CIS 505 Full Course Discussions STR

CIS 505 Full Course Discussions STR 

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CIS 505 Full Course Discussions STR 

CIS 505 Week 1 Discussion 1 

I will be totally honest this weeks discussion caught me totally off guard especially with the fourth of 

July just passing, but when I think of networking trends the first thing that comes to mind, and I am 

sure this is the same for many of you too. Are networking trends like cloud computing, 

Virtualization, and software-defined networks(SDN). With software-defined networks, organizations 

can do things like move intelligence out to the software layer making hardware much simpler 


Identify an acceptable system response time for interactive applications. Compare how 

this response time relates to an acceptable response time for Websites. This is a question 

that I have heard many times, and to be honest I really don’t think there is anyone specific 

time. I think you must analyze your site in terms of who your customers and visitors are. 

Where are they located? What are their equipment and connection needs etc… 

A frequently adopted definition of a real-time system is that in a real-time system not only the result 

of a computation is of importance, but also the time this very result is delivered. e.g., in an antilock 

braking system (ABS) not only the breaking pressure must be calculated, but also the time of 

application is critical to gain a functioning ABS. 


Take a position on the following statement, “Mainframe computers are still needed even though 

personal computers and workstations have increased in capabilities.” Defend your position by

providing at least one example to support your position. Are mainframe computers still needed? 

You bet they are I will give you one really good reason why they are. With the increasing number of 

people online, increasing speeds increased bandwidths that make increased requests to 

enterprises. For example, let’s look at credit card giant Visa. Visa probably handles over 120,00 

transactions every second. It is imperative that government, universities, and 

commercial businesses of all sizes keep up with this demand and with the number of small servers 

that it would require to do this it just would not be feasible. Then if we look at the modern 

mainframes they not only can run their own environment, but they can ritualize hundreds or even 

thousands of pedestrian servers at the same time Just food for thought. 

Analyze the differences between distributed data processing and centralized data 

processing. Provide an example of each. Then compare each to the processing used in 

cloud computing. 

A centralized cloud storage data-center topology is defined as a topology in which the cloud storage 

provider has one or a few data-centers located in a small geographical area because the distance 

between the end-user and the data-center can potentially be large. An advantage of a centralized 

data center topology is the economies of scale of operational expenses A disadvantage is the 

higher risk of single-point-of-failure. Table 1 gives an overview of some providers that have all their 

data-centers in a small geographical area. A distributed cloud storage data-center topology is a 

topology in which the cloud storage provider has multiple data-centers spread over a large 

geographical area and in which the user stores and retrieves data from the data-center closest to it. 

Testa et al. explained that DNS-based load-balancing algorithms are primarily used to determine 

the data-center to which traffic has to be directed the algorithm shows how the clients are 

distributed over the data-centers. The content switch constantly monitors the traffic load of the datacenters 

are called step 1. A client was resolved using the DNS servers because these IP addresses 

can give an indication of data-center location. 

An example of a distributed data processing is 

For example, an organizational-distributed network comprising of three computers can have each 

machine in a different branch. The three machines are interconnected via the Internet and are able 

to process data in parallel, even while at different locations. This makes distributed dataprocessing 

networks more flexible. An example of a centralized data processing system is:

centralized processing. The processing performed on one computer or in a cluster of coupled 

computers in a single location. Access to the computer is via “dumb terminals,” which send only 

input and receive output or “smart terminals,” which add screen formatting. All data processing is 

performed on the central computer. 


By Definition: A packet switched network Packet-switched networks move data in separate, small 

blocks — packets — based on the destination address in each packet. When received, packets are 

reassembled in the proper sequence to make up the message. Circuit-switched networks require 

dedicated point-to-point connections during calls. Circuit-switched networks and packet-switched 

networks have traditionally occupied different spaces within corporations. Circuit-switched networks 

were used for phone calls and packet-switched networks handled data. But because of the reach of 

phone lines and the efficiency and low cost of data networks, the two technologies have shared 

chores for years. (L. Copeland,2000).The reason Packet switches are more appropriate for the 

Internet is, because: With the internet being packet switched, your computer can send off packets 

to one host, then send packets off to another host before receiving a response from the first host. It 

can even receive response packets from the first host while it is sending off packets to the second 

host. 


IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is a set of specifications from the Internet Engineering Task Force 

(IETF) that’s essentially an upgrade of IP version 4 (IPv4). IP addresses for IPv6 are 128 bits and 

IPv4 are 32 bits. IPv6 was designed with security in mind while IPv4 had no security. Both the 

IPv6 and IPv4 define network layer protocol and how data is sent from one computer to another 

computer over packet-switched networks such as the Internet. IPv6 contains addressing and 

control information to route packets for the next generation Internet. Network address translation 

(NAT) is eliminated which caused several networking problems. This age of video/audio, interactive 

games or e-commerce needs the capabilities that IPv6 brings. QoS is a set of service requirements 

to deliver performance guarantee while transporting traffic over the network which used in the IPv6. 

IPv6 is stronger in security for mobile devices because each device gets a reliable IP address 

which permits businesses to outline a security policy for each device that will apply wherever that

device is used. A higher level of data protection due to encryption being mandatory. IPv6 built to 

have encryption from the start to finish. An issue with IPv6 would be the switching of IP addresses 

for possible hackers. This makes it difficult to track and trace criminals 


Fat server places more function on the server while the fat client does the opposite. Fat servers are 

groupware, transactions, and the web server. Databases and file servers are examples of fat 

clients. Distributed objects can be either. In most scenarios, the client machines in a fat server 

based client / server environment are thin clients. That is, they have very insufficient processing 

capabilities and principally rely on the fat server. Transaction and object servers encapsulate the 

database. Fat servers try to minimize network interchanges by creating more abstract levels of 

service. These applications are easier to manage and deploy on the network because most of the 

code runs on servers. 

Fat clients are used for decision support and personal software. The more traditional form of 

client/server is fat clients. Versatility and possibilities for generating front-end tools that let endusers 

create their own applications. Fat clients can work independently; the functioning is smooth 

as there is no load on the server. Software licensing costs are decreasing as a result of which thick 

clients seem to be becoming more popular. 

An intranet is a private computer network that operates within an organization and facilitates 

internal communication and information sharing with the same technology used by the 

internet. The major difference is that an intranet is confined to an organization, while the Internet is 

a public network that operates between organizations. 

The Internet serves businesses by creating opportunities for networking, information retrieval, 

communications, marketing, and sales. The internet is used by companies as a tool to sell 

products to consumers all around the globe. Companies such as eBay or Amazon are online 

stores that sell various of products. Companies can also use the Internet for internal 

communications and other electronic activities, which many small businesses do in lieu of 

developing their own networks. 

Pros of an Intranet are increased employee productivity, allows for greater collaboration, provides a 

social networking platform, simplifies decision making, streamlined data management. Cons are

one’s company could be at risk without a strong security foundation, time-consuming and 

expensive, and can be counterproductive. 

The Internet is an accessible, unrestricted space, while an intranet is created to be a secret space. 

An intranet may be obtainable from the Internet, but as a precept, it’s guarded by a password and 

open only to employees or other approved users. If we execute a single interspersed system, we 

only need one developer organization. From within a business, an intranet server may react much 

more swiftly than a regular Web site. This is because the unrestricted Internet is at the tolerance of 

passage spikes, server failures and other obstacles that may impede the network. Within an 

organization, however, users have much more bandwidth and network hardware may be more 

stable. This makes it simpler to serve high-bandwidth content, such as audio and video, over an 

intranet. 


Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) basically 

HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP. The secure form encrypts all communication between the 

browser and the website. HTTPS is used for the highly confidential online transactions such as 

banking and shopping. The padlock icon in the web browser is an indication that HTTPS is in 

effect. HTTP is a set of standards that allow users of the web to exchange information found on 

web pages. HTTPS provides confidentiality, integrity, and identity. HTTP I see it will soon 

disappear since HTTPS provides a more secure way of communicating. Sites that do not use 

HTTPS judiciously are crippling the privacy controls you thought were protecting your data. HSTS 

(Hyper Strict Transport Security makes sure communication is only used during HTTPS which is 

needed to prevent downgrade attacks and cookie hijacking. 

HTTP came around when internet protocols were simple text-based. Hackers can easily obtain 

information sent over HTTP because it is in plain text form. HTTPS sends information in encrypted 

text format which is hard to read for hackers. Protocols for HTTPS are SSL and TLS. SSL or 

secure sockets layer and TLS or Transport Layer Security use asymmetric public key infrastructure 

(PKI) which uses two keys to encrypt communication. The two keys are a public key and a private 

key. An example of a private key would be replacing letters with numbers. The only way it can be 

deciphered if the receiver knows the key pattern. A public key is provided by the sharing of a secret

etween two entities. Such as if person A had a message for person B the keys would be sent and 

the encryption could only be decoded by these two people. 


Inelastic traffic does not adjust its material in answer to network conditions. Apps such as Skype, 

Facebook Messenger, or Google hangouts are examples of Inelastic traffic. These apps implement 

free options to voice and video calls. 

Elastic traffic alters its material between and end hosts in reply to network situation. Elastic traffic is 

TCP-friendly. The cloud is used in many ways and Elastic Computing is when supplies can be 

ascended up and down effortlessly by the cloud service provider. Cloud computing is about 

equipping on-demand computing resources with the simplicity of a mouse click. A number of 

resources which can be sourced through cloud computing incorporate almost all the facets of 

computing from raw processing power to massive storage space. The knack of a service provider to 

running malleable computing command when and wherever mandatory. The flexibility of these 

means can be in relations of processing power, storage, and bandwidth. 

Elastic Traffic can adjust, over wide ranges, to changes in delay and throughput across the internet 

and still meet the needs of its applications. Elastic traffic was created for the internet due to its 

support of TCP/IP. Organizers flourish on building innovative commodities and services to satisfy 

purchaser requirements, although, prices decide if a corporation earns a profit. If prices are 

inexpensive, businesses can’t cover their liabilities, and if costs are too great, they may not lure just 

shoppers to break even. Elastic demand illustrates a situation where the quantity of product 

consumers wants to buy is very sensitive to its price, which can be an important consideration when 

setting or changing prices. 


Routing and Switching Selection Criteria. Please respond to the following: 

Compare distance-vector and link state routing and analyze the limitations that would 

prevent the usage of each. 

Distance vector routing protocols are designed to run on small networks (usually fewer than 100 

routers). Examples of distance vector routing protocols include RIP and IGRP. Distance vector

protocols are generally easier to configure and require less maintenance than link-state protocols. 

On the downside, distance vector protocols do not scale well because they require higher CPU and 

bandwidth utilization. They also take longer to converge than do link-state protocols. Distance 

vector protocols always choose the route with the fewest number of hops as the best route. This 

can be a problem when the best route to a destination is not the route with the least number of 

hops. 

Link state routing protocols are designed to operate in large, enterprise-level networks. Examples of 

link state protocols include OSPF and NLSP. Link state routing protocols are very complex and are 

much more difficult to configure, maintain, and troubleshoot than distance vector routing protocols. 

Additionally, link state convergence occurs faster than distance vector convergence. This is 

because link state establishes a neighbor relationship with directly connected peers and shares 

routing information with its neighbors only when there are changes in the network topology. Link 

state routing protocols can be difficult to configure and maintain. 

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/should-you-use-distance-vector-or-link-state-routing-protocols/ 

Choose the method best suited for designing a new routing protocol for a LAN architecture. 

Justify your decision. 

The best method for designing a new routing protocol for a LAN is employ two or three tiers of 

LANs. Within a department, a low-cost, moderate speed LAN supports a cluster of personal 

computers and workstations. These departmental LANs are lashed together with a backbone LAN 

of higher capacity. The architecture of a LAN is best described in terms of a layering of protocols 

that organize the basic functions of a LAN. 


Suggest a way to improve the way LLC and MAC are used for LAN operation. 

The MAC layer is responsible for detecting errors and discarding any frames that contain errors. 

The LLC layer optionally keeps track of which frames have been successfully received and 

retransmits unsuccessful frames. The relationship between LLC and the MAC protocol can be seen 

by considering the transmission formats involved. User data are passed down to the LLC layer, 

which prepares a link-level frame, known as an LLC protocol data unit (PDU). This PDU is then 

passed down to the MAC layer where it is enclosed in a MAC frame. In a wireless environment,

data packets may be lost entirely, partially lost due to truncation, or corrupted by bit errors. 

However, adaptive packet shrinking and forward error correction (FEC) policies significantly 

increase the useful throughput of a wireless LAN, while the fixed policies are effective only in some 

environments & can be added fairly easily to the MAC and LLC implementations. 

Stallings, William. (10/2008). Business Data Communications, 6th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf 

Online]. Retrieved from https://strayer.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323079324/ 

Eckhardt, D. A., & Steenkiste, P. (1998, October). Improving Wireless LAN Performance via 

Adaptive Local Error Control. Retrieved 

from http://repository.cmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1526&context=compsci 

Evaluate guided and unguided transmission medium to determine which you would use to 

design a new facility. 

Transmission media can be classified as a guided or unguided. With guided media, the waves are 

guided along a solid medium, such as copper twisted pair, copper coaxial cable, or optical fiber. 

The atmosphere and outer space are examples of unguided media, which provide a means of 

transmitting electromagnetic signals but do not guide them; this form of transmission is usually 

referred to as wireless transmission. For a new facility I would initially go with guided transmission 

media and then add unguided transmission media. Guided transmission capacity depends on the 

distance and on whether the medium is point-to-point or multipoint. Unguided transmission and 

reception are achieved by means of an antenna, is directional & puts out focused beam. However, 

the transmitter and receiver must be aligned but can spread signals out in all directions & can also 

be received by many antennas. 


Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) was made for multimedia applications or similar items due to 

the large bandwidths they carried. ATM is better suited for applications using real-time 

transmission of video signals. If ATM is preferred, a significant overhead is involved in integration 

into the ATM layers. The fastest ATM products at the moment operate at 622Mbit/s. 

Gigabit Ethernet offers routine improvements for prevailing networks without having to change the 

cables, protocols and applications already in use. Gigabit Ethernet advantage is basically its origin 

in the proven technology of Ethernet. Meaning it is fully compatible with existing Ethernet

technologies. This means a performance enhancement for existing networks without having to 

change the cables, protocols and applications already in use. Users can therefore work on the 

basis that migration from Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet will be very easy and transparent. 

Applications that run through Ethernet will also work by Gigabit Ethernet. At 1000Mbit/s, Gigabit 

Ethernet is almost twice as fast as ATM. Speeds are seamlessly transmitted at a higher rate. 

Compare and contrast the advantages of Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and 10-Gbps Ethernet. 

Fast Ethernet carries traffic at a rate of 100Mbit per second. When Fast Ethernet was upgraded by 

improving the speed and reducing the bit. 

10-Gbps advantage is the speed. It has better hardware and rack space efficiency, simple 

virtualization, and greater scalability. In standard Ethernet, bit was transmitting in one second and 

in Fast Ethernet it takes 0.01 microsecond for one bit to transmit. 

Gigabit Ethernet is another term of Ethernet in computing network, for carrying on the traffic at the 

rate of 1billion bits per second. This method is expressed in the IEEE 802.3 standard and is 

presently being used as the fortitude in many enterprise networks. Gigabit is carried primarily on 

optical fiber. Optical fiber is the medium that transmit information when light pulses along a glass 

or plastic strand or fiber. 

Connecting Gigabit Ethernet using the lower speed Ethernet mechanisms is easy because one can 

use LAN switches or routers to modify one physical line speed to the other. Gigabit Ethernet uses 

64 – 1514-byte packets IEEE 802.3 frame format which is found in Ethernet technologies and Fast 

Ethernet. Changes are not necessary because the frame format and size are the same. This 

mutative advancement track permits Gigabit Ethernet to be flawlessly joined into current Ethernet 

and Fast Ethernet networks. 


Wireless LAN. Please respond to the following: 

 

Analyze the characteristics of wireless LANs and assess the security concerns of this 

technology in organizations such as universities or hospitals. Identify additional areas of 

concern for organizations that implement a wireless LAN. Then, explain whether the 

implementation of a WAN would solve these problems. Explain your rationale.

Rank the following IEEE 802.11 standard addresses in order of importance with the first 

one being the most important. Justify the reason for your chosen order. 

 

o Association 

o Re-association 

o Disassociation 

o Authentication 

A Wireless LAN performs a malleable data communication system regularly increasing satisfactorily 

than interchanging a wired LAN within a edifice or college grounds. WLANs use radio frequency to 

conduct and obtain data over the air, diminishing the essential for wired correlations. 

Wireless safekeeping is vital. Wireless indicators often circulate afar tangible obstacles, the peril of 

someone struggling to force an entry using the wireless foundation is sophisticated paralleled to 

someone attaining sensible admittance to a wired port. 

Guests and Personnel should be placed on different Wi-Fi networks so that important information 

cannot fall into the wrong hands. One’s goal to provide sufficient Wi-Fi signal only to the areas 

where it’s required. If one has Wi-Fi signal that extends outside structure ramparts and out into 

communal cosmoses, one chances of alluring potential threats from criminals who may try to 

interrupt one’s network or impede with the wireless signal. Limiting Wi-Fi signal would solve this 

issue. 

Association: Once authentication is complete, mobile devices can associate (register) with an 

AP/router to gain full access to the network. Association allows the AP/router to record each mobile 

device so that frames are properly delivered. Association only occurs on wireless infrastructure 

networks, not in peer-peer mode. A station can only associate with one AP/router at a time. 

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/wirelessnetworking/000006508.html 

Disassociation: A station or access point may invoke the disassociation service to terminate an 

existing association. This service is a notification; therefore, neither party may refuse termination. 

Stations should disassociate when leaving the network. An access point, for example, may 

disassociate all its stations if being removed for maintenance. 

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=24411&seqNum=7

Re-association: The re-association service enables a station to change its current state of 

association. Re-association provides additional functionality to support BSS-transition mobility for 

associated stations. The re-association service enables a station to change its association from one 

access point to another. This keeps the distribution system informed of the current mapping 

between access point and station as the station moves from one BSS to another within an ESS. 

Re-association also enables changing association attributes of an established association while the 

station remains associated with the same access point. The mobile station always initiates the 

association service. 

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=24411&seqNum=7 

Authentication: 802.11 authentication is the first step in network attachment. 802.11 authentication 

requires a mobile device (station) to establish its identity with an Access Point (AP) or broadband 

wireless router. No data encryption or security is available at this stage. 

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.(IEEE) 802.11 standard defines two linklevel 

types of authentication: 

Open System 

Shared Key 

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/wirelessnetworking/000006508.html 


The Advantages of VPNs for an organization include cost savings and network scalability. A VPN 

can save organizations money in several situations: eliminating the need for expensive longdistance 

leased lines, reducing long-distance telephone charges, & offloading support costs. The 

cost to an organization of building a dedicated private network may be reasonable at first but 

increases exponentially as the organization grows. Internet based VPNs avoid this scalability 

problem by simply tapping into the public lines and network capability readily available& offers 

superior reach and quality of service. 

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/vpn/f/vpn_benefits.htm

From the e-Activity, compare three VPN services available to organizations to determine the 

primary differences among each. Discuss the pros and cons of each VPN service and 

suggest the type of organization that would best fit each network provider. 

PPTP VPN – This is the most common and widely used VPN protocol. They enable authorized 

remote users to connect to the VPN network using their existing Internet connection and then log 

on to the VPN using password authentication. They don’t need extra hardware and the features are 

often available as inexpensive add-on software. PPTP stands for Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. 

The disadvantage of PPTP is that it does not provide encryption and it relies on the PPP (Point-to- 

Point Protocol) to implement security measures. 

SSL – SSL or Secure Socket Layer is a VPN accessible via https over web browser. SSL creates a 

secure session from your PC browser to the application server you’re accessing. The major 

advantage of SSL is that it doesn’t need any software installed because it uses the web browser as 

the client application. A disadvantages is its optional (as opposed to in-built) user authentication. 

This is a major security weakness. Also, SSL tunneling (basically mimics IPSec) is not supported 

on Linux or non-Windows OS. 

MPLS VPN – MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) are no good for remote access for individual 

users, but for site-to-site connectivity, they’re the most flexible and scalable option. These systems 

are essentially ISP-tuned VPNs, where two or more sites are connected to form a VPN using the 

same ISP. An MPLS network isn’t as easy to set up or add to as the others, and hence bound to be 

more expensive. 

For individual users, PP2P VPNs offer the best deal, but for large offices or ones with complex 

requirements for connectivity MPLS VPNs might be the best option. 

http://techpp.com/2010/07/16/different-types-of-vpnprotocols/ 

http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/what-is-vpn-how-to-create-and-connect-tovpn-network/ 

http://www.itproportal.com/2007/05/18/benefits-and-disadvantages-of-ssl-vpns/#ixzz493EMNfIL 


Frame relay is a packet switching technology for connecting network points in Wide Area Networks 

(WAN). It is a connection oriented data service and establishes a virtual circuit between two end 

points. Data transfer is done in packets of data known as frames. These frames are variable in

packet size and more efficient due to flexible transfers. Frame Relay was originally introduced for 

ISDN interfaces though it is currently used over a variety of other network interfaces as well. 

ATM is a network switching technology that uses a cell based methodology to quantize data. ATM 

data communication consists of fixed size cells of 53 bytes. An ATM cell contains a 5byte header 

and 48 bytes of ATM payload. This smaller size, fixed-length cells are good for transmitting voice, 

image and video data as the delay is minimized. ATM is a connection oriented protocol and 

therefore a virtual circuit should be established between sending and receiving points. It establishes 

a fixed route between two points when the data transfer starts. Another important aspect of ATM is 

its asynchronous operation in time division multiplexing. ATM provides a good quality of service in 

networks where different types of information such as data, voice, and are supported. With ATM, 

each of these information types can pass through a single network connection. 

Advantages & Disadvantages 

Although ATM uses fixed size packets (53 bytes) for data communication, frame relay uses variable 

packet sizes depending on the type of information to be sent. Both information blocks have a 

header in addition to data block and transfer is connection oriented. Frame Relay is used to 

connect Local Area Networks (LAN) and it is not implemented within a single area network contrast 

to ATM where data transfers are within a single LAN. ATM is designed to be convenient for 

hardware implementation and therefore, cost is higher compared to frame relay, which is software 

controlled. Therefore, frame relay is less expensive and upgrading is easier. Frame relay has a 

variable packet size. Therefore, it gives low overhead within the packet which results it an efficient 

method for transmitting data. Although fixed packet size in ATM, can be useful for handling video 

and image traffic at high speeds, it leaves a lot of overhead within the packet, particularly in short 

transactions. 

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/thread/74127 

Suppose you are in charge of selecting ATM or frame relay as a WAN alternative for your 

technological needs of a communication technology organization. Choose one of the WAN 

alternatives and justify your decision. 

A WAN alternative I would choose for my technological needs of a communication technology 

organization would be Frame Relay. Frame Relay networking services deliver a permanent virtual 

circuit (PVC), which means that customers benefit from what looks like a continuous, dedicated 

connection, without having to pay for a full-time leased line. At a service provider level, the route

which each frame travels to its destination is allocated dynamically and can be charged based on 

actual usage. It’s a proven technology, resilient, is more cost effective than leased lines, and is 

more scalable than a network of private circuits. 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/24/what_wan_technology_is_right/ 


The three mentioned satellites are used for communications, whether marketable or in customary 

native groundwork is inaccessible or capricious, circle in the earth in three orbits. Satellites are 

used as a way to communicate around the globe. The broadcast industry as well as the 

telecommunication companies and weather satellites uses GEO to serve as its main access to 

communicate. 

Geo configuration advantages are the stationary relative to the earth which leaves no issues for 

frequency changes due to the relative motion of the satellite and antennas on earth. Tracking is 

simplified by earths stations. At 35,838 km above the earth, the satellite can communicate with 

roughly one-fourth of the earth; three satellites in geostationary orbit separated by 120x cover most 

of the inhabited portions of the entire earth, excluding only the areas near the north and south 

poles. 

LEO or the original AT&T satellite proposal was for low earth orbititng satellites, but most of the 

early commercial satellites were geostationary. The idea of LEO sattelites is to use constellations of 

inexpensive. A LEO satellite can be “seen” by a point on earth on the order of minutes before the 

satellite passes out of sight. If intermediate orbits are used—higher than the LEOS and lower than 

GEOS—a point on earth can see the satellite for periods on the order of hours. Such orbits are 

called medium-earth-orbiting satellites(MEOS). These orbits are on the order of 10,000 km above 

the earth, and require fewer handoffs. While propagation delay to earth from such satellites (and 

the power required) is greater than for LEOS, they are still substantially less than for GEOS. ICO 

Global Communications, established in January 1995, proposed a MEO system. Launches began 

in 2000; 12 satellites, including two spares, are planned in 10,400 km orbits. The satellites will be 

divided equally between two planes tilted 45x to equator. Proposed applications are digital voice, 

data, facsimile, high-penetration notification, and messaging services. 

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=23761

http://www.harriscaprock.com/blog/high-throughput-satellite-communications-systems-meo-vs-leovs-geo/ 

“VSAT systems provide high speed, broadband satellite communications for Internet or private 

network communications. VSAT is ideal for mining camps, vessels at sea, satellite news gathering, 

emergency responders, oil & gas camps or any application that requires a broadband Internet 

connection at a remote location. VSAT is an excellent way to connect your remote sites and 

workers with Internet communications for email, web access, video transmissions, Voice over IP 

telephone services, or other IP applications for your field operations. VSAT enables you to expedite 

your business processes by integrating field operations with your corporate wide area network.” 

http://www.networkinv.com/technology/vsat/vsat-for-usa/ 

Coverage for the USA is on Galaxy 16, Galaxy 18 & AMC 9 satellites, provide options for 

connectivity across the USA. The coverage at sea is Maritime VSAT services. 

The business applications currently being used to support VSAT is Television distribution, Longdistance 

telephone transmission, and Private business networks. Because of their broadcast 

nature, satellites are well suited to television distribution and are being used extensively for this 

purpose in the United States and throughout the world. In its traditional use, a network provides 

programming from a central location. Programs are transmitted to the satellite and then broadcast 

down to a number of stations, which then distribute the programs to individual viewers. A more 

recent application of satellite technology to television distribution is direct broadcast satellite (DBS), 

in which satellite video signals are transmitted directly to the home user. GEOS (Geosynchronous 

Earth Orbit Satellites) are used mainly for communications and broadcasts. Business applications 

could be for satellite broadcasts, maritime phone calls, meteorological applications and cable and 

satellite tv as well. 

LEOS (Low Earth Orbit Satellites) are also used in business for communications but on a more 

personal scale. LEOS are used for email and mobile phone networks, video conferencing, high 

bandwidth data connections and in government or business, can be used for spying and espionage 

operations. 

MEOS (Middle Earth Orbit Satellites) are used in business for navigation. MEOS make up the 

backbone of the GPS enabled applications that are out there.

VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminals) is being used to support businesses in a couple different 

ways. First, it allows for businesses in remote locations to have access to Internet resources. 

Laying cable is time consuming and very costly for rural areas. VSAT technology allows businesses 

to remain competitive no matter where they are. VSAT allow for a high QoS which allows them to 

be great partnered with VPN access for businesses. The QoS is also improved because most 

VSAT connections are only single hop resulting in less lag and loss. 

References: 

http://old.repertoiremag.com/Article.asp?Id=524 


 

Compare the four items related to channel capacity: data rate, bandwidth, noise, and error 

rate. Determine the most important and justify its significance over the remaining items. 

Describe real-world examples of attenuation and white noise. Examine the effect on the 

information-carrying capacity of the link and present a way to avoid these types of 

interruptions. Data Transmission is the process of sending digital or analog data over a 

communication medium to one or more computing, network, communication or electronic 

devices. Data Rate is the term associated with the rate of data transferred between two 

or more computing and telecommunication devices or systems. Bandwidth is a wider 

term, which is basically associated with the computer networking and digital technologies 

and measures the bit rate of communication resources available or consumed. Noise is 

unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and 

data. Error rate is the degree of errors encountered during data transmission over a 

communications or network connection. 

Noise is the most important component in the channel capacity. Noise can disrupt the flow of 

information. There are so many different types of noise one could face in a business setting: 

Environmental, Physiological-Impairment, Semantic, Syntactical, Organizational, Cultural, and 

Psychological. Issues in communications that derives from the above mentioned noises could affect 

the sender, the message itself, the channel it is being sent through, or the recipient of that 

message.

Attenuation is a loss of communication signal strength measured in decibals (dB). Amplification is 

used to surge signal potency. Range, Interference and Wire size are the reasons attenuation 

happens. DSL uses attenuation. Typical values for line attenuation on a DSL connection are 

between 5dB and 50dB. 

White noise is a type of noise that is produced by combining sounds of all different frequencies 

together.All the imaginable tones the human ear can hear and combine them all together would 

form white noise.White noise is random noise that has a flat spectral density.The audible frequency 

range 20-20000 hertz. An example of white noise is the sound of the ocean or the sound the train 

or subway makes as it moves across the tracks. Ambulances, Fire Trucks or Police vehicles all use 

white noise.The white noise is over heard through traffic and makes these emergency vehicles 

more noticeable. When looking at the four items I would say that error rate is the most important 

because it is great that you may get more stuff transferred faster with less time but if it has a lot of 

errors in the data then it is not as useful. 

Techopedia explains Attenuation 

Attenuation can relate to both hard-wired connections and to wireless transmissions. 

There are many instances of attenuation in telecommunications and digital network circuitry. 

Inherent attenuation can be caused by a number of signaling issues including: 

Transmission medium – All electrical signals transmitted down electrical conductors cause 

an electromagnetic field around the transmission. This field causes energy loss down the 

cable and gets worse depending upon the frequency and length of the cable run. Losses 

due to 

Crosstalk from adjacent cabling causes attenuation in copper or other conductive metal 

cabling. 

Conductors and connectors – Attenuation can occur as a signal passes across different 

conductive mediums and mated connector surfaces. 

Repeaters are used in attenuating circuits to boost the signal through amplification (the opposite of 

attenuation). When using copper conductors, the higher the frequency signal, the more attenuation 

is caused along a cable length. Modern communications use high frequencies so other mediums 

which have a flat attenuation across all frequencies, such as fiber optics are used instead of 

traditional copper circuits.

Different types of attenuation include: 

Deliberate attenuation can occur for example where a volume control is used to lower the 

sound level on consumer electronics. 

Automatic attenuation is a common feature of televisions and other audio equipment to 

prevent sound distortion by automatic level sensing that triggers attenuation circuits. 

Environmental attenuation relates to signal power loss due to the transmission medium, 

whether that be wireless, copper wired or fiber optic connected. 

References 

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/networkdesign/g/what-is-attenuation.htm 

http://www.livescience.com/38387-what-is-white-noise.html 


Digital Transmission. Please respond to the following: 

Compare the data communication technologies of guided media and unguided media. This 

should include transmission media, data link control protocols, and multiplexing. 

Guided media is a physical path in which the signals prorogate; twisted pair, coaxial cable, and fiber 

optic. Unguided media usually employs an antenna for transmitting via air, vacuum, or water. Thus, 

the reason unguided transmission techniques are usually used for broadcast radio, terrestrial 

microwave, and satellite. Network environments are very costly due to the efforts need to protect 

transmission. High Level Data Link Control (HDLC) is a group of protocols or rules for transmitting 

data between network points. It’s one of the most used of many protocols. Data Link controls helps 

with the flow and error control of the transmission. Multiplexing aides in achieving transmission 

efficiency. 

An analog wave form (or signal) is characterized by being continuously variable along amplitude 

and frequency. In the case of telephony, for instance, when you speak into a handset, there are 

changes in the air pressure around your mouth. Those changes in air pressure fall onto the 

handset, where they are amplified and then converted into current, or voltage fluctuations. Those 

fluctuations in current are an analog of the actual voice pattern—hence the use of the term analog 

to describe these signals. Digital transmission is quite different from analog transmission. For one 

thing, the signal is much simpler. Rather than being a continuously variable wave form, it is a series 

of discrete pulses, representing one bits and zero bits. Each computer uses a coding scheme that

defines what combinations of ones and zeros constitute all the characters in a character set (that is, 

lowercase letters, uppercase letters, punctuation marks, digits, keyboard control functions). 

References 

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=24687&seqNum=5 

Digital transmission has several advantages over analog transmission. Analog circuits require 

amplifiers, and each amplifier adds distortion and noise to the signal. In contrast, digital amplifiers 

regenerate an exact signal, eliminating cumulative errors. An incoming (analog) signal is sampled, 

its value is determined, and the node then generates a new signal from the bit value; the incoming 

signal is discarded. With analog circuits, intermediate nodes amplify the incoming signal, noise and 

all. Voice, data, video, etc. can all by carried by digital circuits. 

References: 

http://web.cs.wpi.edu/~cs513/s07/week2-physcont.pdf 


T-1 Lines. Please respond to the following: 

From the e-Activity, analyze the multiplexing techniques of DSL and cable modem Internet 

and suggest the one you prefer. Explain your decision. 

Multiplexing takes multiple signals and merges them into one, complex signal to be 

transmitted. Once the receiving devices catches the multiplexed signal, it is then divided into it’s 

original, multiple form. Cable modems use a new specification, named DOCSIS 3.1, to remain 

competitive and add multiple enhances. One of these enhancements is Orthogonal Frequency 

Division Multiplexing (OFDM). This transmission technique divides bandwidth into smaller subcarriers 

which helps decrease interference and allow for better data transmission on parallel 

channels. This standard provides the ability to define multiple downstream profiles on a single 

channel. The DOCSIS 3.1 specification also uses time and frequency multiplexing to transmit 

signals through a single channel. This makes OFDM and other legacy channels to operate 

simultaneously on separate or on the same frequencies. 

Compare and contrast the use of leased lines in a WAN or LAN setting. Then recommend 

what you would use if you were a CIO. Support your response with evidence or examples.

WANs are often built using leased lines. These leased lines involve a direct point-to-point 

connection between two sites. Point-to-point WAN service may involve either analog dial-up lines or 

dedicated leased digital private lines. An analog signal is a continuously varying electromagnetic 

wave that may be transmitted over a variety of media, depending on frequency. The principal 

advantages of digital signaling are that it is generally cheaper than analog signaling and is less 

susceptible to noise interference. Therefore, my recommendation would be in support of leasing 

lines in a WAN setting. A wide area network allows companies to make use of common resources 

in order to operate. Internal functions such as sales, production and development, marketing, and 

accounting can also be shared with authorized locations through this sort of network. The wide area 

network has made it possible for companies to communicate internally in ways never before 

possible. 

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