Quiz 2

Question 1

What is multiplexing in the context of socket APIs?

Answer 1

Sending data from multiple applications over a single channel.

Question 2

What is demultiplexing in the context of socket APIs?

Answer 2

Receiving data from a single channel and delivering it to the correct application.

Question 3

How is a connection identified for an incoming packet?

Answer 3

By a four-tuple: source IP, source port, destination IP, and destination port.

Question 4

What is the main difference between circuit-switched and packet-switched networks?

Answer 4

Circuit-switched networks use a dedicated path; packet-switched networks send data in independent packets.

Question 5

Define bandwidth.

Answer 5

The maximum rate at which data can be transferred, measured in bits per second (bps).

Question 6

Define latency.

Answer 6

The time it takes for a packet to travel from source to destination.

Question 7

Define throughput.

Answer 7

The actual rate of successful data transfer, usually less than bandwidth due to network overhead.

Question 8

Define jitter.

Answer 8

The variation in latency between packets.

Question 9

What is the formula for transfer time?

Answer 9

TransferTime = RTT + (transferSize / bandwidth)

Question 10

How is effective throughput calculated?

Answer 10

Effective Throughput = transferSize / TransferTime

Question 11

What is bandwidth-delay product (BDP)?

Answer 11

BDP = bandwidth × RTT, indicating how much data can be in transit at any time.

Question 12

What is a host?

Answer 12

A node that is the source or destination of data.

Question 13

What is a node?

Answer 13

Any device connected to a network (e.g., router, printer, host).

Question 14

What is a packet?

Answer 14

A unit of data with a header and payload sent over a network.

Question 15

What are the two types of transmission media?

Answer 15

Physical (guided) and wireless (unguided).

Question 16

What are examples of physical media?

Answer 16

Twisted pair, coaxial cable, fiber optic.

Question 17

What are examples of wireless media?

Answer 17

WiFi, satellite, cellular.

Question 18

What is a key feature of twisted pair cables?

Answer 18

Twists reduce interference; common types include Cat 5, Cat 6, Cat 7, and Cat 8.

Question 19

What is a key use of coaxial cables?

Answer 19

Cable TV networks.

Question 20

What is fiber used for?

Answer 20

Long-distance, high-bandwidth communication using light pulses.

Question 21

When is wireless most often used?

Answer 21

In LANs, cellular, and satellite networks where mobility or cable-free access is important.

Question 22

In a given scenario, how do you choose the best medium?

Answer 22

Consider distance, bandwidth needs, interference, and installation cost.

Question 23

What is encoding in networking?

Answer 23

Converting bits into signals for transmission over a medium.

Question 24

What is decoding?

Answer 24

Converting received signals back into bits.

Question 25

What is a signal?

Answer 25

A physical representation of data (like voltage or light).

Question 26

What is a bit period?

Answer 26

Time taken to transmit a single bit.

Question 27

What is bit rate?

Answer 27

Number of bits transmitted per second.

Question 28

What is a symbol?

Answer 28

A group of bits transmitted together.

Question 29

What is symbol rate?

Answer 29

Number of symbols transmitted per second (baud rate).

Question 30

What is NRZ encoding?

Answer 30

Uses steady voltage: high for 1, low for 0. Simple but poor for synchronization.

Question 31

What is Manchester encoding?

Answer 31

Mid-bit transitions: high-to-low for 0, low-to-high for 1. Better synchronization but uses more bandwidth.

Question 32

How does Manchester solve NRZ's problem?

Answer 32

It includes a transition in every bit period, which helps synchronize clocks.

Question 33

Why is clock synchronization important?

Answer 33

So the receiver samples the signal at the correct time to decode bits accurately.

Question 34

What should you be able to do with encoding diagrams?

Answer 34

Identify bit sequences and draw signal representations using NRZ or Manchester schemes.