It's not about the specific answers - it's about being able to reasonably construct a model about how a system might work, based on the knowledge you do have, and clearly communicate that model (including its limitations!) to another engineer.

Sure, if you are a dedicated embedded device programmer who has never used a web browser or engaged in networking of any kind, then maybe you like unaccountably not be able to construct a compelling description of the process. But I find that unlikely; all I can suggest is that if you are hiring for such a position, then a similar question more tilted towards a particular field would be equally useful.

The overall idea of an open-ended question like this is sound.