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CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Solutions to Review Questions and Exercises
Review Questions
1. The five components of a data communication system are the sender, receiver,
transmission medium, message, and protocol.
2. The advantages of distributed processing are security, access to distributed data-
bases, collaborative processing, and faster problem solving.
3. The three criteria are performance, reliability, and security.
4. Advantages of a multipoint over a point-to-point configuration (type of connec-
tion) include ease of installation and low cost.
5. Line configurations (or types of connections) are point-to-point and multipoint.
6. We can divide line configuration in two broad categories:
a. Point-to-point: mesh, star, and ring.
b. Multipoint: bus
7. In half-duplex transmission, only one entity can send at a time; in a full-duplex
transmission, both entities can send at the same time.
8. We give an advantage for each of four network topologies:
a. Mesh: secure
b. Bus: easy installation
c. Star: robust
d. Ring: easy fault isolation
9. The number of cables for each type of network is:
a. Mesh: n (n – 1) / 2
b. Star: n
c. Ring
: n – 1
d. Bus: one backbone and n drop lines
10. The general factors are size, distances (covered by the network), structure, and
ownership.