CSE PREVIOUS YEAR PAPER COMPUTER NETWORK

a) Describe the term “Computer Network” and the

Performance Criteria of a Network.

[BT-1/2,CO-1,PO-1/3/5]

a) Computer Network refers to a group of interconnected computing devices, either through

wired or wireless connections, that allows them to communicate with each other and share
resources such as hardware, software, data, and information. Performance Criteria of a
Network refers to the metrics used to evaluate the quality and efficiency of a network, such
as throughput, latency, jitter, packet loss, and availability.

(b) Draw the Basic Communication Model and elaborate the

functioning of each component of it.

[BT-1/2,CO-1,PO-1/2/3]

b) The Basic Communication Model includes five components: Sender, Receiver, Message, Medium,
and Protocol. The Sender sends the Message to the Receiver through the Medium, which can be
anything that carries the message such as cables, airwaves, or optic fibers. The Protocol establishes
the set of rules and conventions to guide communication between the Sender and Receiver and
ensure the integrity and security of the message

(c) List & explain services offered by Data Link Layer, Network

layer and Transport Layer.

[BT-2/3,CO-1,PO-2/3/4]

c)Data Link Layer, Network Layer, and Transport Layer are three key layers of the OSI (Open Systems
Interconnection) model. Data Link Layer provides services such as framing, error detection, and flow
control to ensure reliable data transmission between neighboring nodes. Network Layer handles
routing and logical addressing to enable the transfer of packets across different networks. Transport
Layer is responsible for end-to-end transmission of data and provides services such as segmentation,
reassembly, connection establishment, and error recovery.

(d) Draw a table and map the following terms from List-1 & List-2

by identifying and establishing the relationships among them

in the purview of OSI Reference Model.

[BT-2/3/4,CO-1,PO-2/3/5]

List-1: Encryption/Decryption Protocol, Gateway,

Authorization Protocol, Firewall, Router, HTTP, DNS, Switch, Bridge, Modem, Repeaters, Password
Authentication Protocol, SMTP, Cables, FTP, Hub.

List-2: Layer-1, Layer-2, Layer-3, Layer-4, Layer-5,

d)

| OSI Layer | Terms from List-1 |

|-----------|-------------------|

| Layer 1 | Cables, Repeaters, Hub, Modem |

| Layer 2 | Switch, Bridge, Password Authentication Protocol |

| Layer 3 | Router, Firewall, Gateway, IP Addressing |

| Layer 4 | TCP, UDP, Transport Protocol |

| Layer 5 | HTTP, FTP, SMTP, DNS, Encryption/Decryption Protocol, Authorization Protocol |

The terms from List-1 can be mapped to different layers of the OSI Reference Model based on their
functionality and services they provide.

(e) Categorize various types of guided media and explain each

of them in brief.
e) Guided media refer to various types of physical transmission media that use a physical path to
transmit data signals. The following are the different types of guided media:

1. Twisted Pair Cable: It is the most widely used cable for Ethernet networks and telephone
connections. It consists of two or more insulated copper wires twisted around each other to reduce
interference. It can be categorized into Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and Shielded Twisted Pair
(STP).

2. Coaxial Cable: It consists of a single inner conductor, a dielectric insulating layer, and an outer
conductor. Coaxial cable is used to carry cable television signals and for connecting various types of
network devices. It can be categorized based on two parameters: impedance and thickness.

3. Optical Fiber Cable: Optical fiber cable transmits data in the form of light pulses through a thin
glass or plastic fiber. It is used for high-speed data transmission, long-distance communication, and
television broadcasting. Fiber optic cables are categorized based on their core diameter and
refractive index.

4. Straight-Through Cable: This type of cable is used to connect a computer to a switch or hub in a
local area network (LAN). The wiring configuration of a straight-through cable is uniform on both
ends.

5. Crossover Cable: This type of cable allows two computers to be directly connected to each other
without the need for a hub or switch. The wiring configuration on one end is reversed from that of a
straight-through cable.
All these types of guided media have different characteristics and use cases. Twisted pair cables are
inexpensive and easy to install, making them ideal for small offices and home networks. Coaxial
cables are used in cable television networks and high-speed local area networks (LANs). Optical fiber
cables are used for high-speed data transmission, long-distance communication, and other
specialized applications that require high bandwidth and low latency. Straight-through and crossover
cables are used to connect different network devices in LANs.

f) Illustrate, through a worth diagram, the two switching

techniques used in packet switching approach and make a comaprison between them.

f) Circuit switching establishes a dedicated communication path between the sender and receiver,
where all packets of data follow the same path. In contrast, packet switching divides the data into
packets that are sent independently and may follow different paths to reach their destination.

The key difference between the two approaches is that circuit switching requires a dedicated path for
the entire duration of the communication, while packet switching does not. This means that circuit
switching guarantees a constant quality of service (QoS) and offers low latency, but it is not efficient
in utilizing the available bandwidth or adapting to changes in demand. Packet switching, on the other
hand, allows for flexible utilization of the network resources and can adjust to dynamically changing
traffic patterns, but packet switching can introduce delays in communication and packet loss in
congested networks.

In conclusion, circuit switching is ideal for applications that require consistent high-quality
performance, such as voice and video communication, while packet switching is better suited for
data-intensive applications that prioritize efficiency and flexibility, such as file transfers.

2.

a) In GB3, due to some network flow control issues every 5th packet while transmission is lost.
Now if we are to send 13 packets, how many transmissions will take place in this network ?

a) If one in every five packets is being lost due to network flow control issues, it means that 20% of
the packets are not being successfully transmitted. Therefore, out of the 13 packets that need to be
sent, 20% of the packets will be lost.

20% of 13 packets = (20/100) * 13 = 2.6 packets

However, since we cannot have a fraction of a packet, let's round this up to 3 packets. This means
that out of the 13 packets, only 10 packets will be successfully transmitted.

Since we know that only 10 out of the 13 packets will be successfully transmitted, it means that each
of the 10 packets will need to be transmitted more than once in order to ensure successful delivery.

Assuming that each of the 10 packets will require on average 2 transmissions to be successfully
delivered (taking into account the 3 missing packets), the total number of transmissions required will
be:

10 packets * 2 transmissions per packet = 20 transmissions

(b) Find the CRC code for the Data Word (k) = 101101 given the

devisor polynomial also illustrate the

process to verify that the correct codeword is received at

destination.

[BT-3/4,CO-2,PO-1/3/4/5]

b) To find the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code for the Data Word k=101101, we first need to
select a divisor polynomial. Let's select a divisor polynomial of 1101.

The first step is to append n-1 (in this case, 3) zeros to the data word:

101101000

Next, we perform a modulo-2 division of the resulting bit string by the divisor polynomial:

______

1101 | 101101000

1101

------

1010

1101

------

1001

1101

------

1011

The remainder of the division is the CRC code, which in this case is 1011. Therefore, the complete
codeword is 101101011.

To verify that the correct codeword is received at the destination, we can perform the same process
on the received message and check if the remainder is zero. If the remainder is zero, then the
message has been received without errors.

(c) Briefly explain various types of Delay in network. Find the

Throughput (Ø), efficiency (η) and Packet Size(L) of a

network wherein Transmission Time Tt = 2ms, Propagation

Delay Tp = 1ms and Network Bandwidth = 4 Mbps. [BT-3/4/5,CO-2,PO-1/2/3/4]

c) Various types of delay in network are:

1. Propagation Delay: The amount of time it takes for a signal to travel from the source to the
destination.

2. Transmission Delay: The amount of time it takes to transmit a packet over the network.
3. Queuing Delay: The amount of time a packet spends in a router's buffer waiting to be transmitted.

4. Processing Delay: The time it takes for a router or switch to process the packet before forwarding
it.

The throughput (Ø) of a network is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a given time. It can
be calculated using the formula Ø = L/T, where L is the packet size and T is the total time taken for
transmission and propagation.

The efficiency (η) of a network is the ratio of useful data transmitted to the total transmission time. It
can be calculated using the formula η = L/(Tt + Tp), where Tt is the transmission time and Tp is the
propagation delay.

Given Tt=2ms, Tp=1ms, and network bandwidth = 4 Mbps, we can calculate the packet size (L) as
follows:

Bandwidth = L/Tt

L = Bandwidth * Tt

L = (4 Mbps) * (2 ms)

L = 8000 bits

We can now calculate the throughput as:

Ø = L / (Tt + Tp)

Ø = 8000 / (2 + 1)

Ø = 2666.67 bits/ms

And we can calculate the efficiency as:

η = L / (Tt + Tp)

η = 8000 / (2 + 1)

η = 0.8888 or 88.88%

(d) Using Humming Code approach an incorrect code-word (n) = 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 is received at

destination, Where the size of data-word (k) = 4 bit. Now illustrate the process to locate the error
bit position and recover the correct data word that was sent from the

source.

[BT-3/4/5,CO-2,PO-1/2/3/4]

d) To locate the error bit position and recover the correct data word using the Hamming Code
approach, we first need to identify the parity bits. The number of parity bits required for a 4-bit data
word is 3, so the codeword will have a total length of 7 bits. The parity bits are calculated by
determining the bits that cover each position with a 1 in the binary representation.

| Original Data Word (k) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

|------------------------|---|---|---|---|

| Generated Codeword (n) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |

Next, we calculate the syndrome by XORing the received codeword with each of the parity bits:

S1 = n1 XOR n3 XOR n5 XOR n7 = 1 XOR 0 XOR 1 XOR 0 = 0

S2 = n2 XOR n3 XOR n6 XOR n7 = 1 XOR 0 XOR 0 XOR 0 = 1

S3 = n4 XOR n5 XOR n6 XOR n7 = 0 XOR 1 XOR 0 XOR 0 = 1

The syndrome is 011, which indicates that there is an error in bit position 3. We can flip bit 3 (from 0
to 1) to correct the error and recover the original data word as 1100.

(e) Discuss “Stop & Wait ARQ” Or “Go Back-N” Sliding Window

Protocol in detail with illustrative example. BT-1/2,

CO-2, PO-1/3/4]

(e) Stop & Wait ARQ (Automatic Repeat Request) and Go Back-N are widely used Sliding Window
Protocol techniques in computer networking. These protocols ensure reliable data transfer by
controlling the flow and error at different stages of network communication.

Stop & Wait ARQ:

Stop & Wait ARQ is one of the simplest techniques in the sliding window protocol family. In this
protocol, the sender transmits the packet and waits until getting the acknowledgment of receipt
from the receiver, and then proceeds to send the next packet. The receiver sends the confirmation of
receipt, and if it receives a packet with an incorrect block number then it discards it.

The flow control process can be summarized by the following steps:

1. The sender sends a data packet to the receiver along with its sequence number.

2. The receiver receives the data packet and sends its acknowledgment back to the sender.

3. The sender receives an acknowledgment and transmits the next data packet in sequence.

Go Back-N Protocol:

Go-Back-N protocol is another technique in the sliding window protocol family. In the Go-Back-N
protocol, the sender window size is always larger than the receiver window size. In this protocol, the
sender keeps the copy of the sent packet for specific intervals of time, and the receiver sends only
one acknowledgment for all the packets received in sequence.

The flow control of the Go-Back-N protocol can be summarized by the following steps:

1. The sender moves to the next window and sends the data packets with new sequence numbers.

2. The receiver receives the packets and sends a cumulative acknowledgment based on the last
successfully received packet.

3. If the sender does not receive an acknowledgment to the previously sent packet within the time
interval, then it resends the entire window again, starting from the unacknowledged packet.

(f) What is meant by random access control? Explain all

versions of Slotted Aloha and CSMA protocols in brief.

(f) Random access control is a method that permits a large number of devices to share a common
communication channel or medium, without the need for formal coordination. It is used to permit
multiple devices to communicate with each other simultaneously in an uncoordinated way.

Slotted Aloha Protocol:

Slotted Aloha Protocol is a random access control protocol in which the data transmission happens in
discrete time slots. Each device transmits its data packet only in its allocated slot, which is done
through a combination of randomization and a basic time slotting mechanism. If two or more
transmitting devices collide, they detect the collision and then re-transmit the packet after some
random time interval.

CSMA Protocol:

Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) is another random access control protocol used in computer
networks. In this protocol, each device checks if the channel is free before transmitting. All of the
devices transfer their packets continuously, but only one device transmits at a time. If the channel is
already occupied, the device waits until the channel is free before attempting the transmission again.
CSMA has two variations, namely CSMA/CD (Collision Detection) and CSMA/CA (Collision Avoidance).

CSMA/CD:

In CSMA/CD protocol, a device listens to the network, a brief moment before it start transmitting. If
the device detects a collision (i.e., if two or more devices started transmitting at the same time) while
transmitting the packet, then it immediately stops transmission, and waits for a random time interval
before trying again.

CSMA/CA:

In CSMA/CA protocol, a device reserves a portion of bandwidth before transmitting its data packet.
This is done by transmitting a reservation request first, to make sure that no other device is currently
transmitting. When the device gets acknowledgment for reserve, it transmits its original data packet.

4.

(a) Interpret the concept of Congestion Control Techniques.

List and explain each of them with lucid examples.

(a) Congestion Control is a technique in computer networking, which is used to avoid congestion on
the network link. It is considered critical as congestion can reduce network performance and can
ultimately lead to network collapse. Congestion Control techniques are used to regulate traffic flows
in the network and ensure that congestions do not arise.

There are two main categories of Congestion Control techniques -

1. Open Loop Control: This is a proactive method of congestion control, which involves monitoring
network traffic flow and modifying parameters to prevent congestion before it happens.

Examples of Open-loop control techniques are -

(i) Rate Limiting: It limits the transmit rate of data to prevent congestion. This technique is used by
most routers to limit the incoming traffic.
(ii) Traffic shaping: It buffers the packets in order to control and manage network traffic flows.

2. Closed Loop Control: This technique monitors the network actively during the congestion state.

Examples of closed-loop control techniques are -

(i) Random Early Detection (RED): It signals the sender to slow down the transmission speed if the
average queue length exceeds a threshold value.

(ii) Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN): It acts as a signal to send it to slow down transmission in
response to network congestion.

(b) Sketch the Frame Format of TCP and explain each field of it

in detail.

b) (b) The TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) frame format is a standard format used in network
communication to transfer data reliably. The format consists of seven fields, which are used to send
the data from the sender to the receiver.

The fields of the TCP frame format are -

1. Source Port: This is a 16-bit field that indicates the sender's port number.

2. Destination Port: This is a 16-bit field that indicates the destination port number.

3. Sequence Number: This is a 32-bit field that indicates the number of bytes in the current data
segment.
4. Acknowledgment Number: This is a 32-bit field that indicates the number of bytes that the
receiver is expecting to receive.

5. Data Offset: This is a 4-bit field that indicates the number of 32-bit words in the TCP header.

6. Reserved: This is a 6-bit field that is reserved for future use.

7. Flags: This is a 6-bit field that contains important control flags and commands.

8. Window Size: This is a 16-bit field that indicates the receiver's buffer size.

9. Checksum: This is a 16-bit field that verifies the integrity of the TCP segment.

10. Urgent Pointer: This is a 16-bit field that indicates the location of the last urgent byte in the data
field.

(c) Differentiate UDP and TCP. How does TCP work? Explain in

detail the Handshaking Mechanism.

(c) UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) are two different
protocols used in network communication. UDP is a connectionless protocol, whereas TCP is a
connection-oriented protocol.

TCP establishes a connection between the sender and receiver before transmitting the data. The
Handshaking mechanism is used to establish a connection before transmitting data. The Handshaking
mechanism involves a three-way exchange between the sender and receiver.

The three steps involve in Handshaking mechanism are:

1. SYN: In the SYN step, the sender sends a SYN message to the receiver to initiate the connection.

2. SYN-ACK: In the SYN-ACK step, the receiver acknowledges the sender's request by sending a SYN-
ACK message back to the sender.

3. ACK: In the ACK step, the sender sends an acknowledgment to the receiver, establishing the
connection.

Once the TCP connection is established, data transmission can take place. TCP ensures that all
packets are received correctly at the destination. It detects lost packets and retransmits them to
ensure data accuracy.

5.

(a) What do you mean by Quality of Service (QoS). List and

discuss all those parameters which are accountable for QoS

in computer networking.

(a) Quality of Service (QoS) is a term in computer networking that describes the overall quality of
data transmission that is experienced by users on the network. It defines the performance
parameters that are accountable for the quality of data transmission. QoS assures the required level
of service and ensures that resources are used effectively. Network QoS parameters can be
categorized into three groups:
1. Bandwidth: It refers to the available data transfer rate in a network link or channel. High
Bandwidth allows for high data transfer rates.

2. Delay: This parameter refers to the elapsed time between sending and receiving data packets. High
Delay causes jitter and can affect network performance.

3. Jitter: Jitter is the variation in the delay time between data packets. Low jitter results in smooth
data delivery, while high jitter can cause packet loss.

(b) Argue through some lucid example which advocates that

“Jitter is Good”. Also illustrate the functioning of Token Bucket Algorithm to deal with congestion
caused by bursty data flow.

(b) In the context of audio and video transmission over a network, a certain amount of jitter variance
is good as it can prevent 'buffering'. Buffering is a pause in playback caused by a continuous stream
of data getting disrupted because of no fluctuations in their arrival. It is evident in real-time audio
and video streaming over the internet, which requires a continuous flow of data. A small amount of
jitter is good as it can help in preventing the buffering issue.
Token Bucket Algorithm is used to deal with network traffic bursts or congestion that can cause
transmission delay or loss. It relies on the concept of a token bucket, where tokens are removed from
the bucket at a fixed rate or according to some rules based on the traffic flowing into the bucket.
When the bucket is empty, no more packets are allowed to be transmitted until new tokens are
added.

(c) Write a note on any Two (2) of the followings.

(i) DNS and WWW

(ii) Leaky Bucket Or Load Shedding

(iii) Security services and its respective mechanisms

(c) (i) DNS and WWW: DNS (Domain Name System) is a name resolution service that is used to
convert domain names to IP addresses. On the other hand, the WWW (World Wide Web) provides a
user-friendly interface to access and display web pages from different servers over the internet. The
DNS is essential for user access to the WWW, as it allows a user to access any website on the internet
via an easy-to-remember name rather than using an IP address.

(ii) Leaky Bucket or Load Shedding: Leaky bucket algorithm is a method used to manage traffic on an
unreliable network. It uses a reservoir, known as a "leaky bucket" to limit the amount of data
transferred per unit time, preventing network overload and ensuring latency control. In contrast,
load shedding is a mechanism that discards packets beyond the network capacity. It allows the
network to function within its optimal state.

(iii) Security services and its respective mechanisms: Security services protect data transmission from
unauthorized access, alteration, and destruction. Some of the security mechanisms used in computer
networks are -

- Encryption: It is the process of converting data into a code or cipher, such that only authorized users
can decrypt the code.

- Authentication: It is the process of verifying the identity of the users accessing the system or
network.

- Access Control: It is used to prevent unauthorized access to data, systems or networks. Access
control mechanisms include user-based, role-based, and rule-based access control.

- Firewalls: It is used to control internet traffic and prevent hackers from accessing the secured
network. Firewalls can be software-based or hardware-based.

3.

(a) Draw the taxonomy of routing protocol and explain any one

intra-domain routing protocol for wired networks.

(a) The taxonomy of routing protocols can be divided into two main categories:

1. Interior Gateway Protocols (IGPs): These routing protocols are used to facilitate communication
and data transfer within a single autonomous system (AS). IGPs support a variety of routing
protocols, which are further divided into two categories -

i. Distance-vector protocols

ii. Link-state protocols

2. Exterior Gateway Protocols (EGPs): These routing protocols are used to facilitate communication
and data transfer between autonomous systems (AS). EGPs use Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to
communicate network topology and route data between AS networks.
One example of an intra-domain routing protocol for wired networks is the Open Shortest Path First
(OSPF) protocol.

OSPF is a link-state based protocol, which means that it creates a network topology by sharing and
comparing information about link states. Each node in the network creates a link-state advertisement
(LSA) and shares it with its nearest neighbors. The LSAs combine to form a comprehensive view of
the network topology.

OSPF uses Dijkstra's algorithm to find the shortest path between the source and destination node. It
is preferred over distance-vector protocols because it does not rely on the hop count to determine
the path length, which can sometimes be misleading. OSPF determines the path based on the
bandwidth, delay, and other metrics, such as cost and reliability.

The OSPF algorithm works in the following steps:

1. Discovery: Each router sends a database description list (DBD) to its neighboring routers to verify if
both databases match.

2. Exchange: Routers send link-state advertisements (LSAs) to their neighbors about their neighbors
and the entire network.

3. Building a Shortest Path Tree: After receiving the LSAs, the router creates a shortest path tree of
the entire network via Dijkstra's algorithm.

4. Calculate the shortest path: The router calculates the shortest path to the destination via the
shortest path tree.

5. Forwarding packets: Once the router determined the shortest path, the packets are forwarded
towards the destination.

OSPF is a robust and scalable protocol that works well in large networks. It dynamically adjusts to
changes in the network topology, making it an ideal choice for wired enterprise networks.

(b) Draw the IPV4 Packet Header and explain each field of it.

(b) Here is the structure of the IPv4 packet header and a brief description of each field -

| 0 - 3 | 4 - 7 | 8 - 15 | 16 - 31 |

|-------|-------|---------|---------|

| Ver | Header| TOS | Total |

| |Length | | Length |

| Identification |Flags| Offset |

| Time to Live | Protocol| Header Checksum |

| Source IP Address |

| Destination IP Address |
- Version: This field identifies the version of the IP protocol used in the datagram. For IPv4, this is set
to 4.

- Header Length: This field specifies the length of the header in 32-bit words.

- Type of Service (TOS): This field identifies the type of service requested by the user, such as high
throughput or low latency.

- Total Length: This field specifies the entire packet length in bytes, including the header and data.

- Identification: This field provides a unique identifier for the packet.

- Flags: This field is used to indicate whether the packet is a part of a bigger packet fragment.

- Fragment Offset: This field specifies the offset of a particular fragment within the original packet.

- Time to Live (TTL): This field specifies the maximum number of hops allowed for the packet before
it is discarded.

- Protocol: This field identifies the protocol used in the data payload.

- Header Checksum: This field contains the checksum of the header that helps to ensure the correct
data transmission.

- Source IP Address: This field specifies the IP address of the sender of the packet.

- Destination IP Address: This field specifies the IP address of the intended recipient of the packet.

(c) Define the terms subnetting, super-netting and subnet mask. Explain the concept of Classfull
Addressing scheme and also calculate the number of Networks and number of hosts in each class.

(c) Subnetting is a technique of breaking down a single public IP address network into smaller sub-
networks or subnets. It allows efficient utilization of the IPs and better security by giving separate IP
address blocks to different segments of the network.

Supernetting, on the other hand, is the opposite of subnetting. It is the process of combining
multiple smaller networks into a single large network. Supernetting can reduce the complexity of
routing tables and save IP addresses.

A subnet mask is a 32-bit binary number that is used to identify the bits that represent the network
portion of an IP address. It separates the network portion of the IP address from the host portion of
the IP address.

Classful Addressing scheme divides the possible IP address range into five different classes, ranging
from A to E.

Class A addresses can range from 0.0.0.0 to 127.0.0.0, and the first octet is reserved for network
identification. Thus, it can support 128 unique networks with 16,777,214 hosts per network.

Class B addresses range from 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.0.0, with the first two octets reserved for network
identification. It can support up to 16,384 networks, with around 65,534 hosts per network.

Class C addresses range from 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.0, with the first three octets reserved for
network identification. It can support up to 2,097,152 networks with 254 hosts per network.

Class D addresses range from 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255, and it is reserved for multicast groups.
Class E addresses range from 240.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255, and it is reserved for future use.

The subnet mask for each class represents the bits used for the network ID and the bits used for the
host ID. For example, for a class C network with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first three
octets are used to identify the network, while the last octet represents the host. In this case, there
can be up to 254 hosts per network.