Computer Networks

Q1. Define a Computer network?

A computer network is an interconnected collection of autonomous

computers and devices to exchange information or share resources.

Q2. Explain different components of a computer

Network.

1. Host /Node / Workstation

Host or node or workstation refers to the computers that are attached

to a network.

2. Server

Computer that facilities sharing of data ,software ,and hardware

resources (e.g. printers, modems etc.) on a network is called server.

3. Client

A client computer is a computer that can request for some services

from a server.

4. NIU (Network Interface Unit)

NIU is also known as NIC(Network Interface Card) or LAN Card. It is

a device that works as an intermediator between computer and the

network.

LAN Card can be wired as well as wireless.

5. Hub/switch

Hub/ Switch is a device used to interconnect computers on a network.

6. Communication channel

Communication channel is way/method to provide communication

between computers and devices on a network. .Communication

channel is of two types:

a. Wired Communication channels

Wired communication channels include cables to interconnect

computers on a network. There are basically three types of wired

communication channels:

i. Twisted pair cable

ii. Coaxial cable

iii. Optical fiber cable.

b. Wireless Communication channel

Wireless communication channels include wireless methods to

interconnect computers on a network. Various types of wireless

communication channels are:

i. Radio waves

ii. Satellite

iii. Microwave

iv. Infrared waves

v. Laser

7. Software
Communication is not possible on a network without software

components. Different software components include network protocols

,network operating system etc.

Q3. What are advantages of a Computer Network

1. Resource sharing : We can share hardware devices, softwares as

well as data on a network.

2. Communication Medium : Network can provide communication

between different computers attached to a network.

Q3. What are advantages of a Computer Network

1. Resource sharing : We can share hardware devices, softwares as

well as data on a network.

2. Communication Medium : Network can provide communication

between different computers attached to a network.

4. Centralized Control: We can centrally control the computers

attached to a network.

5. Central storage of data: We can save data of entire network on

single computer. It helps in removing duplication of data as well as

maintaining integrity of data.

Q4. What is ARPANET?

ARPANET stands for Advanced Research Project Agency Network. It

was the first network developed by DOD (Department of Defence)

America).

Q5. Explain different types of computer Networks ?

LAN MAN WAN PAN

1. It stands for 1. It stands for

1. It stands for Local 1. It stands for Wide
Metropolitan Area Personal Area
Area Network Area Network
Network Network

2. It is a
2. It is a network within 2. It is a network across network within
2. It is a network within
a small area such as cities, countries and a very small
a city.
building. continents. area upto 10
meters.

3.
Communication
3. Twisted pair cable is 3. Coaxial cable is 3. Optical fiber or is made using
preferably used for preferably used for satellite are used for bluetooth,
communication. communication.. communication infrared or
wireless
devices.

4. Example:
Wireless
4. Example: Computer 4. Example: Cable TV 4. Example: Mobile
headphone,
Lab Network phone network
wireless
printer.

4. Centralized Control: We can centrally control the computers

attached to a network.

5. Central storage of data: We can save data of entire network on

single computer. It helps in removing duplication of data as well as

maintaining integrity of data.

Q4. What is ARPANET?

ARPANET stands for Advanced Research Project Agency Network. It

was the first network developed by DOD (Department of Defence)

America).

Q5. Explain different types of computer Networks ?

LAN MAN WAN PAN

1. It stands for 1. It stands for 1. It stands for

Local Area Metropolitan 1. It stands for Wide Area Network Personal Area
Network Area Network Network

2. It is a 2. It is a
network within network within
2. It is a network 2. It is a network across cities, countries
a small area a very small
within a city. and continents.
such as area upto 10
building. meters.

3.
3. Twisted pair Communication
3. Coaxial cable
cable is is made using
is preferably 3. Optical fiber or satellite are used for
preferably used bluetooth,
used for communication
for infrared or
communication..
communication. wireless
devices.

4. Example:
4. Wireless
4. Example:
Example: Cable 4. Example: Mobile phone network headphone,
Computer Lab
TV Network wireless
printer.
 Advantages

 They are very cheap.

 They have very less weight.
 They are flexible.
 It is easy to install and maintain twisted pair cable.
Disadvantages

 It is suitable for short distance communication.

 It has low bandwidth.
They are available in various forms such as CAT1,CAT2

CAT3,CAT4,CAT5,CAT6.

They are basically of two types

a. Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)

b. Unshielded Twisted Pair(UTP)

ii. Coaxial cable

Coaxial cable consists of a solid wire surrounded and insulator further

surrounded by wire mesh further covered with plastic insulator.

Advantages

 It is suitable for cable TV transmission.

 It provides high bandwidth so it suitable for long distance
communication.

 It is suitable for broadband transmission.

 Disadvantages

 It is more expensive compared to twisted pair cable.

 It is less flexible.
 It is not compatible with twisted pair cable.
They are of two categories: Thicknet and Thinnet.

iii. Optical fiber cable

Optical fiber cable is make of glass or glass like material. It can

transmit information in the form of light waves. Optical fiber consists

of following parts:

 Core: It is the material at the center of optical fiber cable to transmit

light waves.
 Cladding: It is covering of core used to reflect the light back to the
core.
 Plastic Coating: It is the plastic coating to protect cable from damage.
Advantages

 It is free from electromagnetic interference.

 It provides high for long distance communication.
Disadvantages

 It is very expensive.
 It is difficult to join these cables..
 It is not compatible with other cables.
There are two categories of Optical fiber cable

i. Single node

ii. Multi –node .

 b. Wireless Communication channel

Wireless communication channels are used to transmit information

without using cables.Various types of wireless communication

channels are:

 Radio waves
 Microwave
 Satellite
 Infrared Waves

 Laser
 Bluetooth
 Wi-Fi
i. Radio waves

Radio waves communication uses continuous sine waves to transmit

information from one point to another. It needs two components:

a. Transmitter: To transmit information.

b. Receiver: To receive information transmitted by transmitter.

Advantages

 It is easy to install and maintain.

 It is suitable for hilly areas as well as oceans.
 Disadvantages

 It is insecure.
 It is badly affected by weather.
ii. Microwave

Microwave is direct line of sight transmission in which parabolic

antennas are placed in front of each other.

Advantages

 It is cheap way of communication

 It is suitable for hilly areas as well as oceans.
Disadvantages

 It is insecure.
 It is badly affected by weather.
iii. Satellite

In satellite communication, artificial satellite is placed in

geostationary orbit at around 36,000 Kms above the surface of earth.

A satellite contains Trans-Receiver antenna to receive, generate and

redirect signals.
 Advantages

 It covers a very large area.

 It provides secure transmission.

Disadvantages

 It is very expensive.
 Installation is very complex.

iv. Infrared Waves

Infrared is direct line of sight transmission within a short distance (5

meters).

Advantages

 It is cheap way of communication

Disadvantages

 It can’t cross walls and solid objects.

 It is not suitable for long distance communication.
v. Laser

Laser is direct line of sight transmission .

Advantages

 It is cheap way of communication

 It is suitable for short range transmission of signals like TV remotes,
wireless speakers.
Disadvantages

 It can’t cross walls and solid objects.

 It is badly affected by weather.
Q8. What is bandwidth?

Bandwidth is defined as amount of information that can be transferred

through a single channel per unit time.

It is also defined as difference between highest and lowest frequencies

of a transmission channel.

For analog channels, bandwidth is measured as Hz (Hertz), KHz (Kilo

Hertz) ,MHz(Mega Hertz)

For digital channels, bandwidth (Data transfer Rate) is measured

as bps (Bits per second), Kbps (Kilo Bits per second) , Mbps(Mega

Bits per second), Gbps(Giga Bits per second), Tbps(Tera Bits per

second).

Q9. What is Internet?

Internet stands for interconnected networks. It is interconnection of

computers all over the world.

Q10. What is Interspace?

Interspace is basically a client/server software program that allows

multiple users to communicate online with real-time audio, video or

text chat in dynamic 3D environments.

Q13. What is MODEM?

MODEM stands for Modulator/Demodulator. It is device used to

convert analog signal to digital signal and vice versa. It is basically

used to run internet on your computer/device.

Q14. What is RJ45?

RJ45 stands for Registered Jack 45. It is an 8 wire connector used to

connect computers on a. LAN or Ethernet Card.

Q15. What is Ethernet Card?

Ethernet Card is also known as LAN Card. It is used to attach a

computer on a network.

Ethernet Card is the first LAN card developed by XEROX corporation

along with INTEL and DEC (Digital Equipments Corporation).

Q16. What is a Hub?

Hub is a device having multiple

ports used for interconnecting multiple computers together.

Hub provides shared bandwidth to all connected computers.

Hubs are of two types.

i. Active hub : It amplify the signal when it moves from one computer

to another.

ii. Passive hub: It allows the signal to pass from one computer to

another without any change.

Q17. What is a Switch

A switch is a device used to interconnect computers on a network but

it provides dedicated bandwidth to all connected computers.

Q18. What is a Bridge?

A bridge is a network device used to interconnect two networks that

follow same protocols.

Q19. What is a Router?

A router is a network device used to interconnect networks having

different protocols. Router forwards data from one computer to

another by shortest path.

Q20. What is a Gateway?

A gateway is a network device used to interconnect dissimilar

networks. It establishes an intelligent connection between local

networks with completely different structures.

Q21. What is WiFi Card?

A WiFi card is an internal or external Local area network adapter with a builtin

wireless radio and antenna.

Q22. What is a repeater?

 Repeater is a network device used to amplify week signal. Signal gets

week over long distance so we need a repeater to restrengthen it.

Q1. What is Network Topology and its types?

Network Topology is the structure to organize and interconnect

computers on a network . Different types of network topologies are:

i. Bus Topology
Bus topology is a network type in which every computer and network device is

connected to single cable.

Advantages
1. Short cable length.
2. It is cost effective.
3. It is easy to add new node.
Disadvantages
1. It is difficult to find and correct errors on network.
2. Only one computer transmits at a time.
3. If one computer is dead, it will make entire network dead.

ii. Star Topology

In star toplogy all the computers are connected to a single hub. This hub is the

central node and all others nodes are connected to the central node.
 Advantages
1. Centralized control of network.
2. It is easy to find and correct errors.
3. If one computer fails, it will have no effect on other computers on the network.
Disadvantages
1. Long cable length
2. If the hub fails then the whole network is stopped .
3. Wiring closet is required.

iii. Tree Topology

It has a root node and all other nodes are connected to it forming a inverted tree

structure. It is actually extended version of bus topology.

 Advantages
1. It is easy to add a new node .
2. It can be easily managed and maint ained.
Disadvantages
1. Long cable length.
2. It is difficult to locate and correct errors.
Q2. What is TCP/IP?
TCP/IP is a collection of protocols that includes Transmission Control

protocol and Internet protocol.

TCP ensures that data reaches its destination succesfully.

IP is meant for establishing connection between two computers on a

network.

Q3. What is FTP

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is used to transfer files from

one computer to another on a network. It is also used to transfer files

from a computer to web server.

Q4. What is PPP?

PPP stands for Point – to – Point Protocol. It is a communication

protocol used to transmit multiprotocol data between two directly

connected (point-to-point) computers.

Q5. What is HTTP?

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is used to transfer

hypertext based documents from one computer to another computer.

Q6. What is SMTP?

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is used to transfer

emails from one computer to another computer.

Q7. What is POP3?
POP3 stands for Post Office Protocol version 3. It is used to receive emails from

a remote server to a local email client. It allows to download email messages on

local computer and read them even when our computer is offline.

Q8. What is Telnet?

It is also known as Remote Login. It is a tool to access a computer

lying at far away place.

Q9. What is GSM?

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication. It

describes the protocols for second-generation (2G) digital cellular

networks used by mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets.

Q9. What is GPRS?

GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service. It is a packet oriented

mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G mobile communications

system.

Q10. What is WLL?

WLL stands for Wireless Local Loop. It is just like a land line phone
without wires. It uses radio links to connect to local exchange for
connecting to internet and transmission of data. It works in limited
geographical area.
Q12. What is VOIP?
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It is a technology that

allows to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection

instead of a regular phone line.

Q13. What is WI FI?

Wi Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity. It is the wireless networking
technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed
Internet and network connections.
 Q15. What is VIRUS? What threats are
caused virus? How can we prevent virus?
VIRUS stands for Vital Information Under Seize. It is computer

software that can harm computer.

Threats caused by VIRUS are:

 Virus may corrupt file system.

 It may format the hard disk.
 Virus can delete file from computer.
 It may eat up entire memory hence crashing the system.
Steps to prevent VIRUS

 Install an updated Anti-Virus Software.

 Regularly scan the computer for virus.
 Don’t download any software from unknown source.
 Don’t use infected pen drive , CD or DVD on computer.
Q16. What is WORM?
WORM is a type of software that can replicate itself creating multiple

copies of itself. In this way it may eat up entire disk space hence

resulting in system crash.

Q17. What is Trozan Horse?

Trozan Horse is a software that looks legitimate but actually can

harm the computer system.. It may appear like a game or similar

application.

Q18. What is SPAM?

Spam is an email that you receive from unknown sender. It may

contain link to virus or harmful content.

Q19. What is a cookie?

These are the text messages which are sent to a web browser by a web

server. Cookies are used to monitor the activities of a user on a web

 site. These messages are stored as text files on the user’s computer.

Cookies don’t harm the computer.

Cookies can contain username and password for a specific website.

Many e-commerce websites use cookies to keep track of the items in a

user’s shopping cart.

tion using firewall?

It is a collection or hardware and software which prevent unauthorized

access to the network.

Firewall examines all electronic data coming in or out of a computer

and compares it to the pre-specified rules. If the data matches the
rules, it’s allowed to pass.

22. What is IT Act?

IT Act( Information Technology Act) came into existence in year

2000. It is the primary law in India to deal with cyber crimes and

electronic commerce.

Q23. What is Cyber Law?

All the legal and regulatory aspects related to internet are known as

cyber law.

Applications of cyber law:

1. To prevent criminal activities on internet.

2. To ensure secure transmission of data on internet.
Q24. What is Cyber Crime?
All the illegal activities on intenet are known as cyber crime. Various

activities covered under cyber crime are:

 To steal someone’s personal or confidential data.

 To publish offensive content or use abusive language against anyone
through internet.
 To break into a secure system.
Q26. What is hacking? Define hacker and
cracker.
Hacking refers to activities that seek to compromise digital devices,

such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and even entire networks.

Hacker is a programmer who is interested in gaining knowledge about

computers and networking.

Q27. What is WWW?

WWW stands for World Wide web. It is a collection of protocols

required for transmitting documents on internet.

Q28. What is HTML?

HTML stands for hypertext markup language. This language is used to

create web pages. HTML is used to format a web page. It is used to

create a static web page.

Q29. What is XML?

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It is used to creating

documents which can contain structured information.

Q30 What is Domain Name?

Domain name specifies the type of a web site. Domain names are ca tegorized

into two types:

As per use:

.com Commercial

.org Organizational

.net Network based

 .gov Governmental

As per country

.in India

.uk United Kingdom

.us United States

Q33. What is a Web Browser?

It is a software used to display web pages and web sites. The

important web browsers are

 Microsoft Internet Explorer

 Mozilla Firefox
 Google Chrome
Q34. What is Web Server?
Web Server is a computer that stores web server software and a

website’s component files.

Q35. What is Web hosting?

It is the process in which a web site is stored on a computer in such a

way so that it should be accessible by other computers through

internet.

Q36. What is web scripting? What are its

types?
Web Scripting is the way to make web pages dynamic. Scripting is of

two types

 Client Side Scripting

 Server Side Scripting
i. Client Side Scripting: In this case, scripting works at the client’s

browser.
Example: Javascript, VBScript.

ii. Server Side Scripting: In this case, scripting works at the Server.

Example:

a. JSP(Java Server Pages): It is java based technology to create

dynamic web pages.

b. PHP(Hypertext Preprocessor): It is open source scripting language

to create dynamic web pages.

c. ASP(Active Server Pages): It is product of microsoft to create

dynamic web pages. ASP pages can run only windows based

computers.

Q37. What is Web 2.0? What are its

impacts on social networking?
Web 2.0 means those internet applications which allow sharing and

collaboration opportunities to people and help them to express

themselves online.

eb 2.0 examples include Video sharing sites (YouTube), social

networking (Facebook), Microblogging (Twitter), Instagram etc.

Q38. What is E-Commerce?

E-commerce refers to Electronic commerce in which people can sale

and purchase goods online through websites. Payments can be made

through online banking, mobile banking and payment apps.