I.

Introduction to Computer Networks

and Data Communications

Review Questions
1. Define the following:
a. computer network?
A system consisting of connected nodes that share data, hardware, and software; a
collection of computers and network hardware interconnected by communication channels that
allow sharing of resources and information using either wires or radio wavers over a small or
large geographical area.
b. data communications?
Exchange of digital and analog data between two devices via digital and analog signals
c. telecommunications?
Study Communication at a distance by cable, telephony, telegraphy, and television.
d. a local area network?
A computer network that links devices within a small room building or group of adjacent
buildings, or campus
e. a wide area network?
A computer network in which the computers connected may be far apart, generally
having a radius of half a mile or more, even encompassing parts of states, multiple states,
countries, an the world
f. network management?
the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to the operation, administration,
maintenance, and provisioning of networked systems. Design, installation, and support of a
network and its hardware and software.
2. What is the relationship between a subnet and a node?
Subnet is composed of nodes and communication links.
3. What kind of applications might use a computer terminal to mainframe computer connection?
Service and retail industry.
4. What kind of applications might use a microcomputer to mainframe computer connection?
Many businesses such as colleges and universities that support microcomputer-to-mainframe
connections
5. What language does a microcomputer have to talk to interface to the Internet?
TCP/IP
6. What kind of applications might use a sensor to local area network connection?
Assembly line
7. Why is a network architecture model useful?
It allows for compatibility between products and allows products to interoperate.
8. List the seven layers of the OSI model.
Physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, application
9. List the four layers of the Internet model.
The Four Layers of the TCP/IP are Interface, network, transport, application
10. How do the layers of the OSI model compare with the layers of the Internet model?
Network Access layer covers the OSI physical and data link layers. Internet application layer
(TCP/IP) covers OSI presentation and application layers; no session layer in Internet (TCP/IP); other
layers are similar between two models.

11. What are some of the more common applications found in the Internet model?
Mail, Telnet, web browsing, FTP.
12. What is the difference between a logical connection and a physical connection?
While logical connection exists in software, physical connection is a communication link.
II.
A.

Physical Layer

Fundamentals of Data and Signals

Review Questions
1. What is the difference between data and signals?
Data are entities that convey meaning, while signals are the electric or electromagnetic encoding
of data.
2. What are the main advantages of digital signals over analog signals?
Easier to remove noise.
3. What is the difference between a continuous signal and a discrete signal?
Continuous takes on an infinite number of values, discrete does not.
4. What are the three basic components of all signals?
Amplitude, frequency, and phase.
5. What is the spectrum of a signal?
The range of frequencies that a signal spans from minimum to maximum.
6. What is the bandwidth of a signal?
(Highest Value Lowest Value = Bandwidth Signal)
The absolute value of the difference between the lowest and highest frequencies.
7. How does a differential code differ from a non-differential code?
Differential code is based on the signal difference between two bits.
8. What does it mean when a signal is self-clocking?
The signal changes at a regular interval, thus providing a type of clock signal.
9. What is the definition of baud rate?
Number of signal changes per second
10. How does baud rate differ from bits per second?
One baud change can represent multiple bits of information, or one bit of information could
involve multiple baud (signal changes).
11. What are the three main types of modulation?
Amplitude, frequency, and phase
12. What is the difference between pulse code modulation and delta modulation?
Pulse code modulation takes a snapshot at intervals and converts each snapshot into an n-bit
sample. Delta modulation simply tracks a signal and uses a 1 or a 0 to denote the signal rising or
falling.
13. What is meant by the sampling rate of analog data?
How many times per second an analog signal is sampled

14. Why would analog data have to be modulated onto an analog signal?
To move it to a different frequency; to prepare an analog signal for transmission with other
analog signals
15. What are the two basic techniques used to create a spread spectrum signal?
Direct sequence and frequency hopping
16. What is the primary advantage of spread spectrum?
Frequency diversitya desirable property when the channel is fading.
17. What are the differences between ASCII and EBCDIC?
While ASCII is a 7-bit code and can incorporate parity checking, EBCDIC is an 8-bit code.
Exercises
*1. What is the frequency in Hertz of a signal that repeats 80,000 times within one minute?
What is its period?
(Frequrncy = 1/T; Period = 1/F)
80,000 samples per minute (80,000/60)-> 1,333.33 Hz samples per second -> since 2 samples per
hertz, divide by 2(1,333.33/2) = 666.67Hz; period =

= 0.0015 Seconds.

2. What is the bandwidth of a signal composed of frequencies from 50 Hz to 500 Hz?

(Max Frequency Minimum Frequency = Bandwidth Signal)
Bandwidth = 500Hz(Max Frequency) 50Hz(Minimum Frequency) = 450Hz.
3. Draw in chart form (as shown in Figure 2-11) the voltage representation of the bit pattern
11010010 for the digital encoding schemes NRZ-L, NRZ-I, Manchester, and Differential
Manchester.
1

Voltage
NRZ-L

Time

Voltage
NRZ-I

Time

Voltage
Manchester

Time

Voltage
Differential Manchester Time
4. What is the baud rate of a digital signal that employs Differential Manchester and has a data
transfer rate of 2000 bps?
(Baud Rate = Bit Rate*2)
Baud rate is twice the bps for Differential Manchester code -> 2000*2 =4000 baud rate.
5. Show the equivalent 4B/5B code of the bit string 1101 1010 0011 0001 1000 1001.
4B 5B
1101 11011
1010 10110
0011 10101
0001 01001
1000 10010
1001 10011

6. What is the data transfer rate in bps of a signal that is encoded using phase modulation with 8
different phase angles and a baud rate of 2000?
(Turn Angles into Power of 2; Baud Rate x Power)
8 angles -> 2^3 = 8 -> 3 bits -> 2000 baud rate x 3 = 6,000 bps
7. Show the equivalent analog sine-wave pattern of the bit string 00110101 using amplitude shift
keying, frequency shift keying, and phase-shift keying.

8. Twenty-four voice signals are to be transmitted over a single high-speed telephone line. What is
the bandwidth required (in bps) if the standard analog to digital sampling rate is used and each
sample is converted into an 8 bit value?
(1 Hz = 2 Samples; Samples*Bits = bps)
Standard is 4000Hz -> 8000 samples per second x 8 bits = 64,000Bps
9. Given the analog signal shown in Figure 2-32, what are the 8-bit pulse code modulated values
that will be generated at each time T?
Time T Voltage Value
0 2
1 4
2 6
3 3
4 1.5
5 3
6 1.5
7 6
8 7.5
9 6
10 1.5
11 2
12 3
10. Using the analog signal from problem 9 and a delta step that is one-eighth inch long and oneeighth inch tall, what is the delta modulation output? Point out any slope overload noise.

Slope overload noises exist at T0~T3; T5; T7~T10.

Quantitative Exercises:
11. Using Nyquists Theorem, what is the channel capacity C of a signal that has 16 different levels
and a frequency of 20,000 Hz?
(Capacity = 2* Bandwith * long2(Singal Levels), log2 = logA/log(2))
C = 2f log2 (L) -> C = 2(20,000) x log2(16) = 40,000 x 4 = 160,000 bps
12. Using Shannons formula, calculate the data transfer rate given the following information:
signal frequency = 10,000 Hz
signal power = 5000 watts
noise power =230 watts.
Data rate = f log2 (1 + S/N) = 10,000 x log2(1 + 5,000/230) = Approximately 45,075bps
13. What is the decibel loss of a signal that starts at point A with a strength of 2000 watts and ends
at point B with a strength of 400 watts?
dB = 10 log10 (Point2/Point1) = 10 log10 (400/2000) = -6.99dB
14. What is the decibel loss of signal that starts at 50 watts and experiences a 10-watt loss over a
given section of cable?
dB = 10 log10 (
) = 10 log10 (40/50) = -0.97dB
15. What is the decibel loss of a signal that loses half its power during the course of transmission?
dB = 10 log10 (
) = 10 log10 (1/2) = -3 dB
B. Software for Media: Conducted and Wireless
Review Questions
1. Why is twisted pair wire called twisted pair?
Because two or more pairs of single conductor copper wires that are twisted around each other:

2. How does crosstalk occur in twisted pair wire?

A current passing through a wire creates a magnetic field around that wire and a magnetic field passing
over a wire induces a current in that wire. Therefore, a current or signal in one wire can produce an
unwanted current or signal, called crosstalk, in a second wire.
If the two wires run parallel to each other, as shown in Figure 3-2(a), the chance for crosstalk increases. If
the two wires cross each other at perpendicular angles, as shown in Figure 3-2(b), the chance for crosstalk
decreases. Although not exactly producing perpendicular angles, the twisting of two wires around each
other, as shown in Figure 3-2(c), at least keeps the wires from running parallel and thus helps reduce
crosstalk.

3. What are Category 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 twisted pair wire used for?

(CAT 1,2,3: Telephone Cables; CAT 3,4,5: Local Area Network)
Category 1 Standard telephone wire designed to carry analog voice or data at low speeds. ( 9600bps)
Category 2 Also used for telephone circuits but is higher quality than Catetgory 1.
Category 3 Transmit 10Mbps of data over local area network for distances up to 100 meters.
Category 4 Transmit 20Mbps of data for distances up to 100 meters.
Category 5 Transmit 100Mbps of data for distances up to 100 meters (technically specified for a 100MHz signal, but because most systems transmit 100Mbps over the 100-MHz signal, 100MHz is
equivalent to 100Mbps).
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of shielded twisted pair?
Advantage:
- Extra layer of isolation from unwanted electromagnetic interference.
- Lower level of errors.
Disadvantage:
- Costs more than unshielded wires.
5. What is the primary advantage of coaxial cable compared to twisted pair?

Coaxial cables have a larger data capacity, can carry a signal or signals with a wide range of frequencies,
and has less noise, compared to twisted pairs.
6. What is the difference between baseband coaxial and broadband coaxial cable?
Baseband uses digital signaling in which the cable carries only one channel of digital data while
broadband typically transmits analog signals and is capable of supporting multiple channels of data
simultaneously.
7. Why is fiber optic cable immune to electromagnetic interference?
Because electromagnetic interferences generated when a signal passes through a metal wire, fiber-optic
cables(thin glass cable) do not generate nor are affected by electromagnetic interferences.
8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of fiber optic cable?
Advantage:
- High-speed (10 Gbps for up to 300 meters)
- Low-error data transmission nrates
- Virtually impossible wiretap unless noticeably broken physically
- No noise generated; immune to electromagnetic interferences.
Disadvantage:
- One-way travel; Need two fiber optic cables for two-way transmissions
- Expensive.
9. What are the different costs of a conducted media?
The answer for this question should differ depending on where you look..stores and online sites that sell
cables should have prices that are varying.
10. What is the difference between data transmission speed and propagation speed?
Data transmission speed is the number of bits per second that can be transmitted and propagation speed is
the speed at which a signal moves through a medium.
11. What is the difference between terrestrial microwave and satellite microwave?
Terrestrial microwaves have high transmission rate but buildings can be no farther than 20 to 30 miles
apart with dishes mounted on the corporate buildings. Satellite microwave is like terrestrial microwave
except that the signal goes from a ground station on Earth to a satellite then back to another ground
station; but unlike terrestrial microwave, the satellite are usually moving around meaning they can only
handle shorter periods of data transfer.
12. What is an average distance for transmitting terrestrial microwave?
A combination of receiver and transmitter towers are needed and these tower pairs can be 15 to 30 miles
apart from another pair.
13. What kind of objects can interfere with terrestrial microwave transmissions?
Buildings, hills, forests, heavy rain and heavy snowfall all interfere with transmission of microwave
signals.
14. List a few common applications for terrestrial microwave.

Long haul telecommunications and building to building communication.

15. What are the three orbit levels for satellite systems?

LEO for mobile phones, pagers -500 mi

MEO for GPS system communication
GEO for cable and direct TVs - highest

16. List a few common application areas for each orbit level satellite system.

First your phone turns on, Second phone automatically locates the nearest tower, Third phone
number is dialed, Fourth tower passes the number from empty MSTO. MSTO checks account,
number pass to central office, last connection is established

17. What is the sequence of events when placing a call from a cellular telephone?

Mobile telephone switch office handles all mobile telephone calls, handles channels.
First your phone turns on, phone automatically locates nearest tower, phone network dials, tower
passes from number to MTSO, MTSO (switch) office checks account, passes to central office,
connection established

18. What is the function of a mobile telephone switching office?

MTSO handles all mobile telephone calls, assigns channels,

Handles alls telephone calls
Manages connections
Assigns channels
Billing

19. What is the primary difference between AMPS and D-AMPS cellular systems?

AMPS analog mobile phone system is the old version

DAMPS digital analog mobile phone system has newer cellular phone systems.

20. What is the primary difference between AMPS (or D-AMPS) cellular systems and the newer
PCS mobile telephones?

PCS is all digital

AMPS is total analog and no digital
DAMPS is part of digital
PCS totally digital

21. What are the three competing technologies used in PCS mobile telephones?

CDMA, TDMA, and GSM

22. What is a hybrid mobile telephone?

Can support multiple technologies

23. With what system does CDPD share its frequencies?

Cellular telephone system

24. What is a common application area of CDPD?

They are data transfer for police and emergency services

25. Which of the following are true concerning pagers:

a. they transmit in one direction only
b. they transmit in two directions

Both types of pagers exist.

26. Infrared transmission can be used for which type of applications?

For short distance, device to device data transfer.

27. Broadband wireless service supports what kind of applications?

Most popular is Internet access

Exercises
1. Table 3-2 shows Category 1 wire transmitting a signal for 2-3 miles but Category 5 for only 100
meters (328 feet). Is Category 1 the best wire for long distance transmissions? Explain.

No, category 1 can only reach up to 2 3 miles but only at low data transfer rates.

2. List three different examples of crosstalk that dont involve wires and electric signals. (Hint: look
around you.)

Hearing the students and teacher in the other room.

Hearing traffic on the road outside.
Hearing separate conversations in the same room.

3. Is there an official Category 6 twisted pair yet? Use either paper sources or the Internet to find
the answer.

Yes, we also have category 7.

4. Can you transmit a video signal over twisted pair wire? Explain. Be sure to consider multiple
scenarios.

More than likely you can, but noise is going to be a serious factor. The signal may be fuzzy or
distorted.

5. The local cable TV company is considering removing all the coaxial cable and replacing it with
fiber optic cable. List the advantages and disadvantages of this plan.

Advantages - Higher data rates, more channels, less noise.

Disadvantages - High cost.

6. The local cable TV company has changed its mind. It is now going to replace all the existing
coaxial cable with unshielded twisted pair. List the advantages and disadvantages of this plan.

Advantages - Save money.

Disadvantages: It is a bad choice because there will be too much noise

7. Terrestrial microwave is a line-of-sight transmission. What sorts of objects are tall enough to
interfere with terrestrial microwave?

Trees, high buildings, and mountains, and bad weather.

8. Using an outside source, such as the Internet or the library, what is the typical height of a
terrestrial microwave tower? If the towers height is raised by 10 meters, how much farther will the
tower be able to transmit?

Typical height - 40 to 60 meters

H - meters
D - kilometers
Experimental Formula

9. Given that a satellite signal travels at the speed of light, exactly how long does it take for a signal
to go from the earth to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit?

GEO - 22300 miles

Speed - 186428 miles/sec = 300000 km/sec
Time = 22300/186428 = 0.1196 seconds

10. How long does it take a signal to reach a satellite in low earth orbit?

Leo - 500 miles

Time = 500/186428 = 0.0027 seconds

11. You are walking down the street and your cell phone rings. What was the sequence of events
that allowed a person with a conventional telephone to call you on your cellular telephone?

The system recognizes what cell you are currently in. Then if someone places a call and that goes
to mobile switch office (MTSO).
Signal recognizes what you are in, call goes to call center, Call goes to the cell you are in and
rings.

C. Software for Electronic Equipment to make Connections

Review Questions
1. What are the basic characteristics of modern modems? Transmission rates, standard telephone
operations, connection negotiation, compression, error correction, facsimile transmission, security, loopback testing, and internal versus external
2. What is meant by fall forward and fallback negotiation? Can automatically recalculate transfer
speed between modems.
3. Why is the modem for a laptop different than a modem for another type of computer? Must be
much smaller
4. Why are the 56 Kbps modems faster than the older 33,600 bps modems? They use digital
signaling techniques.
5. Why dont the 56 Kbps modems transmit at 56 Kbps? Too much noise, lowered power levels, and
analog/digital conversions.
6. What are the alternatives to traditional modems? Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), and
Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), cable modems

7. What is the primary advantage of a modem pool? Can have fewer modems than one per machine.
8. What is a DTE, and what is a DCE? Data terminal equipment (DTE) is an end instrument that
converts user information into signals or reconverts received signals. These can also be called tail circuits.
A DTE device communicates with the data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE). The DTE/DCE
classification was introduced by IBM. As the full DTE name indicates this is a piece of device that ends a
communication line, whereas the DCE provides a path for communication.
9. What are the four components of an interface? Mechanical, electrical, functional, procedural
10. What three circuits are needed, at minimum, to create an EIA-232E connection? Transmit,
receive, ground
11. What are the primary differences between X.21 and EIA-232E? In X.21, a pin can have multiple
functions. In EIA-232F each pin has a single function.
12. What is the significance of the Bell standards and the Hayes standards? They paved the way for
the first modems.
13. FireWire and USB are standards to interconnect what to what? Computers to different peripheral
devices
14. What are the advantages of FireWire and Universal Serial Bus? Firewire: Advanced, fast,
modern, can daisy-chain, can auto-configure (with aid from OS)
15. What are the primary differences between asynchronous connections and synchronous
connections? Async sends one character at a time with stop, start, and optional parity bits. Sync
sends multiple characters at one time with beginning and ending flags, control, address info, and
cyclic checksum.
16. In asynchronous connections, what additional bits are added to a character to prepare it for
transfer? Start, stop, parity (optional)
17. In asynchronous connections, how many characters are placed into one frame? One
18. What are the advantages and disadvantages of asynchronous communication? Advantage:
simple; Disadvantage: slow, inefficient, poor error checking
19. What is the basic block diagram of a synchronous frame?

20. What are the advantages and disadvantages of synchronous communication? Advantage: fast,
efficient, good error checking; Disadvantage: a little more complex
21. What is the difference between half duplex and full duplex communications? Half-duplex: both
sides can talk, but only one at a time; full-duplex: both sides can talk and at the same time.

22. What is the difference between a point-to-point connection and a multipoint connection? Pointto-point: each terminal has its own connection to the mainframe; multipoint: terminals share a
connection.
23. How does a mainframe computer ask a terminal to send it data? Poll
Exercises
1. If you install a 56 Kbps modem into your computer and dial into a remote network that only has
33,600 bps modems, is your modem useless? No, the 56k modem will fallback to the appropriate
speed.
2. You are in charge of a highly sensitive application which accepts requests and supplies
confidential data. You dont want unauthorized individuals to access the data. But you do
want to allow remote dial in using a modem. What security feature will allow an authorized
remote user to access the database? You will want to consider some form of CTI. You will need a
system that is capable of supporting both voice calls and data transfers.
3. How many different things can prevent a 56 Kbps modem from transmitting at 56 Kbps? Too
much noise, lowered power levels, and analog/digital conversions
4. List as many reasons as possible for a company using a modem pool. Do not have to place a
modem into each machine. Do not have to have one telephone line for each machine. For incoming calls,
the next call automatically goes to the next available modem. All modems are kept in one location making
security and maintenance easier.
5. List which of the EIA-232E interface signals are used only between a DTE and its DCE and list
which signals travel over the phone line to the remote side. Essentially all signals are only
between a DTE and its DCE.
6. Create a table that compares the advantages and disadvantages of the Universal Serial Bus to
the RS-232 interface. USB is faster, simpler, and easier to install, lower power level
7. Show the sequence of start, data, and stop bits that are generated during asynchronous
transmission of the character string LUNCH. Start, L, stop, start, U, stop, start, N, stop, start, C,
stop, start, H, stop
8. List two examples each of simplex, half duplex, and full duplex connections not mentioned in the
book.
Simplex: broadcast TV, cable TV, radio, most pagers, telegraph
Half-duplex: walkie-talkies, CB radio, ham radio, local area networks
Full-duplex: telephone system, cable modems
9. Terminals A, B, and C are connected to a mainframe computer. Only terminal C has data to
transmit. Show the sequence of messages sent between the mainframe and the three terminals
using roll call polling.
Mainframe polls A.
A responds NO.
Mainframe polls B.
B responds NO.
Mainframe polls C.
C responds with data.
Mainframe acknowledges data.

10. Suppose you want to send 1000 characters of data. How many check bits will you need using
asynchronous transmission? How many check bits will you need using synchronous
transmission? Assume that all 1000 characters will fit within one synchronous transmission
frame.
Asynchronous: 1000 characters * 3 check bits per character (start, stop, parity) = 3000 check bits
Synchronous: Start flag (8 bits) + Address (8 bits) + Control (8 bits) + CRC (16 bits) + End flag (8 bits) =
48 check bits