UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A wide area network connects devices and smaller networks across cities, countries or continents, typically using leased telephone lines, satellite links or the internet. The defining characteristic of a WAN is its broad geographical span. Many universities link their campuses with WANs. Hence, the correct term for the type of network described is wide area network.

Option A:
Option A, local area network, is confined to small areas such as a building and cannot accurately represent connections over large distances.

Option B:
Option B, metropolitan area network, covers a city or metropolitan region, which is intermediate between LAN and WAN and not necessarily national or global.

Option C:
Option C is correct because wide area network is the standard term in networking classifications for long distance interconnection of devices and LANs.

Option D:
Option D, storage area network, refers to a specialised high speed network for storage devices in a data centre and does not primarily describe geographical spread.

A firewall enforces a security policy by examining incoming and outgoing packets and deciding whether to allow or block them. It can be configured to restrict access to certain ports, addresses or protocols, thereby reducing exposure to attacks. Firewalls are a key component of network perimeter defence in organisations. Thus the protective mechanism described in the stem is a firewall.

Option A:
Option A, router, primarily handles routing packets between networks and may include some filtering features, but routing is its main purpose. Without specific security configurations, it does not offer comprehensive protection.

Option B:
Option B, gateway, refers to a device or software that connects networks using different protocols and is focused on translation and connectivity rather than security enforcement alone.

Option C:
Option C, antivirus scanner, inspects files and memory for malicious code on individual hosts rather than controlling network traffic flows across a boundary. Its scope is different from that of a firewall.

Option D:
Option D is correct because firewalls are explicitly defined as systems that monitor and regulate network connections according to configured rules, matching the wording in the question.

Statements A, B and D correctly describe the nature and prerequisites of e-governance, while statement C is false. E-governance utilises ICT to deliver services and interact with citizens, often improving transparency and accountability. It also depends on adequate infrastructure and digital skills among users. Excluding mobile technologies, as claimed in C, contradicts practice because mobile platforms are now central to many e-governance services. Therefore, the combination A, B and D only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it collects the three statements that match current understanding of e-governance. It recognises the role of ICT in service delivery, the potential for transparency and the importance of citizen readiness. By excluding the incorrect claim about excluding mobile technologies, it reflects realistic e-governance strategies.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes only A and B and leaves out D. Statement D is also true in emphasising that infrastructure and literacy are essential for effective e-governance. Omitting a true statement makes the option incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it contains B, C and D and thereby accepts C as correct. Statement C wrongly asserts that e-governance does not use mobile technologies, which is inconsistent with many mobile-enabled government services. Including this false statement invalidates the option.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes that all four statements are correct. Accepting C would imply that mobile technologies are always excluded, which is contrary to practice. Since one statement is false, the set of all four cannot be the correct answer.

Statements A, B and C correctly distinguish LAN, WAN and MAN by their geographical coverage. LANs serve limited areas like buildings, WANs can span entire countries or continents, and MANs typically cover metropolitan regions. Statement D is false because LANs can be implemented using wired, wireless or mixed technologies. Thus, the combination that includes A, B and C but excludes D is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it mentions only A and B as correct and omits C. While A and B are true, statement C is also correct in associating MAN with city-wide networks. Leaving out a true statement means this option does not present the full set of correct statements.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it brings together A, B and C, all of which are accurate descriptions of common network types. It rightly excludes D, which wrongly claims that LANs must always be wireless. Therefore this option aligns with standard ICT classifications of networks by scope.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes D alongside B and C. Although B and C are true, D is false because LANs may be wired, wireless or a combination. Including a false statement invalidates the combination.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes all four statements are correct. Statement D misrepresents the nature of LAN technologies and should not be included among correct statements. A valid answer must exclude that incorrect statement.

The internet is often described as a network of networks because it interconnects diverse networks worldwide using the TCP/IP protocol suite. It enables services such as the World Wide Web, email and file transfer. This global connectivity supports communication, commerce and education on an unprecedented scale. Hence the system described in the stem is the internet.

Option A:
Option A, intranet, refers to a private network within an organisation that may or may not be connected to the wider internet and does not span all sectors and countries.

Option B:
Option B is correct because definitions of the internet explicitly mention its global scope and use of standard protocols to interlink heterogeneous networks. The wide range of participating entities listed in the stem matches the actual composition of the internet.

Option C:
Option C, local area network, is restricted to a small geographic area such as a campus or office building and cannot be equated with the worldwide structure.

Option D:
Option D, personal area network, covers connections among devices close to an individual, such as Bluetooth accessories, and is far smaller in scale than the network described.

A firewall acts as a barrier between trusted internal networks and external networks such as the Internet. It filters incoming and outgoing packets according to defined policies, blocking suspicious or prohibited connections. This reduces the risk of intrusions, data theft and malware spread. The option explains this traffic filtering function accurately.

Option A:
This option correctly highlights inspection and rule based control as the main tasks. It shows that firewalls are preventive measures designed to enforce organisational security policies at network boundaries.

Option B:
Processing speed depends on hardware and system configuration and is not directly increased by installing a firewall. In some cases, heavy filtering may even introduce slight delays.

Option C:
Automated writing of research papers is outside the scope of any security device. Firewalls are concerned with access, not content creation.

Option D:
Converting digital data into printed books is a documentation strategy and has nothing to do with network packet filtering.

Compression encodes data more compactly, so files occupy less storage and need less bandwidth, speeding up transfers and saving resources.

Option A:
Resolution and quality are set when data is created; compression cannot magically increase original resolution and may even reduce quality in lossy schemes.

Option B:
This option correctly states the main practical benefit: smaller files mean more efficient storage and transmission.

Option C:
Lossless methods preserve all information, but lossy methods discard some details; so not all compression is information-perfect.

Option D:
Malware protection is the domain of security tools like antivirus and firewalls, not compression algorithms.

Bandwidth represents the data-carrying capacity of a link, typically measured in bits per second or its multiples. Higher bandwidth allows more data to be sent in a given time.

Option A:
Cable width is a physical dimension; while it can influence possible bandwidth, it is not what the term “bandwidth” itself means in ICT.

Option B:
This option correctly defines bandwidth as the upper limit on data transfer rate through a channel.

Option C:
Number of users may affect congestion but is not itself bandwidth.

Option D:
Uptime or on-time is unrelated to the technical concept of channel capacity.

Statements A, B and C correctly describe broadband, fibre and mobile data connections, while statement D is false. Broadband generally outperforms dial-up in speed, fibre optics use light in glass or plastic and mobile networks rely on cellular towers. Dial-up, however, traditionally uses telephone lines, not satellites. Thus the correct combination is A, B and C only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B as correct, omitting C. Mobile data is an important and common way of accessing the Internet, so leaving it out provides an incomplete picture of connection types.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it lists B and C only and ignores A. Statement A is an essential comparison between broadband and dial-up speeds and should not be excluded when discussing connection types.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups A, B and D as correct statements and thereby accepts D. Since D mischaracterises dial-up as satellite-based, including it makes this combination wrong.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it brings together the three accurate statements and excludes D, which contradicts the standard description of dial-up technology. It offers a balanced overview of common Internet connection options.

A firewall sits between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks (like the Internet) and filters packets using security rules. Its main job is to allow legitimate traffic and block suspicious or unauthorised connections.

Option A:
This option correctly describes the core function of a firewall: inspecting traffic and enforcing access-control policies to protect campus systems.

Option B:
CPU speed is determined by hardware design and clock frequency; a firewall does not exist to “speed up” processors.

Option C:
Automatically deleting all user files would be destructive, not protective; this is not a firewall’s role.

Option D:
Converting analogue to digital signals is done by codecs or related devices in multimedia systems, not by firewalls.

Statements A, B and D correctly define IaaS, SaaS and PaaS, whereas statement C contradicts the very idea of cloud computing. In cloud models, many applications and resources are hosted remotely and accessed over networks, so local installation is not always required. IaaS offers virtual hardware, SaaS provides ready-to-use applications and PaaS supplies a development platform. Hence, the combination that includes A, B and D but excludes C is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits D. While A and B are true, statement D is also correct in describing PaaS as a cloud-based development environment. Excluding a true statement means this option does not fully represent cloud computing models.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it selects A, B and D, the three accurate statements. It captures the distinctions between infrastructure, platform and software services in the cloud. By excluding the false claim in C, it reflects the essential features of cloud computing.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it lists only B and D as correct and omits A. Statement A is also valid, explaining virtualised infrastructure in IaaS. Any answer that leaves out one of the true statements fails to answer the question completely.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes all four statements are correct. Accepting statement C would imply that cloud computing always depends on local installation, which is the opposite of its typical usage. Including this false statement invalidates the combination.

In popular usage, Wi Fi is associated with wireless fidelity, indicating reliable wireless communication within a local area. Although the term originated as a brand name, ICT examinations often explain it as wireless fidelity to emphasise its role as a wireless analogue of high fidelity audio. It represents a family of IEEE 802.11 standards for wireless networking.

Option A:
Option A, wire fidelity, contradicts the idea of wireless communication and is not used in technical or common descriptions.

Option B:
Option B, wide fidelity, does not emphasise the wireless nature of the technology and is not a recognised expansion.

Option C:
Option C is correct because exams and informal explanations typically interpret Wi Fi as wireless fidelity, aligning with the context of wireless local area networking.

Option D:
Option D, wave fidelity, could loosely relate to radio waves but is not the accepted phrase in ICT terminology.

Statements A, B and C correctly describe the public, private and hybrid deployment models in cloud computing, while D misrepresents the idea of community cloud. Public cloud is shared among many customers, private cloud belongs to one organisation and hybrid cloud combines both types. Community clouds are shared by several organisations with common concerns, not by a single individual user. Therefore, the combination that includes A, B and C but excludes D is the only fully correct option.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it recognises that statements A, B and C all align with standard definitions of cloud deployment models. It also implicitly rejects statement D, which wrongly claims that community cloud serves a single individual instead of a group of organisations. By covering the three major models without including the incorrect description, this option gives a complete and accurate picture.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it leaves out statement C about hybrid cloud. While A and B are true, excluding C ignores the important model where organisations mix public and private resources. Since the question asks for all correct statements, this incomplete combination cannot be accepted.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes statement D and omits A and C. Although B is true, D is wrong in limiting community cloud to an individual user. The absence of A and C further weakens this option, so it does not represent the full set of correct statements.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it accepts all four statements, thereby treating D as correct. Including D means accepting a false description of community cloud, and this invalidates the entire combination even though A, B and C are accurate.

A Local Area Network interconnects computers and other devices within a relatively small physical area, typically using high speed links. Organisations use LANs to share resources such as printers, files and internet connections. The limited scope allows for easier management and lower latency. Therefore, the network described in the question is a LAN.

Option A:
Option A, MAN, or Metropolitan Area Network, spans a city or large campus and covers a wider geographic area than that mentioned in the stem.

Option B:
Option B, WAN, or Wide Area Network, extends over large regions or countries and connects multiple LANs, which goes beyond the constraints of a single building or campus.

Option C:
Option C, PAN, or Personal Area Network, is focused on very short range communication around an individual, such as connections between a phone and a headset.

Option D:
Option D is correct because LAN is the standard term used in ICT to refer to networks confined to small areas like offices, schools or laboratories.

An ISP operates the communication infrastructure that links end users to the global Internet. It allocates IP addresses, offers bandwidth plans and routes data packets between customer devices and external networks. Without an ISP or equivalent service, most individuals and campuses could not access web resources, email or other online applications. Hence, the central function is provision of Internet connectivity.

Option A:
Curriculum design and examination planning are academic policy tasks handled by bodies such as universities and regulatory agencies, not by ISPs. While educational institutions may consult ISPs for network needs, core academic functions remain separate.

Option B:
Manufacturing hardware is the domain of electronics companies. An ISP might purchase equipment from them but does not primarily produce devices like CPUs and monitors.

Option C:
Grading examination scripts requires academic judgement, which ISPs are not responsible for. Their role is in network provision, not educational assessment.

Option D:
This option correctly identifies that ISPs act as gateways between users and the wider networked world. They may also offer services like email or cloud storage, but these are built on the foundational service of providing access.