SHIVAM JAKHAR
RA2311003011936
Assignment 2 Answers
1. What are the different types of computer networks with examples?
Answer: Computer networks are classified into:
- LAN (Local Area Network): Used in small geographical areas like offices or homes.
- MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): Covers a city or town, e.g., cable TV networks.
- WAN (Wide Area Network): Covers a large area like a country, e.g., the Internet.
- PAN (Personal Area Network): For short-range personal devices.
- WLAN (Wireless LAN): Wireless variant of LAN.
2. What is the difference between LAN, MAN, and WAN?
Answer: LAN covers small areas (e.g., offices), MAN covers cities, and WAN spans
countries/continents. Speed is highest in LAN, moderate in MAN, and variable in WAN.
3. Explain the concept of PAN (Personal Area Network) with an example.
Answer: PAN connects devices close to a person. Example: A smartphone connecting to a
smartwatch via Bluetooth.
4. How does the Internet differ from an Intranet?
Answer: Internet is a global network for public access; Intranet is a private network used
within an organization.
5. What are the advantages of using a LAN in an organization?
Answer: Advantages: High data transfer speed, better security, resource sharing (printers,
files), easy communication, and centralized data management.
6. What is a network topology? Explain the types with real time examples.
Answer: Network topology refers to the physical or logical arrangement of network devices.
Types:
- Bus: All devices share one cable.
- Star: All nodes connect to a central hub.
- Ring: Devices form a circular path.
- Mesh: Devices are interconnected.
- Tree: Hierarchical structure.
- Hybrid: Combination of two or more topologies.
7. Explain Bus topology and mention one real-time example.
Answer: Bus topology uses a single cable shared by all devices.
Example: Early Ethernet networks.
SHIVAM JAKHAR
RA2311003011936
8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Star topology?
Answer: Advantages: Easy to install, cost-effective.
Disadvantages: If hub fails, the entire network goes down; requires more cables.
9. Why is Mesh topology considered reliable?
Answer: Mesh topology is reliable because each device connects to every other, providing
multiple paths and eliminating single points of failure.
10. Give a comparison between Ring topology and Tree topology.
Answer: Ring: Devices form a loop; data travels in one direction.
Tree: Combines star and bus topologies; hierarchical.
Tree is scalable; Ring is more organized but less flexible.
11. In which scenarios is Hybrid topology preferred?
Answer: Hybrid topology is used when multiple departments need different topologies but
must connect. Example: Universities or large enterprises.
12. What is switching in networking?
Answer: Switching in networking means moving data from one device to another using
various techniques like circuit, packet, or message switching.
13. Explain Circuit Switching with a real-time example.
Answer: Circuit switching establishes a dedicated path between sender and receiver before
transmission. Example: Traditional telephone calls.
14. What is Packet Switching and how is it used in the Internet?
Answer: Packet switching divides data into packets sent independently. Used in the Internet
for efficient and robust data transmission.
15. How does Message Switching differ from the other two types?
Answer: Message switching stores the entire message at intermediate nodes before
forwarding, unlike circuit or packet switching which stream data or packets.
16. Which switching technique is used in telephone networks?
Answer: Circuit switching is used in traditional telephone networks.
17. . What are the pros and cons of Packet Switching?
Answer: Pros: Efficient use of bandwidth, supports multiple transmissions. Cons: Delay due
to packet assembly, potential for packet loss.
SHIVAM JAKHAR
RA2311003011936
18. What is the OSI model and why is it important?
Answer: OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) is a conceptual model that standardizes
communication functions in seven layers for interoperability.
19. Name the 7 layers of the OSI model.
Answer: 1. Physical
2. Data Link
3. Network
4. Transport
5. Session
6. Presentation
7. Application
20. What is the function of the Physical layer?
Answer: The Physical layer transmits raw bitstreams over a physical medium like cables.
21. At which layer does routing occur?
Answer: Routing occurs at the Network layer (Layer 3).
22. Which OSI layer is responsible for encryption and compression?
Answer: The Presentation layer handles encryption and compression.
23. Give real-world examples for each OSI layer:
Answer: 1. Physical – Ethernet cables
2. Data Link – MAC Address
3. Network – IP Address
4. Transport – TCP/UDP
5. Session – NetBIOS
6. Presentation – SSL/TLS
7. Application – HTTP, FTP, SMTP
24. Which layer ensures end-to-end communication?
Answer: Transport layer ensures end-to-end communication using protocols like TCP.
25. How does the Transport layer handle error checking?
Answer: Transport layer uses checksums and acknowledgements for error detection and
correction.
26. What is the role of IP address and at which layer is it used?
SHIVAM JAKHAR
RA2311003011936
Answer: IP address identifies devices on a network and is used at the Network layer.
27. Which protocols work at the Application layer?
Answer: Protocols at Application layer: HTTP, FTP, SMTP, DNS, Telnet.
28. What does TCP/IP stand for?
Answer: TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
29. . What are the layers of the TCP/IP model?
Answer: Layers:
1. Application
2. Transport
3. Internet
4. Network Access
30. How does the TCP/IP model differ from the OSI model?
Answer: TCP/IP has 4 layers; OSI has 7. TCP/IP is more practical, OSI more theoretical.
31. Name the protocols used in each layer of the TCP/IP model.
Answer: Application – HTTP, FTP
Transport – TCP, UDP
Internet – IP, ICMP
Network Access – Ethernet, Wi-Fi
32. What is the purpose of the TCP/IP protocol suite?
Answer: TCP/IP enables communication over interconnected networks, supporting
interoperability between different devices and platforms.
33. What is the function of the IP protocol?
Answer: IP handles addressing and routing of packets across networks.
34. What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
Answer: IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses (e.g., [Link]); IPv6 uses 128-bit (e.g.,
[Link]). IPv6 supports more devices.
35. What is an IP address?
Answer: An IP address uniquely identifies a device on a network.
36. What is the purpose of subnetting in IP?
SHIVAM JAKHAR
RA2311003011936
Answer: Subnetting divides a network into smaller networks for better management and
security.
37. What is the difference between public and private IP addresses?
Answer: Public IPs are globally unique and used on the Internet. Private IPs are used within
local networks and are not routable on the Internet.
