ORDRE DES INGNIEURS DU QUBEC

MAY 2016 SESSION

Open-book examination
Calculators : only authorized models
Duration : 3 hours
14-EL-B1 Information Technology Networks
Question 1 (12 points)
A. Using the subnet mask /27, does the computers which IP
addresses are 132.207.67.13 and 132.207.67.63 belong to the
same subnet? (1 point)
Host address range : 132.207.67.1 - 132.207.67.30
Subnet ID : 132.207.67.0
Broadcast address : 132.207.67.31
Mask : 255.255.255.224
Host address range : 132.207.67.33 - 132.207.67.62
Subnet ID : 132.207.67.32
Broadcast address : 132.207.67.63
Mask : 255.255.255.224

B. Propose some solutions to reduce the delay between two remote

routers in an IPv4 network that consists of tens of interconnected
routers. (1 point)
C. Explain the specifications (or characteristics) of IP addresses (length,
classes, mask, IP address typesetting). (1 point)
D. Which transport protocol is better for real-time applications : TCP or
UDP? Explain your answer. (1 point)
Transmission Control Protocol or TCP is connection oriented, which means that
a formal connection between two end points must be established before any data
is transmitted. TCP guarantees the delivery of data, and it also guarantees that
data packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent.
UDP is connectionless, which means that data packets can be sent without
warning, preparation, or negotiation. Theres no handshake or setup, just packets
of data. UDP also lacks any kind of error control. Not only can packets be
delivered in an incorrect order, but they can also get completely left out. UDP is
meant for applications where you are more concerned with keeping the stream of
information going than making sure you receive every single packet. This makes
UDP ideal for real-time services such as Voice over IP.
With TCP, delays happen every time there is an error like packet loss. These
delays, which are caused by retransmitting broken packets and any following
packets that may have already been sent, translate into an unacceptable level of
jitter for the end user.
E. Explain the differences between RIP and OSPF. (1 point)

Differences between RIP and OSPF:

Routing Information Protocol (RIP):
Distance Vector algorithm, 15 hops of distance (maximum distance
need in 1982).
If no answer after 180 sec link declare dead.
Error in Routing is propagated quickly.
Routing Tables managed at Application level.
Router only knows how to route to the attached Networks.
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF):
Link State Algorithm, advertisement carries one entry per neighbor
router. Disseminate using flooding.
More secure that RIP, message authentication.
Multiple same cost paths allowed.
Uni/Multi cast support.
Hierarchical
F. A system has an n-layer protocol hierarchy. Applications generate
messages of length M bytes. At each layer, an h-bytes header is added.
What fraction of the networks bandwidth is filled with headers? (1
point)
Each message is M-bytes long. There are n-layers each one adding an h-byte
header, therefore, each message that is transmitted through the network is
(nh+M) bytes long. The fraction of the network bandwidth that is filled with
headers is given by nh/(nh+M)
If it is assumed that the bottom layer (physical) does not generate any header,
then there shall be (n-1)h headers generated, so the fraction of the network
bandwidth that is filled with headers is given by (n-1)h/[(n-1)h+M]

G. What are the differences between WiFi and Bluetooth? (1 point)

Bluetooth vs Wifi
The major difference between Bluetooth and Wifi is the speed and security they
offer, and the purpose for using them. While Bluetooth is used to connect two
mobile devices, Wifi is used to quickly connect a device to the internet without
using a cord. To date the security provided by Bluetooth is confined to key
matching, whereas Wifi provides higher security with new versions being included
in it with the passage of time.
A modem or router supports Wifi which covers a wider area, and conversely, a
router manages Bluetooth which covers a small distance. The latter works at a
frequency of 2.4GHz, but the former is workable at different frequencies,
including 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz. Also, the Bluetooth can only connect up to 7
devices at once. In comparison, the count of Wifi connections depends on the
router.

Bluetooth devices can be connected within a distance of 30m. However, devices

can connect using a Wifi network within a notable distance of 100m.
Comparison Chart
Bluetooth

Ericsson invented Bluetooth technology in 1994 and introduced it as a replacement wireless to

Bluetooth helps link two devices via a wireless network.
Bluetooth radios are less powerful.
Generally, mobile phones or headsets use the technology of Bluetooth.

H. Give two examples of the computer applications for which

connection-oriented service is appropriate and two examples for which
connectionless service is best. (1 point)
File transfer, remote login, and video on demand need connection-oriented
service. On
the other hand, credit card verification and other point-of-sale terminals,
electronic funds
transfer, and many forms of remote database access are inherently
connectionless, with
a query going one way and the reply coming back the other way.
I. A new company decides to use the IP address 174.10.0.0/16 to its
private network. This company needs 10 subnets. If each of these
subnets can contain a maximum of 3 subnets, give the masks used to
satisfy these constraints and maximize the number of workstations in
each subnet (1 point).
J. What is an Ethernet collision domain? (1 point)
A collision domain is a section of a network connected by a shared medium or
through repeaters where data packets can collide with one another when being sent. The collision
domain applies particularly when using early versions of Ethernet. A network collision occurs
when more than one device attempts to send a packet on a network segment at the same time.
Members of a collision domain may be involved in collisions with one another. Devices outside
the collision domain do not have collisions with those inside.
Only one device in the collision domain may transmit at any one time, and the other devices in
the domain listen to the network in order to avoid collisions. Because only one device may be
transmitting at any one time, total network bandwidth is shared among all devices on the collision
domain. Collisions also decrease network efficiency on a collision domain as collisions require
devices to abort transmission and retransmit at a later time.

K. When a file is transferred between two computers, two

acknowledgement strategies are

possible. In the first one, the file is chopped up into packets. The
receiver individually
acknowledges these packets, but the file transfer as a whole is not
acknowledged. In the
second one, the packets are not acknowledged individually, but the
entire file is
acknowledged when it arrives. Compare the two approaches. (1 point)
If the network tends to lose packets, it is better to acknowledge each one
separately, so the lost packets can be retransmitted. On the other hand, if the
network is highly reliable, sending one acknowledgement at the end of the
entire transfer saves bandwidth in the normal case (but requires the entire file
to be retransmitted if even a single packet is lost).
L. Explain the TCP connection establishment process. (1 point)
Normal Connection Establishment: The "Three Way Handshake"
To establish a connection, each device must send a SYN and receive an ACK for it from the other
device. Thus, conceptually, we need to have four control messages pass between the devices.
However, it's inefficient to send a SYN and anACK in separate messages when one could
communicate both simultaneously. Thus, in the normal sequence of events in connection
establishment, one of the SYNs and one of the ACKs is sent together by setting both of the
relevant bits (a message sometimes called a SYN+ACK). This makes a total of three messages,
and for this reason the connection procedure is called a three-way handshake.

Key Concept: The normal process of establishing a connection between a TCP

client and server involves three steps: the client sends a SYN message; the server
sends a message that combines an ACK for the clients SYN and contains the
servers SYN; and then the client sends an ACK for the servers SYN. This is called
the TCP three-way handshake.

Question 2 (4 points)
An application client/server use the network depicted at Figure 1. The server
sends a packet
(1000 bytes) to the client. For the communication between the client and the
server there are two
routes : Route1 = (R1-R2-R3) and Route2 = (R1-R4-R5-R6-R7-R3). The network
uses OSPF
routing protocol. Which is the best route for the communication? Explain your
answer.
Figure 1.
Question 3 (4 points)
Let consider the network topology depicted at Figure 2. A line represents each
physical

link and the cost of this link is indicated by the numerical value stated above the
line.
Each router runs the link state routing protocol OSPF (Open Shortest Path First),
with a
global view of the network.
Only for routers A and B :
a. Use Dijkstra (OSPF uses Dijkstra), to determine the shortest paths and the cost
of
the paths to each destination.
b. Fill the following table (Table 1) for routers A and B, to obtain their routing
table,