Data Communication (FAQ)

q) What is Data Communication ?

Ans) Data communication is the transfer of data from one device to another via some form of transmission
medium. A data communications system must transmit data to the correct destination in an accurate and
timely manner.

q) Components of Data Communication ?

Ans) The five components that make up a data communications system are the message, sender, receiver,
medium, and protocol.

q) Different forms of information in Data Communication ?

Ans) Text, numbers, images, audio, and video are different forms of information.

q) Data Transmission Modes :-

Ans) There are three modes of transmission:-

A) Simplex :- Sender Receiver

In this mode, data is transmitted in one direction only i.e from sender to receiver. E.g:- T.V broadcasting or
the keyboard can onlu introduce input and the monitor can only accept output.

B) Half-duplex:- Sender Or Receiver

In this mode, data can be transmitted in both directions, but in only one direction at a time. The entire
capacity of the channel can be utilized for each direction.
Eg:- walkie-talkie

C) Full- duplex:-
Sender AND Receiver

In this mode data can be transmitted in both directions simultaneously. The capacity of the channel must be
divided between the two directions.

e.g:- mobile phone, telephone

q) Networks :-

Ans) A network is a set of devices (often referred to as nodes) connected by communication links. A node
can be a computer, printer, or any other device capable of sending and/or receiving data generated by other
nodes on the network.

Dolon Mukherjee…(Lecturer….George College of Management and Science….Kolkata) 1

q) Advantages of Computer Networks :-

Ans) a) Resource Sharing. :- Resources such as printers, fax machines and modems can be shared.
b) Centralized Software Management :- Software can be loaded on one computer ( the file server)
eliminating the need to spend time and energy installing updates and tracking files on independent
computers through the building.
c) Electronic Mail:- E-mail helps in personal and professional communication.
d) Speed :- Sharing and transferring files within Networks are very rapid.

q) Disadvantages of Computer Networks :-

Ans) a) Network faults can cause loss of data.

b) System remains open to hackers.
c) Server faults stop application being available.

q) Types of connections: Point-To-Point and Multipoint

Ans) In a point-to-point connection, two and only two devices are connected by a dedicated link. In a
multipoint connection, three or more devices share a link.

q) Network Topology

Ans) Topology of a network refers to the way in which the network’s nodes are linked together.

A) Bus Topology :- Bus topology is the simplest way a network can be organized. In bus topology, all
computers are linked to the same transmission line by using a cable. The word "bus" refers to the
physical line that joins all the machines on the network.

Advantages :- a) Ease of installation b) Requires less cabling than Mesh or Star topologies.

Disadvantages :- a) Entire network shuts down if there is a break in the main cable. b)
Difficult to identify the problem if the entire network shuts down.

B) Star Topology :- In Star topology, each device has a dedicated point–to-point link only to a central
controller usually called a hub. The controller acts as an exchange: If one device wants to send data to
another, it sends the data to the controller, which then relays the data to the other connected device.

Advantages :- a) Easy to install and wire. b) Easy to detect faults and to remove parts. c)
Robustness i.e if one link fails, only that link is affected. All other links remain active.

Disadvantages :- a) If the hub fails, the whole system is dead. b) Requires more cabling than ring or
bus topologies.

C) Ring Topology :- In a ring topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point connection with only
the two devices on either side of it. A signal is passed along the ring in one direction, from device to
device, until it reaches its destination. Each device in the ring incorporates a repeater. When a device
receives a signal intended for another device, its repeater regenerates the bits and passes them along.

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 Advantages :- a) Relatively easy to install and reconfigure.

Disadvantages :- a)Communication delay is directly proportional to the no. of nodes in the network.
Hence addition of new nodes in a network increases communication delay.

D) Mesh Topology :- In this topology, every device has as dedicated point-to-point link to every other
device. We need n( n – 1) physical links [ n is the no. of nodes in the network] .

Advantages :- a) Robustness and reliability i.e if one link becomes unusable, transmission can take place
through other links. b) Fault isolation and identification is easy.

Disadvantages :- a) Requires more cable than the other LAN topologies. b) Installation and reconnection
are difficult as every device has to be connected to every other device. c) Expensive

E)Tree Topology :- Tree topology is a variation of a star. It has a central hub that controls the traffic to the
network, but it also has secondary hubs, which are in turn connected to the central hub.

F) Hybrid topology :- A network can be hybrid , i.e we can have a main star topology with each branch
connecting several stations in a bus topology.

Choice of a topology for a computer network depends on a combination of factors such as :-

a) Size of the system.

b) Expandability of the system.
c) Cost of components required to implement the network.
d) Desired performance of the system.

q) Types of network

Ans)

a) Local Area Network (LAN) :- A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance. It
is usually privately owned and links the devices in a single office, building or campus. Data transfer
speeds over a local area network can reach up to 10 Mbps (such as for an Ethernet network) and 1
Gbps (as with FDDI or Gigabit Ethernet). Currently , LAN size is limited to a few kilometers.
b) Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) :- A MAN is a network with a size between a LAN and a
WAN. It normally covers the area inside a town or city. A good example is the cable TV network.
c) Wide Area Network (WAN):- A WAN spans a large geographic area, such as a state, province or
country. WANs often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs) or
metro area networks (MANs). Transmission rates are typically 2 Mbps, 34 Mbps, 45 Mbps, 155
Mbps, 625 Mbps (or sometimes considerably more). The world's most popular WAN is the Internet.
Example of switched WANs – X.25, Frame relay, ATM.

q) Internet :-

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Ans) An internet is a network of networks. The Internet is a huge collection of computers around
the world. These computers are all linked together, and they can "talk" to each other, sharing information.
Advantages of internet :- a) You can send electronic letters(email) to people.
b) You can read pages on the World Wide Web.
c) You can play games with people on the other side of the world.
d) You can chat with different people.
e) You can even buy things on the Internet and have them delivered to your house!

q) Protocol

Ans) A protocol is a set of rules that governs data communication; the key elements of a protocol are
syntax, semantics, and timing.
e.g:- IP, TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, SMTP etc.

q) Standards

Ans) Standards are necessary to ensure that products from different manufacturers can work together as
expected. The ISO, ITU-T, ANSI, IEEE, and EIA are some of the organizations involved in standards
creation.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization)

ITU-T ( International Telecommunication Union Telecommunications Standards Sector)
ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
IEEE ( Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer)
EIA (Electronics Industries Association)

q) ISP

Ans) Internet service provider (ISP) - Company that provides Internet connections and services to
individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, the service provider gives you a software package,
username, password and access phone number. Equipped with a modem, you can then log on to the
Internet and browse the World Wide Web, and send and receive e-mail.
Some ISPs in India :- BSNL, Sify etc.

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Dolon Mukherjee…(Lecturer….George College of Management and Science….Kolkata) 4