GATE CSE – COMPUTER NETWORKS

MODULE I: FUNDAMENTALS & PHYSICAL LAYER

1. Introduction to Computer Networks

Q1. (GATE CSE 2025)

Which of the following is a core function of a computer network?
A. Data storage
B. Data communication
C. Application development
D. File compression
Answer: B — Computer networks enable communication of data.

Q2. (GATE CSE 2024)

The primary purpose of a network protocol is to:
A. Store data
B. Define rules for communication
C. Compress data
D. Encrypt files
Answer: B — Protocols define rules for communication between nodes.

Q3. (GATE CSE 2023)

Which of the following topologies has a single point of failure?
A. Star
B. Ring
C. Bus
D. All of the above
Answer: A — Star topology depends on the central hub.

Q4. (GATE CSE 2022)

In which type of network are nodes directly connected without a central device?
A. Star
B. Ring
C. Mesh
D. Tree
Answer: C — Mesh topology has direct node-to-node connections.

Q5. (GATE CSE 2021)

The main advantage of packet switching over circuit switching is:
A. Dedicated path for each call
B. Efficient resource utilization
C. Fixed bandwidth usage
D. No delay
Answer: B — Packet switching efficiently shares network resources.

Q6. (GATE CSE 2020)

Which network type covers a city-wide area?
A. LAN
B. MAN
C. WAN
D. PAN
Answer: B — MAN is a Metropolitan Area Network.

Q7. (GATE CSE 2019)

OSI layer responsible for end-to-end communication and reliability:
A. Physical
B. Network
C. Transport
D. Data Link
Answer: C — Transport layer ensures reliability.

Q8. (GATE CSE 2018)

Which layer in OSI model handles logical addressing?
A. Physical
B. Data Link
C. Network
D. Session
Answer: C — Network layer provides logical addresses (IP).
2. OSI Layers

Q9. (GATE CSE 2025)

Which OSI layer is responsible for error detection and correction?
A. Physical
B. Data Link
C. Transport
D. Application
Answer: B — Data Link layer handles error detection/correction.

Q10. (GATE CSE 2024)

Which OSI layer provides interface to the user applications?
A. Transport
B. Network
C. Application
D. Data Link
Answer: C — Application layer interfaces with user programs.

Q11. (GATE CSE 2023)

Physical layer deals with:
A. IP addressing
B. Voltage levels and bit transmission
C. Flow control
D. Error recovery
Answer: B — Physical layer transmits raw bits over the medium.

Q12. (GATE CSE 2022)

Which layer converts data into frames for transmission?
A. Physical
B. Data Link
C. Transport
D. Network
Answer: B — Data Link layer frames data.
Q13. (GATE CSE 2021)
Which OSI layer manages end-to-end flow control?
A. Transport
B. Session
C. Network
D. Data Link
Answer: A — Flow control is part of transport layer functionality.

3. Physical Layer Protocols & Emerging Technologies

Q14. (GATE CSE 2025)

Which physical medium provides highest data rates?
A. Copper cable
B. Fiber optic
C. Wireless RF
D. Coaxial cable
Answer: B — Fiber optics offer high bandwidth and low attenuation.

Q15. (GATE CSE 2024)

Which technology is used for short-range high-speed wireless
communication?
A. Bluetooth
B. ZigBee
C. Li-Fi
D. Wi-Fi 6
Answer: C — Li-Fi uses visible light for high-speed communication.

Q16. (GATE CSE 2023)

DSL is an example of:
A. Wireless communication
B. Wired broadband over copper
C. Optical fiber
D. Satellite link
Answer: B — Digital Subscriber Line uses copper for broadband.
Q17. (GATE CSE 2022)
5G wireless network primarily improves:
A. Latency
B. Bandwidth
C. Connectivity
D. All of the above
Answer: D — 5G targets low latency, high bandwidth, and massive
connectivity.

Q18. (GATE CSE 2021)

OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) is used in:
A. LTE
B. Wi-Fi
C. 5G
D. All of the above
Answer: D — OFDM is common in modern broadband wireless systems.

Q19. (GATE CSE 2020)

Which layer converts digital signals to analog for transmission over a phone
line?
A. Physical
B. Data Link
C. Network
D. Transport
Answer: A — Physical layer handles modulation and conversion.

Q20. (GATE CSE 2019)

Emerging physical layer technologies include:
A. Li-Fi
B. mmWave communication
C. Fiber optics
D. All of the above
Answer: D
4. Network Performance Evaluation

Q21. (GATE CSE 2025)

Network throughput is defined as:
A. Amount of data successfully transmitted per unit time
B. Network delay
C. Number of nodes in network
D. Error rate
Answer: A

Q22. (GATE CSE 2024)

Latency in a network is primarily caused by:
A. Propagation delay
B. Transmission delay
C. Processing delay
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q23. (GATE CSE 2023)

Which metric measures efficiency of channel utilization?
A. Bandwidth
B. Throughput
C. Signal-to-noise ratio
D. Latency
Answer: B — Throughput indicates channel efficiency.

Q24. (GATE CSE 2022)

Packet loss in networks mainly affects:
A. Latency
B. Throughput
C. Both A & B
D. None
Answer: C
Q25. (GATE CSE 2021)
Which factor is not part of network performance evaluation?
A. Delay
B. Jitter
C. Packet drop
D. File compression
Answer: D

5. Energy-Efficient Communication

Q26. (GATE CSE 2025)

Energy-efficient networks aim to:
A. Reduce power consumption
B. Improve battery life
C. Minimize energy per bit
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q27. (GATE CSE 2024)

Which technique reduces wireless network energy consumption?
A. Sleep scheduling
B. Adaptive modulation
C. Duty cycling
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q28. (GATE CSE 2023)

In sensor networks, energy efficiency is improved by:
A. Data aggregation
B. Short-range communication
C. Sleep modes
D. All of the above
Answer: D
Q29. (GATE CSE 2022)
Energy-efficient communication in networks often trades off:
A. Latency
B. Throughput
C. Coverage
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q30. (GATE CSE 2021)

Which protocol focuses on energy efficiency in IoT networks?
A. ZigBee
B. LoRaWAN
C. BLE
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q31. (GATE CSE 2020)

Physical layer energy saving can be achieved using:
A. Power control
B. Sleep scheduling
C. Efficient modulation schemes
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q32. (GATE CSE 2019)

Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is used for:
A. Energy efficiency
B. Security
C. Routing optimization
D. Multiplexing
Answer: A
Q33. (GATE CSE 2018)
Which factor affects energy consumption in wired networks?
A. Signal amplification
B. Data rate
C. Cable length
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q34. (GATE CSE 2017)

Energy efficiency in wireless networks improves by:
A. Adaptive transmission power
B. Sleep modes
C. Efficient coding
D. All of the above
Answer: D

Q35. (GATE CSE 2016)

Energy-efficient protocols in sensor networks aim to:
A. Maximize network lifetime
B. Minimize energy per transmission
C. Balance node energy usage
D. All of the above
Answer: D