Examinations for May – August 2023 Semester

Course Code NW 200

Course Name COMPUTER NETWORKS AND DATA COMMUNICATION

Programme(s) BIST, BSc. CS

School(s) SCE

Year of Study 2 Semester 1

Examination Date 16th AUGUST 2023

Starting Time Ending Time

Instructions:
1. Answer FOUR Questions.
2. Section A is compulsory and carries 40 marks.
3. Answer any other THREE Questions from Section B. Each question carries 20 marks.
4. Write clearly and legibly.
5. Do not write anything on the question paper.
6. Do not take Mobile Phones into the examination room.
7. Follow the instructions of the examination supervisor.
8. Indicate questions answered on the Answer Sheet in the column of Questions.

UTAMU
Tel Plot 6, Erisa Road, www.utamu.ac.ug
+256702 646 093 +256750 599 736
Kiswa, Bugolobi [email protected]
SECTION A (40 marks)
1. Differentiate between a hub and a switch in a computer network. (3 marks)
2. Explain the concept of bandwidth in networking and how it impacts data transmission. (4
marks)
3. Compare and contrast IPv4 and IPv6 addressing schemes. Highlight the reasons for
transitioning to IPv6. (6 marks)
4. What is a firewall, and how does it enhance network security? (2 marks)
5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using wireless networks compared to wired
networks. (4 marks)
6. What is the difference between half-duplex and full-duplex communication in
networking? Provide examples of where each might be used. (4 marks)
7. Describe the concept of subnetting and its significance in IP network design. (5 marks)
8. Compare the OSI model and the TCP/IP model, highlighting the similarities and
differences between them. (4 marks)
9. Discuss the challenges and solutions for securing wireless networks from unauthorized
access and attacks. (3 marks)
10. Compare the client-server model with the peer-to-peer model of network communication.
(2 marks)
11. Discuss the role of a router in a computer network and its significance in forwarding data
between different networks. (2 marks)
12. What is a MAC address, and how does it relate to network communication? (2 marks)
13. List and explain the factors that may affect the performance of wireless networks? (4
marks)

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SECTION B (60 marks)
QUESTION 1
a) Describe the process of establishing a circuit-switched connection between two devices in a
network. (6 marks)

b) Discuss the challenges of bandwidth utilization in wireless networks. How does signal
interference, channel capacity, and the number of connected devices affect wireless network
performance? (3 marks)
c) Explain the concept of packet switching and how it breaks data into packets for transmission.
Discuss the advantages of packet switching in terms of efficient bandwidth utilization and error
recovery. (6 marks)
d) Show the forwarding process if a packet arrives at R1 in the figure below with the destination
address 180.70.65.140. (5 marks)

QUESTION 2
a) Explain the process of how a router forwards a data packet from a source host to a
destination host across multiple networks. Include the role of routing tables, next-hop
determination, and packet forwarding. (8 marks)

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 a) Compare and contrast guided and unguided transmission media in communication
networks. Provide examples of each type and discuss their respective advantages and
limitations. (2 marks)
b) A block of addresses is granted to a small organization whose network is identified as
192.168.0.0/24. (8 marks)
i. How many hosts are in this network?
ii. What is the first address in the block?
iii. What is the last address in the block?
iv. What is the network address?
c) Describe the structure of an IPv4 address and its division into network and host portions. How
does subnetting enable efficient use of IPv4 addresses and support hierarchical addressing? (2
marks)

QUESTION 3
a) What is the difference between congestion control and quality of service? (2 marks)
b) Describe the concept of multiplexing in digital transmission. Discuss the advantages of
time-division multiplexing (TDM) and frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) in
transmitting multiple signals over a single communication channel. (4 marks)

c) What are the different techniques to improve Quality of Service in networks? (4 marks)

d) Explain the concept of analog transmission in communication networks. Compare and

e) What is the difference between UDP and TCP and give 3 examples of well known ports
in each. (4 marks)
f) Explain the purpose and operation of the Subnet Mask in IPv4 addressing. How does the
Subnet Mask identify the network and host portions of an IP address? (2 marks)

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 QUESTION 4
a) Describe the process of digital-to-analog conversion and analog-to-digital conversion in
digital transmission. Discuss the importance of these conversions in transmitting data over
communication channels. (4 marks)
b) Discuss the factors that can affect the quality of digital transmission, such as noise,
attenuation, and distortion. Explain the techniques used to mitigate these effects.
(6 marks)
c) Compare and contrast circuit-switched and packet-switched networks in terms of their
bandwidth utilization. Which type of network is more efficient in utilizing available
bandwidth, and why? (4 marks)
d) In regards to name servers what is the difference between a primary server and a secondary
server? (2 marks)
e) What is the difference between a country level domain name and a top level domain name?
(2 marks)
f) Consider a scenario where a network needs to be extended to a remote location. Would you
recommend using wired or wireless transmission media for this scenario? Provide reasons for
your recommendation. (2 marks)

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