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PYQ Analysis
MCS-218 · 9 papers
Block Weightage
Block 1 — Introduction to Data Communication
~30 marks/paper · 9/9 papers · 4 units
Block 2 — Media Access Control and Data Link Layer
~25 marks/paper · 9/9 papers · 4 units
Block 3 — Network Layer
~25 marks/paper · 9/9 papers · 4 units
Block 4 — Transport Layer and Application Layer
~20 marks/paper · 9/9 papers · 4 units
Unit Breakdown
Unit 1 — Introduction to Internet
Must~10 marks · 85% frequency
Internet Architecture & BackboneInternet Services & ProtocolsNetwork Topologies (Star, Bus, Ring, Mesh, Tree)LAN, WAN, MAN CharacteristicsClient-Server vs Peer-to-PeerOSI Reference Model LayersTCP/IP Network Model
Unit 2 — Data Transmission Basics & Transmission Media
Must~12 marks · 95% frequency
Analog vs Digital SignalsTransmission & Propagation DelaysAttenuation, Noise & DistortionTransmission Media: Copper vs FiberSimplex, Half-Duplex, Full-DuplexSynchronous, Asynchronous, IsochronousSignal-to-Noise Ratio
Unit 3 — Data Encoding and Modulation
Must~12 marks · 90% frequency
Digital-to-Digital EncodingManchester & Differential ManchesterAnalog Modulation: AM, FM, PMASK, FSK, PSK, QAMPAM and PCMDelta ModulationQuantization
Unit 4 — Multiplexing and Switching
Must~10 marks · 80% frequency
FDM, TDM (Synchronous & Statistical)Upward and Downward MultiplexingCircuit Switching vs Packet SwitchingATM Network Technology
Unit 1 — Data Link Layer Fundamentals
Must~10 marks · 85% frequency
Framing MethodsBit Stuffing & Character StuffingError Detection: Parity, ChecksumCRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check)Hamming CodePiggybacking
Unit 2 — Retransmission Strategies
Must~10 marks · 90% frequency
Stop and Wait ARQSliding Window ProtocolGo-Back-N ARQSelective Repeat ARQPipelining in ARQ
Unit 3 — Contention-based Media Access Protocols
Must~8 marks · 90% frequency
Pure ALOHA & Slotted ALOHACSMA, CSMA/CD, CSMA/CAp-persistent CSMAHidden Station & Exposed StationEthernet Frame Format IEEE 802.3
Unit 4 — Wireless LAN and Datalink Layer Switching
Must~8 marks · 75% frequency
IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANMAC AddressBridges: Transparent & Source RoutingSpanning Tree ProtocolLayer 2 vs Layer 3 SwitchesMACAW Protocol
Unit 1 — Intro to Layer Functionality & Design Issues
Must~8 marks · 80% frequency
Network Layer ServicesIP Addressing & Address ClassesIPv4 Header Structure & FragmentationIPv4 vs IPv6SubnettingVirtual Circuit vs Datagram SubnetMAC Address & Internetwork Addresses
Unit 2 — Routing Algorithms
Must~10 marks · 95% frequency
Shortest Path Routing (Dijkstra)Bellman-Ford AlgorithmDistance Vector RoutingLink State Routing & OSPFCount to Infinity ProblemFloodingHierarchical RoutingBGP (Border Gateway Protocol)Interior vs Exterior Gateway Protocols
Unit 3 — Congestion Control Algorithms
Must~8 marks · 85% frequency
Congestion vs Flow ControlOpen Loop & Closed Loop AlgorithmsLeaky Bucket & Token BucketTraffic Shaping & Traffic PolicingAdmission ControlReverse Path Forwarding
Unit 4 — Emerging Networking Technologies
~6 marks · 70% frequency
WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks)IoT and ApplicationsM2M CommunicationMANET (Mobile Ad-hoc Networks)
Unit 1 — Transport Service and Mechanism
Must~10 marks · 90% frequency
Transport Layer ServicesConnection-oriented vs ConnectionlessConnection Establishment & TerminationThree-Way HandshakeQuality of Service (QoS)Flow Control & BufferingNagle's Algorithm
Unit 2 — TCP/UDP
Must~8 marks · 85% frequency
TCP Connection EstablishmentTCP Crash RecoveryUDP FeaturesRPC (Remote Procedure Call)Handshaking Protocol
Unit 3 — Network Security I
Must~8 marks · 80% frequency
Cryptography: Encryption & DecryptionRSA AlgorithmDiffie-Hellman Key ExchangeDigital SignaturesBlock Ciphers (Feistel, CBC, OFB)Elliptic Curve CryptographyPublic Key Cryptography & ElGamal
Unit 4 — Network Security II
Must~6 marks · 75% frequency
Digital Certificate & X.509VPN (Virtual Private Network)Firewall & Intrusion Detection SystemCyber Threats & Attacks (DoS, DDoS, Phishing)Malware: Virus, Worm, TrojanVulnerabilities