IS589 Week 2 Texbook QuestionsIS589
Week 2 – Text Book Questions
Greg Wilson
Chapter 3: Questions 1, 3, and 6
Question 1: How does a multipoint circuit differ from a point-to-point circuit?
From the Course Text (Fitzgerald & Dennis, 2009):
In this configuration, many computers are connected on the same circuit. This means that each must share the circuit with the others. The disadvantage is that only one computer can use the circuit at a time. When one computer is sending or receiving data, all others must wait. The advantage of multipoint circuits is that they reduce the amount of cable required and typically use the available communication circuit more efficiently. Imagine the number of circuits that would be required if the network in Figure 3.2 was designed with separate point-to-point circuits. For this reason, multipoint configurations are cheaper than point-to-point circuits. Thus, multipoint circuits typically are used when each computer does not need to continuously use the entire capacity of the circuit or when building point-to-point circuits is too expensive. Wireless circuits are almost always multipoint circuits because multiple computers use the same radio frequencies and must take turns transmitting.
Question 3: Describe three types of guided media.
Twisted-Pair Cable (Fitzgerald & Dennis, 2009):
One of the most commonly used types of guided media is twisted-pair cable, insulated pairs of wires that can be packed quite close together (Figure 3.9). The wires usually are twisted to minimize the electromagnetic interference between one pair and any other pair in the bundle.
Coaxial Cable (Fitzgerald & Dennis, 2009):
Coaxial cable has a copper core (the inner conductor) with an outer cylindrical shell for insulation. The outer shield, just under the shell, is the second conductor. Because they have additional shielding provided by