Study Guide: Data Communication and Net-Centric Computing Key Concepts
and Topics Week 1: Introduction to Modern Communication Networks
Understanding the basics of data communication (sender, receiver,
message, medium).
How data is represented in computers using binary values (bits, bytes).
Representing different types of data: numbers (integers, floating-point), text
(ASCII, Unicode, UTF-8), audio (sampling rate, bit depth), and video
(resolution, frames per second).
Digitizing images: sampling and quantization.
Lossless (Run-Length Encoding, Huffman Coding) and lossy compression
methods (JPEG).
Week 2: OSI Model and TCP/IP The 7 layers of the OSI reference
model and their functions (Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport,
Session, Presentation, Application).
The 4-layer TCP/IP model and its relationship to the OSI model (Link, Internet,
Transport, Application).
The concept of protocols and their importance in communication.
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): connection-oriented, reliable
communication, 3-way handshake for connection establishment, connection
termination (FIN, ACK, RST), TCP segment format (source/destination ports,
sequence/acknowledgment numbers).
UDP (User Datagram Protocol): connectionless, unreliable communication,
minimal overhead, use cases. Socket addresses (IP address + port number).
Internetworking and the role of the Network Layer (IP).
Week 3: Encoding and Error Control Digital encoding techniques:
Unipolar, NRZ-L, NRZ-I, Bipolar-AMI, Pseudoternary, Manchester,
Differential Manchester.
Signal element vs. data element.
Error detection: single-bit error, burst error, redundancy. Parity check: single
and two-dimensional even parity.
Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC): polynomial representation of data and
divisor, modulo 2 arithmetic, CRC calculation at sender and receiver,
standard CRC polynomials.
Hamming Code: error detection and correction, parity bit placement,
calculating parity bits, error detection using Hamming Code.
Error detection at different layers of the TCP/IP model.
Week 4: Internet Protocols Internet Protocol (IP): addressing and
routing, IPv4 (32-bit addresses, classes A, B, C, private IP address
ranges) and IPv6 (128-bit addresses).
Subnetting and subnet masks, CIDR. The concept of routing: hop-by-hop
packet delivery.
Routing protocols: static and dynamic routing.
Path selection algorithms.
Fixed routing.
Flooding routing.
Adaptive routing and network state information.
Distance-vector routing (RIP).
Link-state routing (OSPF, Dijkstra's algorithm).
Inter-domain routing (BGP).
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).
Routing tables and forwarding decisions.
Dijkstra's algorithm: finding the shortest path, initialization, getting the next
node, and updating least-cost paths.
Bellman-Ford algorithm (brief mention of handling negative edge weights).
Quiz
0. Explain the difference between a bit and a byte.
-A bit is a single binary digit (0 or 1), while a byte is a group of 8 bits.
1. Provide an example of how a computer might use binary code to represent
a decimal number.
- Computers use binary to represent all data. For example, the decimal
number 10 is represented as 1010 in binary (1×2³ + 0×2² + 1×2¹ + 0×2⁰).
2.Describe the key differences between ASCII and Unicode. Why is Unicode
necessary for global communication?
- ASCII is a 7-bit character encoding standard representing 128 characters,
mainly for English.
Unicode is a more extensive, variable-length encoding system designed to
support characters from virtually all writing systems in the world, making it
essential for multilingual communication.
3.What is the purpose of the OSI model?
- The OSI model is a conceptual framework that standardizes the functions of
a telecommunication or computing system in terms of seven abstraction
layers.
4. Briefly outline the primary function of the Transport Layer (Layer 4).
- The Transport Layer is responsible for providing end-to-end communication
services for applications, including reliable data transfer (TCP) and unreliable
data transfer (UDP).
5.Compare and contrast TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and connection
establishment.
- TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that provides reliable communication
through mechanisms like acknowledgments and retransmissions after
establishing a connection via a three-way handshake.
UDP is a connectionless protocol that offers unreliable communication with
lower overhead, as it does not guarantee delivery or order.
6.Give a typical application for each protocol. Explain the three steps
involved in the TCP three-way handshake. What is the purpose of this
process?
- TCP is used for applications like web browsing, while UDP is suitable for
streaming and online gaming. The three steps of the TCP three-way
handshake are: SYN (client sends a synchronize request), SYN-ACK (server
acknowledges the SYN and sends its own synchronize request), and ACK
(client acknowledges the server's synchronize request). This process
establishes a reliable connection by synchronizing sequence numbers and
ensuring both sides are ready to communicate.
8.Define the term "subnet mask." How is it used to determine the network
and host portions of an IP address?
- A subnet mask is a 32-bit number that separates the network portion and
the host portion of an IP address. By performing a bitwise AND operation
between the IP address and the subnet mask, devices can determine the
network address of a host and whether a destination IP address is on the
same local network or a remote network.
10.Describe the basic principle of even parity checking for error detection.
What type of errors can it reliably detect?
- Even parity checking involves adding an extra bit (parity bit) to a data unit
to ensure that the total number of 1s in the unit (including the parity bit) is
even. The receiver checks the parity of the received data; if it's odd, an error
is detected. Single parity check can reliably detect single-bit errors.
11.In the context of CRC, what is a generator polynomial? Briefly explain
how the remainder is calculated and used for error detection.
- A generator polynomial is a predetermined binary polynomial used in CRC
calculations for error detection. The sender divides the data (represented as
a polynomial) by the generator polynomial using modulo 2 division. The
remainder obtained is appended to the original data to create the codeword.
The receiver performs the same division; a zero remainder indicates no
detected errors.
12. What is the primary goal of a routing protocol?
- The primary goal of a routing protocol is to determine the best path for data
packets to travel from a source to a destination network.
13. Differentiate between static and dynamic routing.
-Static routing involves manually configuring routes, which remain fixed.
-Dynamic routing protocols automatically discover and update routing
information based on network topology and conditions.
14. Briefly explain the main steps involved in Dijkstra's algorithm for finding
the shortest path between nodes in a network.
-Dijkstra's algorithm starts by initializing the distance to all nodes as infinity,
except for the source node, which is zero. It then iteratively selects the
unvisited node with the smallest current distance, marks it as visited, and
updates the distances of its neighbors if a shorter path is found through the
currently selected node. This process continues until all nodes have been
visited, resulting in the shortest paths from the source to all other nodes.
Essay Format Questions: Discuss the importance of layering in
network communication, comparing and contrasting the OSI
reference model and the TCP/IP model.
How do these models facilitate interoperability in modern networks? Explain
the significance of reliable data transfer in network communication.
Describe the mechanisms employed by TCP to ensure reliability, including
connection establishment, data transmission with sequence numbers and
acknowledgements, and connection termination.
Analyze the different digital encoding techniques used to transmit binary
data over a physical medium.
Compare and contrast at least three of these techniques in terms of their
characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, considering factors like
synchronization, bandwidth efficiency, and DC components.
Critically evaluate the role of error detection and correction in ensuring data
integrity during network transmission.
Discuss the principles behind parity checks, CRC, and Hamming codes,
highlighting their capabilities and limitations in detecting and correcting
different types of errors.
Describe the fundamental principles of IP addressing and routing in the
Internet. Explain the differences between IPv4 and IPv6, the concept of
subnetting, and the role of routing protocols in enabling packets to traverse
multiple networks to reach their destination.
Glossary of Key Terms Bit: A single binary digit, either 0 or 1, representing
the most basic unit of information in a computer.
Byte: A group of 8 bits, often considered the fundamental unit for
representing a character or a small amount of data.
MAC Address: A unique 48-bit hardware address assigned to each network
interface controller (NIC) used for communication within a local network
segment.
IP Address: A logical address assigned to each device participating in a
computer network utilizing the Internet Protocol for communication across
network boundaries.
Subnet Mask: A 32-bit number used to divide an IP address into a network
portion and a host portion, helping to define the scope of a local network.
Protocol: A set of rules and procedures that govern the format, timing,
sequencing, and error control of data communication.
OSI Model: A conceptual model that characterizes and standardizes the
communication functions of a telecommunication or computing system
without regard to their underlying internal structure and technology. It has
seven layers: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation,
and Application.
TCP/IP Model: A practical four-layer suite of communication protocols used to
interconnect network devices on the internet. The layers are Link, Internet,
Transport, and Application. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): A connection-
oriented and reliable transport layer protocol that provides ordered and
guaranteed delivery of data.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol): A connectionless and unreliable transport
layer protocol that offers faster data transmission with minimal overhead,
suitable for applications where occasional data loss is acceptable.
Port Number: A 16-bit number that identifies a specific process or service
running on a network device, used by TCP and UDP to multiplex and
demultiplex data.
Socket: A software interface that represents the endpoint of a network
connection, typically a combination of an IP address and a port number.
Encoding: The process of converting data into a format suitable for
transmission over a communication channel, often involving transforming
digital data into analog or digital signals.
Error Detection: The process of identifying whether data has been corrupted
or altered during transmission.
Parity Check: A simple error detection method that adds an extra bit (parity
bit) to a data unit to make the total number of 1s either even or odd.
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check): A powerful error detection technique that
uses polynomial division to generate a checksum (frame check sequence)
that is appended to the data.
Hamming Code: An error detection and correction code that adds redundant
bits to data, allowing for the identification and correction of single-bit errors.
Routing: The process of selecting the best path for data packets to travel
from a source to a destination network.
Router: A network device that forwards data packets between different
networks based on their destination IP addresses.
Routing Protocol: A set of rules used by routers to exchange information
about network topology and available paths, enabling them to make
intelligent routing decisions.
Dijkstra's Algorithm: A graph search algorithm that finds the shortest path
between a single source node and all other nodes in a graph with non-
negative edge weights, commonly used in link-state routing protocols.
