Home › IGNOU MCA Assignments › MCS-218

MCS-218 Solved Assignment 2026-27: IGNOU MCA Semester 2 (Data Communication and Computer Networks)

Updated 30 September 2026 · Applies to July 2026 and January 2027 sessions

Looking for the IGNOU MCS-218 solved assignment 2026-27? This page gives you the assignment details, the topics behind all 9 questions, a few worked answers, and the rules you must follow before submitting. It is written for MCA_NEW and MCAOL students.

On this page
Assignment details · Question-wise topics · Worked answers · Submission and viva tips · Get the full solution · FAQs

MCS-218 assignment details 2026-27

Course	MCS-218 Data Communication and Computer Networks
Assignment no.	MCA_NEW/MCAOL(II)/218/Assign/2026-27
Marks	100 (80 written + 20 viva voce), weightage 30%
Last date, July 2026 session	31 October 2026
Last date, January 2027 session	15 April 2027
Submission	MCA_NEW: Study Centre coordinator. MCAOL: LMS portal.

MCS-218 assignment questions and topics

Q	Topic	Marks
1	Network topologies: bus, star, ring, mesh with advantages and disadvantages	10
2	Channel bandwidth from 2000 Hz to 7000 Hz	5
3	FM, PCM, FSK and PAM modulation differences	10
4	Maximum amplitude levels for -5 V to +7 V with 0.6 V resolution	10
5	Switching: circuit, multistage and packet switching	5
6	Retransmission strategies: piggybacking and pipelining	5
7	802.11 fragment burst and Ethernet binary exponential backoff	10
8	Dijkstra shortest path, spanning tree and flooding	20
9	Data Encryption Standard (DES): architecture and algorithm	5

Worked answers (preview)

Q2: Bandwidth of the channel

Bandwidth = highest frequency − lowest frequency = 7000 − 2000 = 5000 Hz.

Q4: Maximum number of amplitude levels

Voltage span = 7 − (−5) = 12 V. Gaps of at least 0.6 V: 12 / 0.6 = 20 gaps. Twenty gaps separate 21 levels, so the maximum is 21 levels. For binary coding, 16 levels (4 bits per element) is the largest power of 2 that fits.

Q8: Shortest path and flooding

The printed Figure 1 shows flooding time steps (t = 0, 1, 2) and no link costs, so a cost of 1 per link is assumed. Dijkstra from R1 gives the path R1 → R2 → R5 → R7 with total cost 3. Flooding without a spanning tree needs 12 packet transmissions. With the spanning tree (R1-R2, R1-R3, R2-R4, R2-R5, R3-R6, R5-R7) it needs only 6, which is N − 1.

Q9: DES in one paragraph

DES is a symmetric Feistel block cipher. It encrypts 64-bit blocks with a 56-bit key over 16 rounds, using an initial permutation, the round function (expansion, XOR with subkey, eight S-boxes, P-box) and a final permutation. Decryption reuses the same steps with subkeys in reverse order.

Submission and viva tips

• Submit before the last date. It is compulsory to become eligible for the Term End Examination.
• Attend the viva. A submitted assignment without viva is marked zero.
• Write answers in your own words and draw diagrams by hand where possible.
• Add your name, enrolment number and study centre on the first page.
• Check the Programme Guide for the presentation format.

Get the full MCS-218 solution (all 9 questions with diagrams)

The complete file has step-by-step answers, tables and diagrams for every question, in an editable Word format.

Get the full solution

Use the solution as a reference to understand the concepts. Rewrite it in your own words before submitting and prepare for the viva. This site is not affiliated with IGNOU.

MCS-218 assignment FAQs

What is the last date to submit the MCS-218 assignment 2026-27?

31 October 2026 for the July 2026 session and 15 April 2027 for the January 2027 session.

What is the MCS-218 assignment number?

MCA_NEW/MCAOL(II)/218/Assign/2026-27.

How many marks is the MCS-218 assignment?

100 marks: 80 for the written questions and 20 for the viva voce. Weightage is 30%.

Where do MCAOL students submit the assignment?

On the LMS portal. MCA_NEW students submit to the Study Centre coordinator.

Is viva compulsory for MCS-218?

Yes. If you submit but skip the viva, the assignment is marked zero.

Related: MCS-219 · MCS-220 · MCS-221