Statistical
Synchronous TDM TDM contain both
carry data only and data and address of
there is no need of the destination.
addressing.
Synchronization and
pre assigned
relationships
between input and
outputs that serve
as an address.
Synchronization Synchronization bits No synchronization
are used at the bits are used.
beginning of each
frame.
capacity Max. Bandwidth The capacity of link
utilization if all inputs is normally is less
have data to send. than the sum of the
capacity of each
channel.
Data separation. In Synchronous In Statistical TDM
TDM de-multiplexer de-multiplexer at
at receiving end receiving end
decomposes each decomposes each
frame, discards frame by checking
framing bits and local address of
extracts data unit in each data unit. This
turn. This extracted extracted data unit
 data unit from frame from frame is then
is then passed to passed to
destination device. destination device.

Q6-4. Define the digital hierarchy used by telephone companies and list
different levels of the hierarchy?
Answer: To maximize the efficiency of their infrastructure, telephone
companies have traditionally multiplexed digital signals from lower data
rate lines onto higher data rate lines. The digital hierarchy uses DS-0 (64
Kbps), DS-1 (1.544 Mbps), DS-2 (6.312 Mbps), DS-3 (44.376 Mbps), and
DS-4 (274.176 Mbps).
Q6-6. Which of the three multiplexing techniques are used to combine
analog signals? Which of the three multiplexing techniques are used to
combine digital signals?
Answer: FDM and WDM are used to combine analog signals; the
bandwidth is shared. TDM is used to combine digital signals; the time is
shared.
Q6-7.which of the three multiplexing techniques is common for fiber-
optic links? Explain the reason.
Answer: