Consider the real-time transport of audio across a network. 

(a) What are the advantages of digitising the audio? 

(b) What are the disadvantages and how can they be mitigated?  

(c) What characteristics of the end-to-end channel across the network would be desirable, and how are these different from those which would be desirable for time-insensitive data? 

(d) Discuss the applicability of asynchronous and synchronous multiplexing in carrying real-time audio traffic. 

Two computers are connected together through their serial ports and Hyper-terminal communication software system. The data communication settings between the two computers are as follows: data transmission speed (bps) = 9600 data bits = 8 Parity bit = even stop bit = 2 start bit = 1 wwwwwwww What is the data transmission time in seconds. (the time that takes to complete the transmission of 38400 bytes and the extra bits). The number needs to be expressed in 2 decimal places; for example, 25.00 or 40.15. Please do not write anything else after the number.