Name: Muhammad Azrul Ikhwan bin Zulkifli

ID: B02150011
Task 1
Data Communication and Networking
1. Identify the five components of a data communications system.
a) Sender
b) Receiver
c) Transmission medium
d) Message
e) Protocol
2. What are the advantages of distributed processing?
a) Security
b) Access to distributed database
c) Collaborative processing
d) Faster problem solving
3. What are the three criteria necessary for an effective and efficient network?
a) Performance
b) Reliability
c) Security
4. What are the advantages of a multipoint connection over a point-to-point connection?
a) Ease of installation
b) Low Cost
5. What are the two types of line configuration?
a) Point-to-point
b) Multipoint
6. Categorize the four basic topologies in terms of line configuration.
a) Point-to-point (mesh, star, ring)
b) Multipoint (bus)
7. What is the difference between half-duplex and full-duplex transmission modes?
Half-duplex transmission
Full-duplex transmission
Only one entity can send at a time
Both entities can send at the same time
8. Name the four basic network topologies, and cite an advantage of each type.
Type
Advantage
Mesh
Secure
Bus
Easy installation
Star
Robust
Ring
Easy fault installation

9. For n devices in a network, what is the number of cable links required for a mesh, ring, bus, and star
topology?
Type
Number of cable link required (n=number of device)
Mesh
n(n-1)/2
Star
n
Ring
n-1
Bus
One backbone and n drop lines
10. What are some of the factors that determine whether a communication system is a LAN or WAN?
a) Size
b) Distance (covered by the network)
c) Structure
d) Ownership
11. What is an internet? What is the Internet?
An internet= interconnection of networks
The Internet= name of a specific worldwide network
12. Why are protocols needed?
Protocols defines what is communicated, in what way and when. This provides accurate and timely
transfer of information between different devices on a network.
13. Why are standards needed?
Standards are needed to create and maintain an open and competitive market for manufactures, to
coordinate protocol rules, and thus guarantee compatibility of data communication technologies.
14. What is the maximum number of characters or symbols that can be represented by Unicode?
Unicode uses 32 bits to represent a symbol or a character. We can define 2 different symbols or
characters.
15. A color image uses 16 bits to represent a pixel. What is the maximum number of different colors
that can be represented?
With 16 bits, we can represent up to 2^16.
16. Assume six devices are arranged in a mesh topology. How many cables are needed? How many
ports are needed for each device?
a) Cable links: n(n-1)/2 = (6x5)/2 = 15
b) Number of ports: (n-1) = 5 ports needed per device

17. For each of the following four networks, discuss the consequences if a connection fails.
Type
Consequences if a connection fails.
Mesh
If one connection fails, the other connections will still be working
Star
The other devices will still be able to send data through the hub;
there will be no access to the device which has the failed connection
to the hub
Bus
All transmissions stops if the failure is in the bus. If the drop-line
fails, only the corresponding device cannot operate
Ring
The failed connection may disable the whole network unless it is a
dual ring or there is a by-pass mechanism
18. 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 Ethernet hub creates a LAN.
19. Theoretically, in a ring topology, unplugging one station, interrupts the ring. However, most ring
networks use a mechanism that bypasses the station; the ring can continue its operation.
20. In a bus topology, no station is in the path of the signal. Unplugging a station has no effect on the
operation of the rest of the network.
21. Draw a hybrid topology with a star backbone and three ring networks.

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

23.
a) E-mail is not an interactive application. Even if it is delivered immediately, it may stay in the mail-box
of the receiver for a while. It is not sensitive to delay.
b) We normally do not expect a file to be copied immediately. It is not very sensitive to delay.
c) Surfing the Internet is an application very sensitive to delay. We except to get access to the site we
are searching.
24. In this case, the communication is only between a caller and the callee. A dedicated line is
established between them. The connection is point-to-point.
25.
Similarities

Differences

Telephone Network
Internet
Made of interconnection of small network

Voice communication
Circuit-switched network

Data communication
Packet-switched network