COMPUTER NETWORKS

Introduction

Connections among computers makes computer networks. In a computer network, two or more autonomous
computing devices are connected to each other to exchange information orshare resources.

Advantages

• Resources such as printer, scanner, projector, etc. are shared among deviceswhich is cheaper than
buying separatelyfor each computer
• Software can be installed centrally ratherthan on each computer. It's cheaper thanbuying licenses for
every computer
• Shared storages can be used to accessfiles and data from any machine on thenetwork

Disadvantages

• Systems are more complex to run. Specialists might be required for managing which increases the
cost
• If networks are badly managed, it can become unusable and productivity mayfall
• If the central server fails, it becomes impossible for other machines to carryout any work.
• Files' security is harder to implement, e.g.protection from viruses

Network Basics

• Host or node or workstation refers to the computers/devices that are attached to thenetwork.
• A server is the computer which facilitates the sharing of data, software and hardware resourceson the
network. A server serves the requests ofthe clients.
• A client is a host computer thatrequests for services from a server.
• Other than wiring and computers, Network Hardware consists of : NIC(Network Interface Unit) :
Network Card connected to the host to establish networkconnections, Hub, Switch, Router.
• Hosts in a network interact with other hosts and server(s) through a Communication Channel which can
be:
Wired : When connections are through guided media like twisted-pair, coaxial, optical fiber.
Wireless : When connections are through unguided media like Microwaves, radio waves,
satellites, infrared waves, lasers etc.

Types of Networks
Local Area Network (LAN)
Small computers networks that are confined to a localized area. Data, information,
programs,printers, storage, modems, etc. are shared.
e.g. office, building, industry.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
These networks spread across countries or on a very big geographical area. It can even be
agroup of LANs that are spread across several locations. Internet is the largest WAN.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
These networks spread across an area as big as a city. Now, this term has become
redundant.WAN is generally used.

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Personal Area Network(PAN)
It's an interconnection of devices within the range of an individual person, typically within
a range of 10m.

Peer-to-Peer Network (P2P)

As the name suggests, Each computer controls its own information and plays role of either aclient or a
server(due to which efficiency is lesser). There is no in-charge of the network.
Peer-to-peer computers are often termed as non-dedicated servers.
Such Networks are popular in home networks, small companies as they are easy to install andcheaper.
Although the scope is limited.
Blockchain is the best example.
The Client Server Network
Bigger networks prefer to have centralized control. Dedicated servers and clients are there. Task
specified servers also exists, e.g. file server, printer server, modem server. The key point of this model is
that client is dependent on server to provide and manage information. They are also known as
Master-Slave networks. e.g. Websites are stored on web servers, web browser is the client which
makes a request to the server.

Wired Networks
As the name suggests hosts and other devices are connected by wires or cables. Mostly used
in LANs. Although, these days there are wireless LAN too.
a. Twisted Pair Cable : It's a pair of insulated wires that are twisted together to improve
electromagnetic capability and to reduce noise from outside sources.
These are available in CAT1, CAT2, CAT3, CAT4, CAT5, CAT6.
b. Coaxial Cable(coax) : It consists of a solid wire core surrounded by one or more foilor wire
shields, each separated by some kind of plastic insulator.
Most commonly used are thicknet, thinnet.
c. Fiber Optic Cable/ Optic Fiber Cable : It consists of a bundle of glass threads, eachthread is
capable of transmitting information modulated onto light waves.
Common Fiber Optic Cables are single node and multi-node.

Wireless Networks
Information is transferred using electromagnetic waves like IR(Infrared), RF(Radio frequencies),
satellite, etc. through environment/air as the media.
Wi-fi in home is an example of Wireless LAN. Satellites are used for Wireless WAN.Most
commonly used transmission media in wireless networks are :
a. Microwave : These are high frequency waves that can be used to transmit data overlong
distances. There's a transmitter, receiver & atmosphere.
e.g. Mobile phone calls
b. Radio waves : These are waves of frequency range 30Hz - 300GHz, used to transmit
television & radio. All radios use continuous sine waves to transmit information.
e.g. Wi-Fi also uses radio waves to transmit between devices and router.
c. Satellite(Satellite Microwave) : It's a microwave relay system which uses synchronoussatellite
to relay the radio signal transmitted from ground station. Communication satellites owned
by both govt. and pvt. organizations have been places in stationary orbits about 22,300
miles above the earth's surface. Satellite accepts signals transmitted from earth station,
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 amplify them, and return them to another earth station. It's used when we need to transmit data
over a very large distance.
d. Infrared : It uses infrared light to send data. This is found in everyday life - TV remotes,
automatic doors, wireless speakers. It transmits data through the air and canpropogate
throughout a room(bouncing off surfaces), but can't penetrate walls. It's become common in
PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant). It's considered to be a secure one.
e.g. hand held devices like palm pilots, etc.

Switching Techniques
1. Circuit Switching
The complete physical connection between two computers is established and then data is transmitted from
the source computer to the destination computer. A proper end-to-end path (connection) using a physical
copper wire is made.
2. Message Switching
Source computer sends data or the message to the switching office first, which stores the datain its
buffer. It then looks for a free link to another switching office and then sends the data to this office. This
process is continued until the data is delivered to the destination computers.
This is also known as store and forward.
3. Packet Switching
In Message switching, there's no limit on block size. Packet switching places a tight upper limiton block
size. Also in message switching, data packets are stored on the disk in message switching whereas in
packet switching, all packets of fixed size are stored in main memory.
This improves the performance as the access time is reduced, thus the overall performance of the
network is improved.

Bandwidth
Bandwidth(Width of allocated band of frequencies) is the difference between the highest and lowest
frequencies. High bandwidth channels are called Broadband. Low bandwidth channels are called
narrowband channels. It's unit is Hertz(same as frequency) which represents cycles per second. A
kilohertz(KHz) represents a thousand Hertz(Hz).
1 MegaHertz(MHz) = 1000 KiloHertz(KHz)
1 GigaHertz(GHz) = 1000 MegaHertz(MHz)
1 TetraHertz(THz) = 1000 GigaHertz(MHz)

Data Transfer Rates

It represents the amount of data transferred per second by a communication channel or acomputing or
storage device.
It's measured in units of bits per second(bps), bytes per second(Bps), or baud.
When "Kilo", "Mega", "Giga" prefixes are applied they denote power of 1000. Whereas in units of
storage they stand for powers of 1024. e.g. 1Kbps = 1000bps | 1KB = 1024bytes

1 Bps = 8 bps 1 KB = 1024 bytes

1 Kbps = 1000 bps 1 MB = 1024 KB
1 Mbps = 1000 Kbps 1 GB = 1024 MB
1 Gbps = 1000 Mbps 1 TB = 1024 GB or 2^40 bytes

Network Topology
The pattern of interconnection of nodes in a network is called Network Topology.

Star topology
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 It consists of a central node to which all other nodes are connected by a single path.
e.g. data processing, voice communication, etc.
• It is easy to install and wire.
• If one node fails, network stays stable.
• Connecting or removing devices doesn't affect the network.
• Diagnosis is easy.
Disadvantages
• Requires more cable length.
• If hub, switch, or concentrator fails, nodes attached are disabled.
More expensive than linear topology.

Bus or Linear Topology

It consists of a single transmission medium(generally coaxial cable) onto which variousnodes
are attached. Transmission from any node travels in both directions to the whole bus, and can
be received by all other stations. At both ends there are terminators which removes the
travelling data token from the network.
• It's easy to connect a computer to a linear bus.
Requires less cable length than a start topology.
• Entire network shuts down, if main
cable fails.
• Terminators are required at both ends.
• Diagnosis is difficult if entire network shuts down.
• Can't use it as a stand-alone topology in a large building.

Ring or Circular Topology

Each node is connected to exactly two neighboring nodes. Data is accepted from one of the
neighboring nodes and is transmitted onwards to another. Generally, data tokens travels in one
direction(unidirectional ring) from node to node around the ring. After passing through each node, it
returns to the sending node, which removes it or it stops until it has reached destination.
• All packets flow in one direction, reducing chances of packet collisions.A server is not
needed to control connectivity.
• Transfer speed is good.
• New nodes can be added without impacting performance of the network.
Disadvantages
• Data transferred must pass through each node which makes it slower than star topology.
• Entire network will be impacted if one workstation shuts down.
• Hardware needed to connect each workstation to the network is more expensive than
• hubs/switches and ethernet cards.

Mesh Topology
Each node is connected to more than one node, which provides and alternative route in thecase host
is either down or busy. It's excellent for long distance networking as it provides back-up &
rerouting which is ideal for distributed networks.
• Each connection can carry its own data load.
• It can mange high traffic as multiple devices can transmit work simultaneously.
• It's robust, provides security and privacy.
• Diagnosis is easy.
• Installation, configuration & Management is difficult.
Bulk wiring is required, cables cost is more.
• Chances of redundancy is high which leads to higher cost and lower effeciency.

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 Tree or Expanded Star Topology
It's the combination of linear bus and star topologies. Groups of star-configured workstations
connected to a linear bus backbone.
• It provides high security.
• Scalability is high as more leaf nodes(star-configured nodes) can be added.It uses point-to-
point wiring for individual segments.
• It's supported by several hardware and software vendors.If backbone
falls, individual star groups keep on working.
Disadvantages
• Overall cable length increases.
• If backbone falls all leaf nodes gets disconnected. Difficult to configure and wire than other
topologies. If hub, switch or concentrator fails, attached nodes gets disconnected.

NETWORK TERMINOLOGIES
NIC (Network Interface Card)
It's a special device attached to each node and the server which helps them establish all important
connections with the network. Each node's NIC has a unique number identifying it,known as the node
address.
NIC is also known as Terminal Access Point(TAP) or Network Interface Unit(NIU).

MAC address
Manufacturers assigns a unique physical address to each NIC card known as MAC address(Media
Access Control Address). It's a 6-byte address, each byte separated by a colon.

80 : 1A : 04 : 36 : 8E : 21

WiFi card
It's either an internal or external LAN(Local Area Network) adapter with a built-in wireless radioand
antenna. There are multiple types. Most common Wi-Fi cards used in desktop computers are PCI-
Express Wi-Fi cards made to fit the slot in motherboards.

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 MODEM(Modulator Demodulator)
This device is used to convert the digital signals into analog
signals(Audio Frequency tones)and vice versa. Mainly used to
connect telephone/radio lines to a computer terminal.
Internal modems are fixed within the computer. External
modems are connected externally as other nodes.

RJ45(Registered Jack 45) Connector

This 8-pin plug or jack is commonly used to connect computers
onto Ethernet-based localarea networks.

Ethernet Card
It's a NIC that connects a computer to a computer network. In most of t he new
computers the ethernet port is built into computer, whereas in the earlier
computer it was available on an expansion card that used to be plugged
into the motherboard.

Router
As the name suggests, it handles routes of the data packets. It's a networking device,
that forwards data packet between computer networks. This creates an overlay i
nternet connection which connects multiple independent networks. It's basic role
is to determine best possible route(shortest path) for the data packets to be
transmitted.

Hub
A hub is a connecting device which connects multiple computers together to form a LAN. It
connects multiple devices through RJ45 connectors in a star topology.
Signal entering any port is broadcasted out on all other ports.

Switch
It's a multi-ported device which connects multiple computers together
to form a LAN similarto hub, but switch is a smart hub. It has the
intelligence to send the data directly to the destination rather than broadcast
to whole network. Data packets received from one end are refreshed and
delivered to address of the destination.

Gateway
It's a device that connects dissimilar networks. As the name suggests it acts as an entrance toanother
network(maybe with different protocol structure). It's also called protocol converter as it convert data
packets from one protocol to other. It also conceals the IP address of the user sending out information,
outsiders can only see the IP address of the gateway.

Network Protocol
A protocol means the rules that are applicable for a network. It defines standardized formats for data
packets, techniques for detecting and correcting errors and so on. It's a formal description of message
formats and rules that devices must follow to exchange data seamlessly without any interruptions and
contradictions.

FTP(File Transfer Protocol)

It's a standard for the exchange of files across internet. Files of any type can be transferred, although type of
file needs to be specified. It's useful in transferring files from one network to other. Different groups can
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 co-operate on a same project even from long distances.

HTTP(Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

It's the set of rules for transferring hypertext that is text, graphic, image, sound, video, etc. on
WWW(World Wide Web). It has the required lightness and speed for distributive, collaborative,
hypermedia information systems. HTTP is also used as a generic protocol for communication
between user agents and gateways to other internet protocols such as SMTP,FTP, etc.

TCP/IP(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

It's the base communication protocol of the internet. IP uses numeric IP addresses to join network
segments and TCP provides reliable delivery of messages between computers on the network. It makes
sure all the data packets are sent and received correctly. TCP/IP is a layeredset of protocols.

PPP(Point to Point Protocols)

It's the Internet Standard for transmission of IP packets over serial lines. As the name suggests it's a
protocol used to establish direct connection between two computers(points) using telephone lines.

SMTP(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

It's the internet standard for electronic mail(e-mail) transmission across IP(Internet Protocols) networks. E-
mail server uses SMTP to send and receive mail messages, although user-level applications use SMTP
only for sending messages. For receiving messages, they usually useeither POP(Post Office Protocol) or
iMAP(internet Message Access Protocol).

POP(Post Office Protocol)

It's the standard protocol used by local e-mails clients to retrieve emails from a remote server over a
TCP/IP connection. POP(Post Office Protocol) or iMAP(internet Message Access Protocol) are the most
prevalent Internet standard protocols for email retrieval. POP3 is the current latest version which is
used by most webmail services like Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo mail.

Remote Login(Telnet)
It's a program that allows user to establish a virtual terminal connection between two machines
using TCP/IP. It's an internet utility that lets you log onto remote computer systems.

ARPANET(Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)

The U.S. Department of Defense sponsored a project named a ARPANET(Advanced Research Projects
Agency NETwork) to connect computers at different universities and U.S. defense, messages and data
were exchanged. It was the first wide-area packet-switching network withdistributed control, it was the
first network to implement the TCP/IP protocol.

Internet
It's a worldwide network of computer networks that evolved from the first network ARPANET. It's an
interconnection of large and small networks around the globe that allows all the computers to exchange
information with each other.
To accomplish connections between all computers there must be a common set of rules for
communication, known as protocols.

Wireless/Mobile Communication
It refers to the method of transferring information between devices without any physical
connection. e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Radio Waves, etc.

GSM(Global System for Mobile communication)

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GSM(Global System for Mobile communication) is a wide area wireless communications system that uses
digital radio transmission to provide voice, data, and multimedia communication services. It's one of the
leading digital cellular system. It uses TDMA(Time Division Multiple Access), which allows eight
simultaneous calls on the same radio frequency.

GPRS(General Packet Radio System)

GPRS is a third-generation technology for radio transmission of small packets of data especially
between mobile devices and internet. It's also known as GSM-IP(Global SystemMobile
Communications Internet Protocol) as it keeps user online and allows them to makevoice calls and
access internet.

WLL(Wireless in Local Loop)

WLL/WiLL is the system which connects subscribers to the Public Switched Telephone Network(PSTN)
through a radio link instead of copper wires. It's analogous to telephone service but wireless and more
capable. It's more reliable and enhanced technology which offers high quality data transmission. It has
much better bandwidth than traditional telephone system.

CDMA(Code Division Multiple Access)

This digital wireless telephony transmission technique uses spread-spectrum allows multiple
frequencies to be used simultaneously. Unlike GSM, that uses TDMA, CDMA doesn't assign a specific
frequency to each user. Instead, every channel uses the full available spectrum.

1G
1G networks(NMT, C-Nets, AMPS, TACS) are considered to be the first analog cellular systemsstarted
in 1980s. It was purely designed for voice calls with almost no consideration of data services.

2G(GSM)
2G networks(GSM, CDMAOne, D-AMPS) are the first digital cellular systems launched early 1990s,
offering improved sound quality, better security and higher total capacity. In CDMAtechnology,
data and voice packets are separated using codes and then transmitted using a wide frequency range.

2.5G
2.5G networks(GPRS, CDMA2000 1x) are enhanced versions of 2G networks with data rates upto
144kbps. GPRS offered first always-on data service.

3G
3G networks(UMTS FDD and TDD, CDMA2000 1x EVDO, CDMA2000 3x, TD-SCDMA, Arib
WCDMA, EDGE, IMT-2000 DECT) are 3rd generation wireless technologies with enhancements like
high-speed transmission, advanced multimedia access and global roaming. Stationary speedsof 2Mbps
and mobile speeds of 384kbps for a true 3G.

4G
4G is an improved version of 3G but only in terms of fast web-experience. It offers downlink data
rates over 100Mbps, low latency, very efficient spectrum use and low-cost implementations. It's also
referred as MAGIC(Mobile Multimedia, Anywhere, Global Mobility, Integrated Wireless & Customized
Services). 4G is convergence of wired and wireless networks, including GSM, WLAN and bluetooth as
well as computers, communication devices and others.

5G
5G is the fifth generation of broadband cellular networks began worldwide in 2019. 5G's service area
is divided into small geographical areas called cells. Devices in a cell are connectedto network by radio
waves through a local antenna in the cell. Greater bandwidth and higher download speeds eventually
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 upto 10Gbps. This increased speed is achieved partly by using higher frequency radio waves than
previous cellular networks. However they have a shorter range, requiring smaller geographic cells.

Mobile Processors
A mobile processor is a CPU chip designed for portable computers/mobile phones. It's typically housed
in a smaller chip package without fan, in order to run cooler it uses lower voltages than other
components. They have more sleep mode capabilities to conserve powerand prolonged battery life.
e.g. Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Exynos 990, Apple A14, etc.

Chat
It's an application to communicate with a person, group on internet in real time by typing text. We type a
message in our device which is immediately received by the recipient, then recipient can respond to our
message, which is received by us immediately.

Video Conferencing
It's a two-way video conversation between two or more participants on the internet or a private
network. Each user has a video camera, microphone and speaker on his/her computer,participants
speak to one another, they hear each other's voices and see a video image of otherparticipants.

Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP)

It's communication protocols and transmission technologies for delivery of voice communicationsand
multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol(IP) networks, such as the internet. VoIP is also known as IP
telephony, Internet telephony and broadband telephony.

Wi-Fi(Wireless Fidelity)
Wi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols, based on IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are
commonly used for local area networking of devices and internet access. Wi-Fi is a trademarkof Wi-Fi
Alliance, it's not a technical term, alliance has enforced its use to describe only a narrowrange of
connectivity technologies including wireless local area network(WLAN).

WiMAX
WiMAX(Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a family of wireless broadband
digital communication system. It can provide broadband wireless access(BWA) up to 50km for
fixed stations and 5-15km for mobile stations which is significantly larger than WiFi(30- 100m).
WiMax requires a tower called WiMax Base Station, similar to a cellphone tower, which is
connected to the Internet using a standard wired high-speed connection.

WWW(World Wide Web)

WWW is a set of protocols that allows you to access any document on the internet through anaming
system based on URLs. It also specifies a way(HTTP) to request and send a document over the
internet. Before WWW, Internet was mainly used for obtaining textual information. After WWW
internet popularity grew tremendously.

HTML(Hyper Text Markup Language)

HTML is the coding language used to create Hypertext documents for use on the World WideWeb. It's the
standard markup language for web pages.

XML(Extensible Markup Language)

It's a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both
human-readable and machine-readable. It was designed to store and transport data. It doesn't do anything,
it's just information wrapped in tags.

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URL(Uniform Resource Locator)
URL is a complete web address used to find a particular web page. It depends on several factors such as
type of server or protocol, name/address of the server on the internet, location of the file on the server.
e.g. www.cbse.nic.in

Domain Name
Domain name is a component of a URL, it's the identification string that defines the name of theparticular
website.

Website
A website is a collection of web pages usually containing hyperlinks to each others representing
information of a company or individual on the World Wide Web. It's a location on a net server which has
a unique URL.

Web Browser
It's a client software that is used to access various kinds of internet resources using HTTP which also helps us
navigate through World Wide Web and display web pages.
e.g. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, etc.

Web Servers
It's a computer that stores data and makes them available to rest of the world(Internet). Aserver may be
dedicated, meaning its sole purpose is to be a web server. A non-dedicated server can be used for
basic computing in addition to acting as a server. It responds to the requests made by web browsers.

Web Hosting
It's a service that allows user to upload and store a website's HTML documents and other data on a web
server. It makes the file available on the World Wide Web to be used by public. It's also known as
site hosting.

Networking MCQ Questions -1 Mark

1 A computer network:
(a) Is a collection of hardware components and computers
(b) Is interconnected by communication channels
(c) Allows sharing of resources and information
(d) All of the above

2 MAN Stands for _____.

(a) Metropolitan Area Network
(b) Main Area Network
(c) Metropolitan Access Network
(d) Metro Access Network

3 Which of these is not an example of unguided media?

(a) Optical Fibre Cable
(b) Radio wave
(c) Bluetooth
(d) Satellite
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4 In which topology are all the nodes connected through a single Coaxial cable?
(a) Star
(b) Tree
(c) Bus
(d) Ring

5 What is a standalone computer?

(a) A computer that is not connected to a network
(b) A computer that is being used as a server
(c) A computer that does not have any peripherals attached to it
(d) A computer that is used by only one person

6 Central Computer which is more powerful than other computers in the network is called
_____________.
(a) Client
(b) Server
(c) Hub
(d) Switch

7 Network in which every computer is capable of playing the role of a client, or a server or
both at same time is called
(a) peer-to-peer network
(b) local area network
(c) dedicated server network
(d) wide area network

8 Which transmission media is capable of having a much higher bandwidth (data

capacity)?
(a) Coaxial
(b) Twisted pair cable
(c) Untwisted cable
(d) Fiber optic

9 Which type of transmission media is the least expensive?

(a) Coaxial
(b) Twisted pair cable
(c) CAT cable
(d) Fiber optic

10 Find the odd one transmission media from the following?

(a) Coaxial cable
(b) Twisted pair cable
(c) CAT cable
(d) LAN cable

11 Which of these components is internal to a computer and is required to connect the

computer to a network ?
(a) Wireless Access Point
(b) Network Interface card
(c) Switch
(d) Hub
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12 A device that forwards data packet from one network to another is called a
(a) Bridge
(b) Router
(c) Hub
(d) Gateway

13 Hub is a
(a) Broadcast device
(b) Uni-cast device
(c) Multi-cast device
(d) None of the above

14 Switch is a
(a) Broadcast device
(b) Uni-cast device
(c) Multi-cast device
(d) None of the above

15 Which of the following is not a type of cloud?

(a) Private
(b) Public
(c) Protected
(d) Hybrid

16 Protocols are
(a) Agreements on how communication components and devices are to communicate
(b) Logical communication channels for transferring data
(c) Physical communication channels used for transferring data
(d) None of above

17 In computers, converting a digital signal into an analogue signal is called

(a) modulation
(b) demodulation
(c) conversion
(d) transformation

18 A firewall is
(a) An established network performance reference point.
(b) Software or hardware used to secureagainstrd a private network from a public
network.
(c) A virus that infects macros.
(d) A predefined encryption key used to encrypt and decrypt data transmissions.

19 What is the address size of IPv4?

(a) 32 bit
(b) 64 bit
(c) 128 bit
(d) 256 bit

20 What is the address size of IPv6?

(a) 32 bit
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 (b) 64 bit
(c) 128 bit
(d) 256 bit

21 What factors should be considered when selecting the appropriate cable for connecting a
PC to a network? (Choose two)
(a) type of system bus
(b) motherboard model
(c) computer manufacturer
(d) distance of cable and speed of transmission

22 Which cable connectors are used to connect a cat6 cable from a router's console port to a
PC?
(a) RJ-11
(b) RJ-12
(c) RJ-45
(d) none

23 Bionic Connector is used for ___________.

(a) CAT6 Cable
(b) Coaxial Cable
(c) Twisted pair cable.
(d) Fiber Cable

24 Which of the following devices can be used at the centre of a star topology?
(a) Router
(b) Repeater
(c) Modem
(d) Hub

25 Data is converted in a form so as to travel over telephone lines using this device.
(a) Modem
(b) Hub
(c) Switch
(d) Router

26 Network device that regenerates and retransmits the whole signal is _____.
(a) Modem
(b) Hub
(c) Repeater
(d) Bridge

27 Network device which connects networks of similar types (same protocols).

(a) Hub
(b) Router
(c) Bridge
(d) Gateway

28 Network device which connects dissimilar networks (different protocols).

(a) Hub
(b) Router
(c) Bridge
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 (d) Gateway

29 Networks devices that sends the data over optimizing paths through connected hops is
(a) Hub
(b) Router
(c) Bridge
(d) Gateway

30 Which of these is not a part of URL?

(a) IP address
(b) Port Number
(c) Domain Name
(d) None of these

31 Which portion of the URL below records the directory or folder of the desired resource ?
http://www.somestore.com/firstfloor/shoes.htm
(a) http
(b) firstfloor
(c) shoes.htm
(d) www.somestore.com

32 In URL, http://www.pacein.com/pr/main.htm, which component identifies the protocol?

(a) http
(b) www.pacein.com
(c) /pr/main.htm
(d) none

33 URLs are of two types:

(a) Absolute & Relative
(b) Static & Dynamic
(c) Absolute & Dynamic
(d) None of the above

34 In an email address, the characters following '@' character represent

(a) User name
(b) E-mail Recipient
(c) Domain name
(d) None of these

35 Which one of the following is not a network topology?

a) Star
b)Ring
c)Bus
d)Peer to Peer

36 Mbps stand for

(a) Megabyte per second
(b) Megabit per second
(c) Multibyte per second
(d) Multibit per second

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37 A_______is a data communication system within a building, plant, orcampus, or between
nearby buildings.
a) MAN
b)LAN
c)WAN
d) None of the above

38 Bluetooth is an example of
a) Wide area network
b) Virtual private network
c) Local area network
d) Personal area network

39 MAC address is of ___________

a) 24 bits
b) 36 bits
c) 42 bits
d) 48 bits

40 DNS is the abbreviation of

a) Dynamic Name System
b) Dynamic Network System
c) Domain Name System
d) Domain Network Service

41 What is the meaning of Bandwidth in Network?

a) Transmission capacity of a communication channels
b) Connected Computers in the Network
c) Class of IP used in Network
d) None of Above

42 Which of the following protocol is used for remote terminal connection service?
a) RARP
b) UDP
c) FTP
d) TELNET

43 Which of the following is considered as the unsolicited commercial email?M

a) Virus
b)Malware
c)Spam
d)All of the above

44 It allows a visited website to store its own information about a user on the user’s
computer:
a) Spam
b)cookies
c)Malware
d)Adware

45 In which of the following switching methods, the message is divided into small
packets?
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 a) Message switching
b) Packet switching
c) Circuit switching
d) None of these

46 Which of the following switch methods creates a point-to-point physical connection

between two or more computers?
a) Message switching
b) Packet switching
c) Circuit switching
d) None of these

47 MAC address is also called ______.

a) Physical address
b)Logical address
c)Source address
d)Destination address

48 Which of the following cable consist of a solid wire core surrounded by one or more
foil or wire shields?
a) Ethernet Cables
b)Coaxial Cables
c)Fibre Optic Cables
d)Power Cable

49 A collection of hyperlinked documents on the internet forms the ?

a) World Wide Web (WWW)
b)E-mail system
c)Mailing list
d)Hypertext

50 TELNET used _________ protocol for data connection

a) TCP
b) UDP
c) IP
d) DHCP

Expanded form
1. ARPANET: Advanced Research Projects Agency NETwork
2. NSFnet: National Science Foundation network
3. Internet: Inter networking
4. TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol
5. NIU: Network Interface Unit
6. TAP: Terminal Access Point
7. NIC: Network Interface Card
8. MAC Address: Media Access Control Address
9. bps: bits per second
10. Bps: Bytes per second
11. kbps: kilo bits per second
12. Kbps: Kilo bytes per second
13. mbps: mega bits per second
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14. Mbps: mega bytes per second
15. kHz: kilohertz
16. MHz: megahertz
17. GHz: gigahertz
18. THz: terahertz
19. LAN: Local Area Network
20. UTP: Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable
21. CAT1: Category 1 UTP cable (same acronym for other CATs)
22. STP: Shielded Twisted Pair Cable
23. LEDs: Light Emitting Diodes
24. LDs: Laser Diodes
25. PDAs: Personal Digital Assistants / Personal Data Assistant
26. WAN: Wide Area Network
27. MAN: Metropolitan Area Network
28. PAN: Personal Area Network
29. P-P link: Point to Point Link
30. Modem: Modulator – Demodulator
31. RTS: Request To Send
32. RJ-45: Registered Jack-45
33. DEC: Digital Equipment Corporation (company that made Ethernet)
34. RJ-11: Registered Jack-11
35. BNC: Bayone-Neill-Concelman
36. AUI connector: Attachment Unit Interface (15 pin connector)
37. subnets: subnetworks (also called LAN segments)
38. SNA: Systems Network Architecture
39. ISP: Internet Service Provider
40. OSI model: Open Systems Interconnection Model
41. IP address: Internet Protocol Address
42. FDDI networks: Fiber Distributed Data Interface networks
43. NOSS: Networking Operating System Software
44. ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network
45. AP: Access Point
46. NFS: Network File System
47. HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol
48. WWW: World Wide Web
49. URI: Uniform Resource Identifier
50. URL: Uniform Resource Locator
51. URN: Uniform Resource Name
52. MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
53. SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
54. NNTP: Network News Transfer Protocol
55. FTP: File Transfer Protocol
56. PPP: Point to Point Protocols
57. GSM: Global System for Mobile communications
58. SIM: Subscriber Identification Module / Subscriber Identity Module
59. CDMA: Code-Divison Multiple Access
60. WLL/WiLL: Wireless in Local Loop
61. PBX: Private Branch Exchange
62. PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network
63. GPRS: General Packet Radio Service
64. LTE: Long Term Evolution
65. SMS: Short Message Service
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66. VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol
67. Wi-Fi: Wireless Fidelity
68. WiMAX: Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
69. EDGE: Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution
70. Telnet: Teletype Network
71. HTML: Hypertext Markup Language
72. DNS: Domain Name System
73. POP: Post Office Protocol
74. XML: eXtensible Markup Language
75. DHTML: Dynamic HTML
76. SSL: Secure Socket Layer

Short Answer Type Questions 2 marks

1. Write two features of LAN
• Can spread in a room or small area.
• Established with twisted pair cable or wi-fi.

2. Write the two features of PAN.

• Established with USB cable, Bluetooth or infrared.
• Very small area upto few feet.
• Ad-hoc network. Devices can join and leave anytime.
• Less secure.

3. Write any two advantages of co-axial cable.

• High bandwidth.
• Can be used for upto 500 mtr distance.

4.What is RJ 45 connector?
• Used with twisted pair cable
• Full form is Registered Jack
• Plugin to network devices
• Primarily for LANs

5. Write features of Tree topology.

• No cycle
• Connection to all PCs
• Either direct or through other PCs
• Can say, it is a group of stars
• A fault breakdowns the network

6. Write features of Mesh topology.

• Connected in many to many concept.
• Fastest connection topology
• Very costly
• Lots of cable required
• Robust network
• High speed

7. What is peer to peer network?

• Only two devices
• Can have separate wires
• Easiest
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• More secure than others

8. What is Ethernet Card?

• A hardware for connecting nodes
• Transmit data to network from computer
• Receive data from network to computer
• Can connect one cable or more

9. What is repeater?
• Repeater is a network device used to boost the signal.
• Used to boost the signals to send for long distance.
• Also known as signal booster.
• Its task is to amplify the signal.

10. Explain networking Hub.

• A Hub is a networking device that allows you to connect multiple PCs to a single network.
• It is used to connect segments of a LAN.
• A hub stores various ports, so when a packet arrives at one port, it is copied to various other ports.
• Hub works as a common connection point for devices in a network.

11. What is cloud computing?

Answer:
The sharing of compute resources (dedicated, time-shared, or dynamically shared servers) and related
infrastructure components (load balancers, firewalls, network storage, developer tools, monitors and
management tools) to facilitate the deployment and operation of web and network based applications.
Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, similar to a
utility (like the electricity grid) over a net-work.

12. What is MODEM?

MODEM stands for Modulator/Demodulator. It is device used to convert analog signal to digital signal
and vice versa. It is basically used to run internet on your computer/device.

13. What is RJ45?

RJ45 stands for Registered Jack 45. It is an 8 wire connector used to connect computers on a. LAN or
Ethernet Card.

14. What is switching and its types?

Switching is the technique of transmitting information from one device/network to another.

There are three types of switching.

i. Circuit Switching: In packet switching, a physical communication link is established between source
and destination computer/device before transmitting information.
ii. Message Switching: In message switching, information is transferred from source computer to first
switching office, then a communication path is established with another switching office. From there it is
transferred to destination computer.
iii. Packet Switching: In packet switching, information is transferred from source computer to destination
computer in the form of fixed sized blocks known as packets.

15. What is a Hub?

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Hub is a device having multiple ports used for interconnecting multiple computers together.
Hub provides shared bandwidth to all connected computers.
Hubs are of two types.
i. Active hub : It amplify the signal when it moves from one computer to another.
ii. Passive hub: It allows the signal to pass from one computer to another without any change.

16. What is a Switch

A switch is a device used to interconnect computers on a network but it provides dedicated bandwidth to
all connected computers.

17. What is a Bridge?

A bridge is a network device used to interconnect two networks that follow same protocols.

18. What is a Router?

A router is a network device used to interconnect networks having different protocols. Router forwards
data from one computer to another by shortest path.

19. What is a Gateway?

A gateway is a network device used to interconnect dissimilar networks. It establishes an intelligent

connection between local networks with completely different structures.

20. What is WiFi Card?

A WiFi card is an internal or external Local area network adapter with a builtin wireless radio and antenna.

21. Differentiate between Bus and Star topology of network.

Bus topology Star topology

Bus topology is linear Star topology is non linear
Less cable required More cable required
No switch or hub is uses to connect computer switch or hub is used to connect computer

22. In networking, what is WAN? How is it different from LAN?

Answer:
WAN (Wide Area Network):
A communication network that uses such devices as telephone lines, satellite, dishes, or radiowaves to
span a larger geographic area which cannot be covered by a LAN.

23. Define the term bandwidth. Give any one unit of bandwidth.
Answer:
Bandwidth is referred as the volume of information per unit of time that a transmission medium (like an
internet connection) can handle.
OR
The amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time is known as bandwidth. For digital
devices, the bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second. For analog
devices, the bandwidth is expressed in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz).

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 24. What is the difference between LAN and MAN?
Answer:
LAN: It is Local Area Network. The diameter is not more than a single building.
WAN: It is Metropolitan Area Network. LAN spans a few kms while MAN spans 5-50 km diameter and
is larger than a LAN.

25. Explain any two switching techniques used in networking.

Answer:
Message Switching: It is similar to Post-office mailing system. A temporary link is established for one
message transfer.
Packet Switching: It is a form of store and forward switching system which stores the message as small
packets at the switch nodes and then transmits it to the destination.

Case Study Based Type Questions (5 marks)

Q1. An App. Development Company has set up its new center at Bhubaneswar for its office and web based
activities. It has 4 blocks of buildings named Block A, Block B, Block C, Block D.

No of Computers in each Block Distance between various blocks

Block A 25 Block A to Block B 60 Mtrs
Block B 50 Block B to Block C 140 Mtrs
Block C 125 Block C to Block A 130 Mtrs
Block D 10 Block D to Block C 90 Mtrs

a) Suggest the most suitable place (i.e. block) to house the server of this companywith a suitable reason.
b) Suggest the ideal layout to connect all the blocks with a wired connectivity.
c) Which device will you suggest to be placed/installed in each of these blocks to efficiently connect all the
computers within these blocks.
d) Suggest the placement of a repeater in the network with justification.
e) Suggest the best topology for block C if available hub/switch maximum number of port is 24.

Q2. AIIMS is setting up its center in Bhubaneswar with four specialized departments for Orthopedics,
Neurology and Pediatrics along with an administrative office in separate buildings. The physical distances
between these department buildings and the number of computers to be installed in these departments and
administrative office are given as follows.
You, as a network expert, have to answer the queries as raised by them in (i) to (iv).
Shortest distances between various locations in metres :
Administrative Office to Orthopedics Unit 55
Neurology Unit to Administrative Office 30
Orthopedics Unit to Neurology Unit 70
Pediatrics Unit to Neurology Unit 50
Pediatrics Unit to Administrative Office 40
Pediatrics Unit to Orthopedics Unit 110
Number of Computers installed at various locations are as follows
Pediatrics Unit 40
Administrative Office 140
Neurology 50
Orthopedics Unit 80

(i) Suggest the most suitable location to install the main server of this institution to get
efficient connectivity.
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 (ii) Suggest the best cable layout for effective network connectivity of the building having
server with all the other buildings.
(iii) Suggest the devices to be installed in each of these buildings for connecting computers
installed within the building out of the following:
• Switch
• Gateway
(iv) Suggest a device/software to be installed in the given network to take care of data security.
(v) Suggest an efficient as well as economic wired medium to be used within each unit for
connecting computer systems out of the following network cable : Co-axial Cable, Ethernet
Cable, Single Pair Telephone Cable.

Q3. Pixel Design and Training Institute is setting up its centre in Jodhpur with four specialised units for
Design, Media, HR and Training in separate buildings. The physical distances between these units and the
number of computers to be installed in these units are given as follows.
You as a network expert, have to answer the queries as raised by the administrator as given in (i) to (v).
Shortest distances between various locations in metres :
Design Unit to Media Unit 60
Design Unit to HR Unit 40
Design Unit to Training Unit 60
Media Unit to Training Unit 100
Media Unit to HR Unit 50
Training Unit to HR Unit 60
Number of computers installed at various locations are as follows :
Design Unit 40
Media Unit 50
HR Unit 110
Training Unit 40

i) Suggest the most suitable location to install the main server of this institution to get efficient
connectivity.
(ii) Suggest by drawing the best cable layout for effective network connectivity of the building having
server with all the other units.
(iii) Suggest the devices to be installed in each of these buildings for connecting computers installed within
each of the units.
(iv) Suggest an efficient as well as economic wired medium to be used within each unit for connecting
computer systems out of the following network cable :
Co-axial Cable, Ethernet Cable, Single Pair Telephone Cable.
(v) Suggest a protocol that shall be needed to provide Video Conferencing solution between Jodhpur and
HQ which is situated in Delhi.

Q4. Dal-Tech is planning to start their offices in four major cities in India to provide regional IT infrastructure
support in the field of Education and Culture. The company has planned to setup their head office in New
Delhi in three locations and have name their New Delhi office as “Sales Office”, “Head Office” and “Tech
Office”. The company’s regional offices are located in “Coimbatore”, “Kolkata”, and “Ahmedabad”.
Approximate distance between these office as per network survey team is as follows:

Place From Place TO Distance

Head Office Sales Office 10 km
Head Office Tech Office 70 mtr
Tech Office Sales Office 50 mtr
Head Office Kolkata Office 1291 Km
Head Office Ahmedabad Office 790 Km
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 Head Office Coimbatore Office 1952 Km
In continuation of the above, the company expert has planned to install the following number of computer
in each of their offices:
Head Office 100
Sales Office 20
Tech Office 50
Kolkata Office 50
Ahmedabad Office 50
Coimbatore Office 50

a) Suggest network type for connecting each of the following set of their offices:
• Head Office and Tech Office
• Head Office and Coimbatore Office
b) Which device you will suggest to be procured by the company for connecting all the computers with in
each of their offices.
c) Which of the following communication media, you will suggest to be procured by the company for
connecting their local offices in New Delhi for very effective and fast communication.
Telephone Cable ii) Optical fibre iii) Ethernet cable
d) Suggest a Cable /Wiring layout for connecting the company’s local offices located in New Delhi.
e) Suggest the most suitable location to install the main server of this institution to get efficient connectivity.

Q5. Don Corporation is a professional IT company. The company is planning to set up their new offices in
India with its hub at Delhi. The company has 03 Block named Conference Block, Finance Block, and Human
Resource Block.
Suggest them the best available solutions based on the queries (i) to (v) as mentioned below :
Block to Clock distance in Meters :
• Human Resource to Conference Block – 55 mtr.
• Human Resource to Finance – 110 mtr
• Conference to Finance – 90 mtr.
No. of computers to be installed in each block :-
• Human Resource – 150
• Finance - 45
• Conference – 75
(i) What will be the most appropriate block, where Don Corporation should plan to house the
server?
(ii) Suggest the cable layout to connect all the buildings in the most appropriate manner for
efficient communication.
(iii) What will the best suitable connectivity out of the following to connect the offices in
Bangalore with its New York based office.
(a) Infrared (b) Satellite Link (c ) Ethernet Cable
(b) Suggest the placement of the following devices with justification.
(c) Hub / Switch (b) Repeater
(iv) Which service / protocol will be most helpful to conduct the live interactions of Experts from
New York to Human Resource Block.
(v) Suggest a device/software to be installed in the given network to take care of data security.

Hint/Answer Q1:
a) Block C. Reason: Highest number of computer.
b)

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 c) Switch
d) Between A and C, because length is more than 100 Mtrs.
e) Tree topology

Hint/Answer Q2:
(i) Administrative Office. Reason: Highest number of computer.
(ii)

(iii) Switch
(iv) Firewall
(v) Ethernet Cable

Hint/Answer Q3:
(i) HR Unit. Reason: Highest number of computer.
(ii)

(iii) Switch/Hub
(iv) Ethernet Cable
(v) VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

Hint/Answer Q4:
a)
LAN : Head Office and Tech Office
WAN: Head Office and Coimbatore Office
b) Switch/Hub
c) Ethernet cable
d)

e) Head Office

Hint/Answer Q5:
(i) Human Resource. Reason: Highest number of computer.
(ii)
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(iii) (b) Satellite Link
(iv) VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
(v) Firewall

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