Data Communication Questions

Huh, what topologies...?

Your question is confusing to me.... maybe not to others though...

1. Star, ring, switched (a hierarchy of different levels)

2. Describes how the hardware communicates with the end user

3. explains where data encoding/decoding, application of algorithms and data compression, or transformations are applied for your convenience.

4. propagation delay, data collision, data queues, dropped packets

5. circuit switching is a physical connection somewhat like telephone and packet switching encompasses electronic computers to efficiently utilize bandwidth of a line between multiple sources or destinations

Try google for more info

Man you're asking for a lot of information that will probably snow you in our venue. It's better if you get a beginners guide to networking. Anyway, I'll try to answer.

The OSI model was developed by a bunch of well meaning Europeans that were trying to create an end-all-be-all model of network communications. The OSI model (created by the ISO failed). However, some pieces were recognized as useful and salvaged from ISO.

One of these pieces was the 7-layer stack for networking. It was recognized as a pretty good model of what everyone was doing. Application, presentation, session, transport, network, data-link, and physical.

And your question is way to intense for any of us to answer without spending several weeks holding you by the hand... Suffice it to say, that you work from the bottom up. From physical to Application, though much of network centers around the physical to network layer.

As far as circuit switched versus packet switched, see if this makes any sense to you: In circuit switched networks, it seems as thought a physical line has been created between you and the target, except some of it only exists in silicon. In packet switched networks, no such quasi-physical link exists. Instead each packet get routed according to it's destination through the best possible path as determined by routers and switches.

Get a book! There is a bunch of good books out there... To try to explain this to you is asking one of us to write a book just for you.

I hope I`m wrong, then please pardon me, but it seems to me that you only have typed in the questions you`ve got from your professor for homework !