Read chapters 0, 1 and 2 in the text and read Lesson 1 on this web site.   Work to understand all problems even though all problems may not be required for this homework. 

Visit and compare the ITU, IETF, and ISO web sites.  Explore the sites to answer questions 1, 2 and 3.

1. Which organizations sell their standards on-line?

2. Do any of these organizations provide free access to standards?  If so, which ones?

3. What kind of standards do each of these groups focus on?

4. What are the seven layers of the OSI model and, in general, what are the tasks that each is responsible for?

5. What, briefly, is the difference between a wide area network and a local area network?

6. Define the following concepts using complete sentences.

 a. source        b. destination      c. transmitter

 d. receiver      e. LAN              f. WAN

 g. bit           h. byte             i. protocol

 j. a standard    k. OSI model        l. a signal

 m. data processing     n. data communication

7. Compare the OSI model with the Generic Three Layer model.

8. What do you hope to gain by studying data communication theory?

9. On figure 2.4 in your text, why does the relay system stack [in the middle] have a single block at layer three and two blocks each a layer 2 and layer 1?

10. What do the dashed lines crossing from side to side in figure 2.4 represent?

Used with permission of the Author; Copyright (C) Kevin A. Shaffer 1998 - 2018, all rights reserved.