Raymond Pierce

11/4/2015

COMP 204 Homework 1

Answer the following questions based on your reading of the text book, the module
key points, and the instructors presentation this week.
1. [3 points] The textbook lists four examples of popular communications tools:
instant messaging, blogs, podcasting, and wikis. Identify at least two other
communications tools that network technologies have enabled, provide a
general description for each, and a web-link to an example product that
implements such a tool.
Social media sites. Website that hosts profiles, where people can post
statuses, pictures, and other random information about their kids, and pets.
www.facebook.com
Web Streaming Video services Content hosting site that provides streaming
video. www.hulu.com
2. [3 points] A network consists of four elements: protocols, messages, medium,
and devices. Alice wants to send a letter from US to her friend Ivan in Russia.
Identify the four network elements that are used in this scenario. Also, list the
steps that take place in order to carry out this task.
Protocols The addresses and formats agreed to make the exchange of the
language, for example Alices return address, Ivans Russian address, the
agreed upon stamp and size of envelope.
Messages the actual communication. Alices letter to Ivan.
Medium The postal carriers that move the letter from the US to Russia, and
then to Ivan
Devices Alice, and Ivan
Alice creates her letter, and then following the protocols assigned by the postal
office, she mails the letter. The post office reads the address and routes the
message over various transportation methods until it arrives at a local post
office in Russia. Once there, it is delivered to Ivan.
3.

[3 points] Compare and contrast circuit- and packet-switched networks.

What kinds of applications are reasonable for each kind of network? Why?
Circuit switched networks use a dedicated point to point connection to send
messages. A packet switched network uses shared lines to have destination
addresses in each packet.

Telephone systems use circuit-switched networking. This allows a direct

communication over a dedicated channel. This type is more efficient with
smaller amounts of endpoints, one phone per household.
Internet traffic is packet-switched. It allows a huge number of endpoints share
links.
4.

[5 points] Priority queuing as a means of ensuring quality of service is a hotly

debated political topic in networking and is often discussed under the heading
of Network Neutrality. From the perspective of an internet service provider,
summarize the arguments against network neutrality. From the perspective of
a broadband consumer, summarize the arguments for network neutrality.
Against Net neutrality Charging everyone the same price isnt fair, use more
pay more. Unfair playing field for smaller businesses that cannot afford to buy
large amounts of bandwidth. Increased government oversight, with the
potential to increase taxes.
For Net neutrality Removes data shaping, and screening allowing any traffic
to be sent over the internet. Less restrictions, and more free speech. More
dumb pipes to allow traffic to be sent as needed.

5.

[2 points] What is segmentation? What are its advantages and

disadvantages?
Segmentation is the process of splitting computer networks into subnets. This
allows the network to have more performance and security. It splits the number
of hosts on the network. It isolates network problems, and can reduce
congestion. It does require a more complex setup, with switches, or routers to
implement the segmentation. Increases the time to setup.

6.

[2 points] How are the following three concepts interrelated: LAN, WAN, and
internetwork?
These three concepts are all networks, just the scope changes between them.
LAN generally would be a smaller local network traffic, like an office building. A
WAN would be utilized by a service provider, and internetwork can link
anywhere in the world. All three can be used at once, a machine on the lan
sends traffic out to the wan router, which then connects to the internet to
retrieve data.

7.

[2 points] What would you consider the biggest advantage of architecting the
network communications in a layered model?
Flexibility. It allows for both growth, changing traffic patterns, and can be reused as the needs change.

8.

[5 points] A layered model for computer network communications is typically

implemented in high level applications, the operating system's network
protocols, and the physical hardware of the device. Such an implementation is
typically called a "network stack" because the last data encoding at the sender
will correspond to the first data decoding performed at the receiver. Consider
an e-mail client sending a message to an e-mail server located on the same
Ethernet network. Both machines use TCP/IP to communicate over Ethernet,
and the mail client and server both use the SMTP protocol to talk to the server.
Describe the transformation process that the e-mail message goes through as
it moves down the stack on the client and then up the stack on the server.
The first step that an e-mail message goes through as it moves down the stack on
the client is encapsulation. It is a process in which control information is added to
the data as it passes down the stack. The first layer is the application layer that
encompasses the original message. It then moves to the transport layer where the
message is broken into manageable segments and prepared for transportation. On
the internetwork layer, IP information is added to the data segments in a header. A
network header is then added around the data on the network access layer and
sent to its destination.

The process that an e-mail message goes through as it moves up the stack on the
server is called decapsulation and is the simple reversal of encapsulation. Once
the e-mail is received by the server, the network header and IP are removed as it
moves up the stack. As the data is obtained, the transport layer arranges the data
in its proper order. When all of the data has been obtained, the information is sent
to the application layer where it is routed to the receiver's e-mail application.