CSC 824: Advanced Computer Communications a
nd Networks – practice and discussion Questions
Channel and Information Theory
1. Explain Shannon’s channel capacity theorem for an analog communication channel
with AWGN, and derive the capacity formula.
2. Define the entropy of a discrete random source and explain its significance in information t
heory.
Switching, Multiplexing, and Resource Sharing
3. Compare circuit switching and packet switching. What are their main characteristics,
advantages, and disadvantages?
4. Describe frequency-division, time-division, and statistical multiplexing. Give example
s of each.
5. Explain the differences between virtual circuit and datagram packet-switching networks. Li
st the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Multiple Access Protocols
6. Compare Pure ALOHA and Slotted ALOHA. How do their throughput efficiencies di
ffer?
7. What is pure ALOHA and slotted ALOHA? Consider the delay at both low loads. Which
one is less? Explain your answer.
8. Describe persistent and non-persistent CSMA, and explain how CSMA/CD works.
9. Explain in detail the CSMA Protocol and the CSMA /CD protocols, and how they detect c
ollisions.
10. Explain the token-passing medium access method and compare it with CSMA approaches.
Error Detection and Correction
12. What is a Hamming code, and how does it detect and correct errors?
13. Explain the principle of Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) and how it is used for err
or detection.
Reliable Transmission and Flow Control
14. Compare Stop-and-Wait, Go-Back-NNN, and Selective Repeat ARQ protocols. Wha
t are the benefits of each?
15. What is sliding-window flow control? How does selective retransmission interact with flo
w control?
Network Architecture and Models
16. Describe the OSI 7-layer model and its purpose. How does it compare to the Internet
(TCP/IP) model?
17. Differentiate between a network service and a network protocol.
18. What is the TCP/IP Model? Explain the functions, protocols, and services of each layer.
Compare with the OSI Layer Model.
19. Briefly introduce queueing theory as applied to network nodes. What does an M/M/1 que
ue represent, and what is its utilization factor?
Physical Media and LAN
20. List the main categories of physical transmission media and give examples of each.
21. What is a network bridge (or switch) in a LAN, and how does bridging differ from r
outing?
WAN and Routing
22. Describe common WAN technologies and point-to-point link protocols.
23. Compare distance-vector and link-state routing algorithms. What are their key features?
Naming, Addressing, and Routing
24. Explain the role and structure of the Domain Name System (DNS). How does name resol
ution work?
25. Describe IPv4 addressing and how IP forwarding works. What is the significance of a 32-
bit address space?
26. What is ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), and how is it used in IPv4 networks?
Transport and Application Layers
27. Contrast TCP and UDP in terms of reliability, connection orientation, and use cases.
28. What are transport-layer port numbers, and how does TCP implement congestion control?
29. Give examples of key application-layer protocols and their typical uses.
Internet Architecture
30. What is meant by “internetworking” (the Internet)? Describe IP’s datagram forwarding m
odel.
Cybersecurity and Modern Networks
31. Discuss common types of cybercrime and basic cybersecurity solutions or framewor
ks.
32. Recognise, assess and counter the cybersecurity threats faced by today’s enteprise networ
ks
33. Case Study: A global financial firm plans to deploy an SD-WAN overlay and migrate cri
tical applications to a multi-cloud environment. As CISO, you must ensure network agility do
es not compromise security.
a. Identify five security requirements unique to SD-WAN in a cloud-centric architecture.
b. Propose a defense-in-depth design integrating SD-WAN, cloud security controls (e.g., C
ASB, ZTNA), and traditional firewalls.
34. a. Define Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability in your own words.
b. For each pillar, describe two technical controls that enforce it (e.g., encryption, hash-base
d checks, RAID).
c. Provide a real-world scenario in which a failure of exactly one pillar (choose any) leads to
a significant security incident.
IPv6
35. What are the main features and improvements of IPv6 compared to IPv4?
36. What is IPv6? Explain its advantages over IPv4. Also, explain its frame format.
4G LTE
37. Outline the architecture of 4G LTE (4GPP) networks and their key components.
38. Explain the radio access modulation in LTE. What are OFDMA and SC-FDMA, and why
are they used?
39. Describe the main security features built into the 4G LTE architecture (e.g., mutual authe
ntication via AKA, confidentiality/integrity of air-interface).
40a. Explain how an attacker might exploit a rogue base station (“IMSI catcher”) and how L
TE’s security mitigates—but does not entirely prevent—such attacks.
40b. Propose additional measures (network- or device-side) to strengthen LTE security again
st IMSI catchers.
