Connectivity

Question 1

What is a LAN? (Local Area Network)

Answer 1

A home network to which all the computers in the house can be connected

Question 2

What are the benefits of setting up a home network?

Answer 2

Can share the internet connection
Can share and back up files
Can share peripherals such as printers
Internet telephone services

Question 3

What is the role of a router?

Answer 3

To connect all the computers to the modem by giving them an internal IP address, so that it “knows” where to send the data

Question 4

Wireless vs Cable Network

Answer 4

Setting up: Cables have to be run from the router to all rooms which can be a health hazard whereas wireless only requires a wireless router

Cost: Cables are expensive to install whereas wireless only requires you to pay for the router so it is cheaper

Bandwidth: Cable has the faster bandwidth of 1Gbps whereas wireless is only 54 Mbps although newer ones can reach up to 300Mbps

Security: Cable has better security as computer needs to be physically plugged in to join network whereas wireless can be used by anyone within range unless it is kept secure with a password or key

Interference: Cable offers no interference whereas wireless is affected by walls, electronic equipment, distance from router and the number of computers connected

Mobility: Cable cannot be connected in a room with no plug socket and It requires unplugging and moving if you wish to move to a diff room whereas wireless can be accessed from anywhere in the house and the connection stays even when moving between rooms

Question 5

Ways of securing wireless networks?

Answer 5

Changing the default admin password on the router
Setting up a form of encryption- data is scrambled so only computers with the right key can read it
Hiding the router by stopping the router broadcasting it’s Service Set Identifier (SSID)
Turning off the router when not being used
Reducing transmission power so it has a smaller range

Question 6

What is bandwidth?

Answer 6

A measurement of capacity of data that can be transferred per second. Measured in bps, bits per second.

Question 7

What is latency?

Answer 7

A measurement of delay. Measured in ms, milliseconds

Question 8

What is an important feature for streaming videos? (Bandwidth or latency?)

Answer 8

A high bandwidth is required for a smooth replay of the video on your computer

Question 9

What is an important feature for getting quick search results? (Bandwidth or latency?)

Answer 9

A low latency is required as the information is travelling in both directions so it needs to arrive quickly

Question 10

What is required for a good gaming experience?

Answer 10

A high bandwidth so that more data is transferred per second and low latency because information needs to travel very quickly in both directions.

Question 11

Wifi vs Mobile Broadband

Answer 11

Wifi needs to be within the range of a wireless router- range can be up to 60m from hotspot but mobile broadband has a much greater coverage
Wifi reaches up to speeds of 54 Mbps
Wifi is quite widely available whereas mobile broadband requires payment. Roaming charges apply to mobile broadband if used when abroad
Mobile broadband limits downloads and has a much lower bandwidth than Wifi however it is more secure than wifi because data is encrypted and hackers can sometimes set up fake wifi hotspots which can put users details at risk

Question 12

What is Wifi direct?

Answer 12

Technology which allows devices to connect directly using wifi WITHOUT THE NEED FOR AN ACCESS POINT. It allows users to set up peer to peer networks and allows devices to use an access point for normal wifi

Question 13

Advantages of using Bluetooth to set up peer to peer networks?

Answer 13

It allows devices to communicate automatically when within range with no user involvement
Can connect up to 8 devices at the same time
Low power so does not interfere with other devices

Question 14

What is VoIP?

Answer 14

Voice over Internet Protocol which is the set of rules for transmitting audio msgs over the internet
Requires a microphone and headphones or speaker
Enables you to make free voice calls on a computer
Useful when travelling
Can add a webcam to make video calls
Can be used on a smartphone

Question 15

What are the three protocols for sending and receiving emails?

Answer 15

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): Used when email sent from sender’s email client (ie gmail) to sender’s email server and when the email is delivered to the recipient’s email server.
POP/POP3 (Post Office Protocol): If this is used to read email, the email is downloaded to computer and deleted from the server which means it can be read offline.
IMAP/IMAP4: If this is used, the email is read on the mail server and the email is not deleted from the server so it can be accessed from anywhere using any computer with an internet connection

Question 16

Which protocol is used when sending confidential information over the internet?

Answer 16

HTTPS or Hypertext Transfer Protocol over SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Data is encrypted and cannot be read by anyone but recipient. Shows in URL bar as https://

Question 17

How does HTTPS work?

Answer 17

The browser checks site’s digital certificate (issued by companies like Norton but can be faked)
Web server and browser determine encryption types they can use to understand each other
Browser and web server send unique codes to each other to use when encrypting info being sent
Browser and web server communicate using the encryption

Question 18

What is a firewall?

Answer 18

Software that permits or blocks connections between your computer and other computers on the network according to rules you set. It is not secure on it’s own because some malware, such as a virus, work by shutting down your firewall

Question 19

What is a virus?

Answer 19

A program designed to cause other computer programs to malfunction or stop working
Can be replicated and passed on to other users in files and emails

Question 20

Precautions to take against viruses

Answer 20

Install antivirus software and update it regularly
Run regular scans of files on your computer
Only download from trusted websites
Only open emails and attachments from trusted senders
Scan CDs, DVDs and USBs before accessing them
Do not use pirate copies of CDs or DVDs
Avoid file sharing websites

Question 21

What is authentication?

Answer 21

The process of identifying an individual which can prevent illegal access. Most networks require a username and a password

Question 22

Features of a strong password?

Answer 22

Numbers
Upper case and lower case letters
Punctuation marks

Question 23

Physical security measures to keep data safe?

Answer 23

Chains and locks to fix a computer to a desk or on windows and doors
Radio Frequency Identification chips which can be used to identify the product using a scanner and can also sound an alarm if being taken out of a building or shop
Use biometrics
Fit doors with security keypads and keep them locked
Burglar alarm and monitors in every room
CCTV cameras inside and outside