LO1 - Connectivity:

Question 1

What are the two types of Wired Internet Connections?

Answer 1

1) Copper Cable,

2) Fibre Optical Cable.

Question 2

What are the six types of Wireless Internet Connections?

Answer 2

1) Bluetooth,
2) Infrared,
3) Microwaves,
4) LASERS,
5) Satellite,
6) 5G / GSM.

Question 3

What are the advantages of Copper Cable?

Answer 3

1) Copper cable is the cheapest type of wired internet available,
2) Copper is very malleable and is less likely to break under tension and strain.

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of Copper Cable?

Answer 4

1) Copper cable is susceptible to electromagnetic interference from other devices and power sources,
2) Copper cable is significantly more likely to suffer network distortion from attenuation,
3) Significantly less bandwidth capacity compared to fibre optical cables.

Question 5

What are the advantages of Fibre Optical Cable?

Answer 5

1) Provides a significantly faster network connection compared to copper,
2) Fibre optical cables are immune to electromagnetic interference,
3) Less likely to suffer network distortion from attenuation,
4) Very high bandwidth capacity, ability to transfer more data at one given time, and at a faster rate - at the speed of light.

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of Fibre Optical Cable?

Answer 6

1) Significantly more expensive compared to copper,

2) Can be broken more easily, especially the glass tubes within the outer sheath.

Question 7

What is Bluetooth?

Answer 7

Bluetooth is a temporary short-range communication between devices within a range limit of around 10 metres using UHF radio waves.

Question 8

What are Infrared Signals?

Answer 8

Infrared is a category of the EM spectrum, reliant on direct line of sight to the receiving device used in short-range situations such as TV remotes.

Question 9

What are Microwaves?

Answer 9

Microwave connections use radio waves to transmit signals across large areas using microwave towers, however have to be in direct line of sight with minimal to no obstructions.

Question 10

What are Lasers?

Answer 10

Laser connections can send data between devices using light that are in direct line of sight as long as there aren’t any obstructions.

Question 11

What are Satellite Connections?

Answer 11

Satellite connections utilise point-to-multipoint communication using satellites to send and receive transmissions, which are then rebroadcasted back to Earth. However, does result in network latency.

Question 12

What are 5G / GSM Connections?

Answer 12

5G / GSM is a technology allowing mobile phones to connect to a network for calls and text messages.