Networks, Connections and Protocols

Question 1

What is a computer network?

Answer 1

2 or more devices linked together, either using cables or wirelessly.

Question 2

Advantages of computer networks

Answer 2

• Sharing hardware resources like printers
• Exchanging data without physical media
• Easy communication
• Computers can be managed centrally. Easier to install software for all devices

Question 3

Disadvantages of computer networks

Answer 3

• Additional hardware is needed which is expensive
• If one device gets a malware infection then it can spread easily
• Hackers can target the whole network

Question 4

Properties of a LAN

Answer 4

• Covers a small geographical area
• Hardware is owned and maintained by the company that uses it

Question 5

Properties of a WAN

Answer 5

• Covers a large geographical area
• The connections is leased by company

Question 6

Factors that affect network performance

Answer 6

Bandwidth
Number of users
Transmission media
Error rate
Latency

Question 7

How does bandwidth affect network performance?

Answer 7

Bandwidth is how much data can be transmitted over a network in a certain amount of time.
The greater the bandwidth, the more data can be transferred.

Question 8

How does the number of users affect network performance?

Answer 8

Bandwidth is shared between all users. The more users, the more the data traffic.

Question 9

Types of wired transmission media

Answer 9

• Twisted pair cable
• Coaxial cable
• Fibre optics
• Ethernet

Question 10

How does transmission media affect network performance?

Answer 10

The better the transmission media, the faster and more reliable data transfer is.

Question 11

How does error rate affect network performance?

Answer 11

The error rate is how effective the transfer of data is. A higher error rate means a higher proportion of data isn’t being transferred, and so needs to be resent which takes time and slows the network down.

Question 12

How does latency affect network performance?

Answer 12

Latency is the delay in data transfer and communication. The more latency in a network, the slower it will work.

Question 13

What is a file server?

Answer 13

• Stores users’ documents and files
• They can be accessed from any computer on the network

Question 14

What is an authentication server?

Answer 14

• They check whether a username and password match those stored in the database
• Control who can access what

Question 15

What is an application server?

Answer 15

They run programs across the network

Question 16

What is a web server?

Answer 16

They store and share web pages

Question 17

What is a print server?

Answer 17

They manage printing

Question 18

What is a mail server?

Answer 18

They store and handle emails.

Question 19

What is a client-server model?

Answer 19

Computers that connect to the servers are called clients. They request services and resources from the servers, and the servers process it and send a response to the client. Client’s don’t normally store data.

Question 20

Advantages of a client-server model

Answer 20

• Activities can be managed centrally
• Files can be stored on the server and they can be accessed by any device in network
• All the devices can be monitored

Question 21

Disadvantages of a client-server model

Answer 21

• If the server stops working, users won’t be able to access their files