UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2021/2022
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BAC 1206/BISF 1206/BSD 1206: NETWORKING ESSENTIALS
BIT 1305: COMPUTER NETWORKS
BBIT 103: COMPUTER NETWORKS AND MANAGEMENT
FULL TIME/ PARTTIME/ DISTANCE LEARNING
DATE: DECEMBER, 2021 TIME: 2 HOURS
ANSWER QUESTION ONE AND ANY OTHER TWO QUESTIONS
QUESTION ONE (20 Marks) Compulsory
a) Routing is the task of selecting a path for the transport of packets across the network, and
is one of the most important functions of the network layer.
Required
i. Explain the TWO criteria used in choosing an optimal path for data transmission.
(2 Marks)
ii. Briefly describe the main differences and similarities between routers and switches.
(4 Marks)
iii. Citing examples in each case, describe the following TCP/IP routing protocols in terms of
message complexity, processing and robustness. (6 Marks)
a. Link state
b. Distance-vector
c. Hybrid Routing Protocols
b) In large networks there might be multiple paths linking the data sender and data receiver. Data
may be switched as it travels through various communication channels to ensure reliability and
efficiency. Describe any FOUR data switching tecnniques that could be applied to achieve the
above goals. (8 Marks)
QUESTION TW0 (15 Marks)
As a network administrator, you have two options when it comes to assigning IP addresses to the
hosts in your network. Briefly explain:
(i) When it is appropriate to use Static IP configuration option. (3 Marks)
(ii) When it is appropriate to use Dynamic IP configuration option. (2 Marks)
(iii) Give one advantage and one disadvantage that stateless address autoconfiguration has
compared to DHCP. (2 Marks)
(iv) Describe the steps a client goes through to get an IP address from a DHCP server.
(8 Marks)
QUESTION THREE (15 Marks)
Ethernet is the traditional technology for connecting devices in a wired local area network (LAN)
or wide area network (WAN).
Required
a) Describe the following types of ethernet cables: (4 Marks)
i. Straight through cables
ii. Crossover cable
b) Most Ethernet technologies use the CSMA/CD technology. Briefly describe how this
technology operates. (6 Marks)
c) Describe the components of an ethernet frame. (5 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR (15 Marks)
a) You are provided with a network address 193.9.100.0, suppose the number of networks required
is 3.Workout the following:
i. Custom subnet mask for the entire network (2 Marks)
ii. Subnet IDs for the subnet (3 Marks)
iii. The number of hosts that can be supported on each subnet (2 Marks)
iv. Describe the significance of the loopback IP address in a network. (2 Marks)
b) Compare and contrast between the OSI and TCP/IP models (6 Marks)
