Neco 2025 Computer Studies Question 39

A 12\,MB file must be transferred from computer A to computer B. In a star topology, each link provides a bandwidth of \(10\ \text{Mbps}\) and a propagation delay of \(2\ \text{ms}\). The transmission passes through the central hub, so the data is sent from A to the hub and then from the hub to B (store‑and‑forward at the hub). In a bus topology, each link provides a bandwidth of \(8\ \text{Mbps}\) and a propagation delay of \(3\ \text{ms}\). The data must travel through one intermediate node, so it is sent from A to the intermediate node and then to B (store‑and‑forward at the intermediate node). Assuming the file is transmitted in full at each hop, calculate the total transmission time for each topology (in seconds, rounded to one decimal place) and indicate which topology delivers the file faster.