DATA COMMUNICATIONS CE-312

ASSIGNMENT # 1

DUE DATE: 10th, September 2014
Part A (Chapter 1 & 2)

Question 1: Name the seven layers of the OSI Reference Model. Why did the creators of the OSI
Reference Model decide to have seven layers? Can you propose a better reference model for
computer networks? Name four other models that have been proposed for the same purpose other
than the OSI reference model.

Ans:


Question 2: What are the origins of the DOD model for computer communications and
networks? Is it better than the OSI Reference Model?
Question 3: Is the network layer implemented in hardware or software and why is it done that
way?
Question 4: Compare and contrast between the transport layer and the data link layer.
Question 5: What is the difference between a router and a gateway?
Question 6: Name the highest layer on which each one of the following entities operates:
1. Four Port Token Ring Bridge
2. Modem
3. FTP Server
4. FTP Client
5. Netmeeting Software
6. Network Interface Card
7. Router
8. Internet Explorer
9. Ethernet Switch
10. Ethernet Hub
Question 7: What is a PDU? Give examples with figures of two real world PDUs.
Question 8: A color image uses 16 bits to represent a pixel. What is the maximum number of different
colors that can be represented?
Question 9: Assume six devices are arranged in a mesh topology. How many cables are needed?
Question 10: How many ports are needed for each device?For each of the following four networks,
discuss the consequences if a connection fails.
a. Five devices arranged in a mesh topology
b. Five devices arranged in a star topology (not counting the hub)
c. Five devices arranged in a bus topology
d. Five devices arranged in a ring topology

Question 11: You have two computers connected by an Ethernet hub at home. Is this a LAN, a
MAN, or a WAN? Explain your reason.
Question 12: Draw a hybrid topology with a star backbone and three ring networks.
Question 13: Draw a hybrid topology with a ring backbone and two bus networks.
Question 14: Performance is inversely related to delay. When you use the Internet, which of the
following applications are more sensitive to delay?
a. Sending an e-mail
b. Copying a file
c. Surfing the Internet
Question 15: When a party makes a local telephone call to another party, is this a point-to-point
or multipoint connection? Explain your answer.
Question 16: In Figure 2.22, computer A sends a message to computer D via LANl, router Rl,
and LAN2. Show the contents of the packets and frames at the network and datalink layer for
each hop interface.
Question 17: In Figure 2.22, assume that the communication is between a process running at
computer A with port address i and a process running at computer D with port address j. Show
the contents of packets and frames at the network, data link, and transport layer for each hop.


Part B (Chapter 3)

Question 1: If a binary signal is sent over a 4 kHz telephone channel whose signal to noise ratio
is 30 dB, what is the maximum achievable data rate?

Question 2: What signal to noise ratio is needed to put an T1 carrier on a 100 kHz line? For the
data rate of an T1 signal consult a reference.

Question 3: It is desired to send a sequence of computer screen images over an optical fiber. The
screen is 800 X 600 pixels using 256 colors. There are 30 screen images per second. How much
bandwidth is needed to transmit this signal using binary signaling?

Question 4: How long does it take to transmit an 8 inch by 10 inch image by facsimile over an
ISDN B channel? The facsimile digitizes the image into 400 pixels per inch and assigns 2 bits
per pixel. For the data rate of an ISDN consult a reference.
Question 5: Television channels are 6 MHz wide. How many bits/sec can be sent if 8 level
digital signals are used? Assume a noiseless channel.

Question 6: Given a channel with an intended capacity of 25 Mbps. The bandwidth of the
channel is 4 MHz What signal to noise ratio is required in order to achieve this capacity?

Question 7: Suppose that a digitized television picture is to be transmitted from a source that uses
a matrix of 1600 by 1200 picture elements (pixels), where each pixel represents one of 65,536
colors. Assume that 30 pictures (frames) are sent per second.
(a) Find the data rate R of the source in bits per second.
(b) Assume that the picture is to be transmitted over a 10 MHz channel with channel capacity
equal to the data rate required for the signal. If M-ary signaling is to be used to accommodate the
video signal on the channel what smallest value of M is required?

Question 8: Is Nyquist Theorem true for optical fiber, or only for copper wire?

Question 9: [For part (a) and (b) consult text book]
(a) Imagine a Signal travels through a transmission medium and its power is reduced to half.
Calculate the attenuation (loss of power) in dB?
(b) Imagine a Signal travels through an amplifier and its power is increased 10 times. Calculate
the amplification (gain of power) in dB?
(c) We can calculate the theoretical highest bit rate of a regular telephone line. A telephone line
normally has a bandwidth of 3000Hz (300Hz to 3300Hz). The Signal-to-Noise ratio is usually
35dB. For this channel calculate the highest bit rate? If we want to send data faster than this,
what can we do?

Question 10: We measure the performance of a telephone line (4 KHz of bandwidth). When the
signal is 20V, the noise is 6mV. What is the maximum data rate supported by this telephone
line?

Question 11: What is the total delay (latency) for a frame of 10 million bits that is being sent on a
link with 15 routers each having a queuing time of 2ms and the processing time of 1ms? The
length of the link is 3000Km. The speed of the light inside the link is 2x10m/s. The link has a
bandwidth of 6 Mbps. Which component of the total delay is dominant? Which one is
negligible?

Question 12: A TV channel has a bandwidth of 6MHz? if we send a digital signal using one
channel, what are the data rates if we once harmonic, three harmonics, and five harmonics?

Question 13: A non-periodic composite signal contains frequencies from 10 to 40 KHz. The peak
amplitude is 12V for the lowest and the highest signals and is 30V for the 20 KHz signal.
Assuming that the amplitudes change gradually from the minimum to the maximum, draw
frequency spectrum.

Question 14: What is the bandwidth of a signal that can be decomposed into five sine waves with
frequencies at 0, 30, 40, 120, and 300Hz? All peak amplitudes are the same. Draw the
bandwidth.

Question 15: The light of the sun takes approximately eight minutes to reach the earth. What is
the distance between the sun and the earth?