MidTerm
1
COMP 3331/9331:
Computer Networks and
Applications
Mid-Term Exam Review
T2, 2021
2
Exam Specifics
• Monday, 12th July at regular lecture time (13:00 – 15:00)
• Marks: 20 marks (towards your final mark)
• Online Inspera Exam (linked through Moodle)
• Precise Time: 13:10 – 14:20 (70 minutes), no separate reading time
• Answer all questions, each question has different marks as noted. No negative
marking (minimum mark on any question is zero)
• No new lecture content will be covered on that day
• Open book, notes. You may use calculators
• Recommendation: Download lecture notes, homework sets and any other resources
from WebCMS to your machine to avoid overloading the WebCMS server
• You may join the Zoom Meeting (link posted on Midterm Exam page)
• Ask any questions you may have in the chat
• DO NOT turn on your microphone
• Check mid-term exam page on website
• ELS Students: We will email you next week with details about your arrangements
https://webcms3.cse.unsw.edu.au/COMP3331/21T2/resources/60167
Key topics: Introduction
• Packet Switching/Circuit Switching
• Delay, Loss, Throughput
• Protocol Layering
• Excluded
• Won’t ask you to work through complex probability
computations but there may be questions on basic probability
• Specifics of access networks, physical media
• Networks under attack: security
• History
3
Key topics: Applications
• Principles
• Web/HTTP
• E-mail (SMTP only)
• DNS
• P2P, BitTorrent, DHT
• Video Streaming and CDN
• Excluded
• HTTPS (secure HTTP)
• HTTP/2
• IMAP, POP
• DNSSEC, DNS over TLS, DNS over HTTP
• Socket Programming 4
Key topics: Transport Layer
• Principles
• Sockets (Multiplexing/Demultiplexing)
• UDP
• Reliable Data Transfer concepts: RDT (1.0 to 3.0),
GBN, SR
• TCP: Everything that we covered
• Excluded
• QUIC
• Complex checksum computations
• Congestion Control: Principles and TCP specifics (we
leave this for this final exam)
5
Other Exclusions
r No programming related questions
r No questions that ask you to use the tools from the
lab exercises such as traceroute, ping, dig,
Wireshark, etc.
6
• A limited number of multiple-choice questions
• A few short answer questions
• 2-3 sentences at most
• Some questions (possibly multi-part) that may
require more elaborate explanations
• Show intermediate work/steps if relevant (unless
told not to)
• Not a memory (or cut-paste) test, questions will
examine your understanding of concepts
• Tests your critical analysis skills
• Tests whether you can apply the concepts in a
(new) practical setting 7
Type of Questions
Preparation
• How to prepare?
• Read and thoroughly understand all content
• You shouldn’t be reading a concept for the first time during the exam !!
• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Go through all the homework questions, quizzes, etc.
• DO NOT simply read the solutions, attempt to solve them before looking at
solutions
• Practice Mid-term Exam link will be posted on Mid-term Exam Page by
Friday (2nd July)
• Familiarizes you with the exam environment (Inspera)
• Familiarizes you with the type of questions
• Take it under similar conditions as when you sit for the actual exam
• Inspera Resources
• Video providing overview on Inspera
• Inspera Resources page
• If you have questions
• Post on forum
• Attend consults – additional consults to be announced for Week 6
8
mailto:https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/0a392a71-606a-4171-9e97-b06d2178b6e6?referrer=https:%2F%2Fmoodle.telt.unsw.edu.au%2F
mailto:https://unsw.sharepoint.com/sites/Assessment-Platform-Pilot
Exam Day
• Have a good sleep and eat some food before the
exam
• Have water handy
• Make sure you are in a quiet and comfortable
environment
• Don’t panic and get stressed if you cannot figure
out one question, move on
• If you encounter technical issues with Inspera,
take screenshots and contact us via the Zoom
chat/Ed forum/email: .edu.au.
9
mailto: .edu.au
Good luck
10