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UPDATED TO 2023-2025 SYLLABUS

CAIE AS LEVEL
COMPUTER SCIENCE
SUMMARIZED NOTES ON THE THEORY SYLLABUS
Prepared for reja for personal use only.
CAIE AS LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE
Thin Clients Thick Clients

1. Communication A client that solely runs on the

resources provided by the
An independent client that
does not require the server to
server and has no local
run.
storage.
1.1. Networks, including the Internet Only provides input and
Thick client processes most of
receives output; processing is
LAN WAN the application locally.
done by the server.
A network that connects A network that connects Smaller purchase cost:
devices within a small devices within a larger Can function even if no server
expensive, demanding
geographical area, often within geographical area, such as a is connected (works offline).
hardware is not required.
the same building. city, country, or globally.
Improved security: Cannot run
Only private ownership. Private or public ownership. No lag related to network
unauthorized, harmful
problems.
Transmission medium: Twisted software.
Transmission medium: PSTN or
Pair Cables , Coaxial Cables or
Satlink.
Wi-Fi. Thin Clients vs. Thick Clients
Higher data transfer rate. Lower data transfer rate. Peer-to-Peer network model (P2P)
Less congestion. Higher congestion. Definition: A decentralized network where each
connected computer stores data and operates
Networking devices: Interconnected devices that independently as a ‘peer’, acting as both a client and
enable fast data transmission within a network. a server.
Networking benefits: Applications: Internet and Ad hoc networks.
File sharing: Easily share data between different
interconnected devices. Client-Server Peer-to-Peer
Resource sharing: Use network-connected output Centralized backup. Lesser initial setup cost.
devices like printers or share software within the
Lesser network traffic: Each
network. Files & resources centralized in
peer can simultaneously
Higher storage: Files can be stored in network- server: Prevents illegal
receive data from different
connected storage mediums. resource usage.
sources.
Client-Server Model Improved security: Files are It can work even if a device
Server-based network: A dedicated server provides stored on a central server, goes down, but the client-
applications (administration of users, security, and which would be regularly server model can’t work if the
resources) for the client computer to utilize. scanned for malware. server goes down.
Client-server Applications:
Printer: Manages print jobs from client
computers.
File Sharing: Clients access software and user
data files stored on the server.
Proxy server.
Email server: For sending, receiving, and storing
emails.
Database server: Manages DBMS.
Domain controller server:
Manages user accounts (IDs & passwords).
The client sends a login request to the server,
which processes and grants the request if the
user ID & password are recognized.

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Benefits Drawbacks
Client-Server vs. Peer-to-Peer models Can travel over large
Network Topologies Low frequency means
distances with a wide
Bus less data can be
range of wavelengths.
Radio transmitted at one time.
A single line (bus) connects all devices with Relatively inexpensive.
waves Affected by interference
terminators at each end. Used for TV signals and
from radio stations with
Other computers can read data being sent mobile phone
similar frequencies.
between any two computers. communications.
Unsuitable for heavy traffic due to frequent Expensive to build
Larger bandwidth allows emitting towers.
collisions. Microwaves
more data transfer. Physical obstacles can
Star interfere with signals.
Consists of a central server (switch) with all other Cost-effective for long-
computers connected via dedicated connections. Susceptible to
distance communication,
The server can send packets to different devices Satellites interference. Expensive
used in satellite phones
setup.
simultaneously and bidirectionally. and radio broadcasts.
No collisions are possible.
Mesh Wireless Networks
Every device (node) is directly interconnected with Use radio waves (including WiFi), microwaves, and
each of the other devices (nodes). satellites to connect devices to networks without
Commonly used for wireless networks, such as cables.
the Internet, through the mesh connection of
routers. Real-time On-demand
Hybrid Existing digital files are
A combination of two or more topologies. converted to encoded bit-
The event is captured live via a
Example: A connection between two or more streaming format for
video camera that is connected
LANs of different topologies. broadcasting on the internet by
to a computer.
uploading to a dedicated
server.
Benefits Drawbacks
A link for encoded video is
Less expensive and Doesn’t perform well Video signal converted to an
placed on the website, and the
Copper easier to install. Flexible. with small charges. encoded streaming video
user clicks on the link to view
Cable Easier to make Affected by signal.
encoded streaming video.
terminations. electromagnetism.
Encoded video signal uploaded The data is streamed to a
Greater bandwidth, from computer to a dedicated buffer in the user’s computer,
improved security, streaming server via cables or and the buffer stops the video
lightweight, easy to Needs expensive optical high-speed wireless internet from being paused as the bits
Fiber-Optic
install, and less signal transmitters and connection. are streamed.
Cables
boosting are required; receivers.
The server then sends live As the buffer is emptied, it’s
used in long-distance
images to all users requesting filled again, thus providing
communications.
them as a real-time video. continuous viewing.
Wired Networks It cannot be paused, fast- Can be paused, fast-forwarded,
forwarded, etc. etc.
Use copper (twisted-pair cable or coaxial cable) or
fiber-optic cables.
Cables are connected to an Ethernet port on the
network router.

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CAIE AS LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE
Public cloud Private Cloud
Ethernet Access provided by third-party Owned and maintained by a
The most common wired medium for data service providers, shared single organization, providing
transmission in LANs or WANs. among multiple users. exclusive access.
Typically used in bus topology; data collisions are Managed by cloud service Can be managed internally by
managed by the CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple providers using large server the organization itself, or
Access with Collision Detection) method. farms. outsourced.
CSMA/CD Process:
Device checks if the channel is busy before Benefits Drawback
transmitting. Cannot access the
If busy, the device waits a random time before Less technical knowledge resources/data stored on the
retrying. required, easy to implement. cloud if there are bandwidth
During transmission, the device listens for other issues.
transmissions. Poor data privacy, since there
Flexibility to scale with may be data leakage in the
If a collision occurs, transmission is aborted, and
organization’s growth mindset. multi-tenant architecture
both devices wait random times before retrying. (public clouds).
Bit Streaming
Sequence of digital signals (bits) transferred over a
communication path at high speeds, requiring a fast World Wide Web (WWW):
broadband connection and buffers. Description: Collection of web pages stored on
Bit Streaming Types: websites.
Real-time: Live events captured and transmitted Function: Protocols are used to transmit data across
directly. the WWW.
On-demand: Pre-existing files are converted and Internet (Interconnected Network):
streamed as requested. Description: Massive, open network of networks.
Importance of High Broadband Speed/Bit-Rate Protocol: Uses TCP/IP protocol, which uses IP
The user has to download and display bits at the addresses to identify devices connected to the
same time. internet.
Higher quality media requires faster speeds due Access: Provided by Internet Service Provider.
to larger data frames as well. Communication Methods: Wired, radio, and
Real-time streaming needs higher speeds due to satellite.
simultaneous data requests coming from multiple Router in a Network:
different users. Function: Connects two networks together which
operate under the same protocols (for example, IP).
Cloud Computing Connections: Allows internal connections between
On-demand provision of computing services over the LANs or external connection from the main LAN to a
internet, including infrastructure, and platforms. WAN.
Infrastructure: Storage capacity and higher Additional Roles: Acts as a gateway and firewall.
processing power. Setup: Usually attached to a server or switch in a
Platform: Software, testing & debugging LAN.
resources. IP Address Translation: Translates private IP
addresses to public IP addresses and vice versa.
Public cloud vs. Private cloud

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LAN-Supporting Hardware: Internet-Supporting Hardware:

Switch: Modems:
Connected to all devices in a LAN. Allows a device to connect to the Internet via a
Can simultaneously broadcast information to all telephone line.
devices. Function: A transmitter uses a modem to convert
Server: digital signals (from the transmitting device) to
Device/software that provides specific functions analogue signals sent down the telephone line. A
for computers in the network. receiver uses a modem on the other end to
Network Interface Card (NIC): convert the analogue signals to digital signals so
Provides each device (end-system) in the wired the receiving device can understand the data.
LAN with a unique MAC address to uniquely PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network):
identify it on the network. Refers to all telephone networks.
Allows each device to connect to the network. Channel: Used between two endpoints for the
Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC): call duration via circuit switching.
Provides each end-system of a wireless (WiFi) LAN Resilience: Lines are active even during a power
a unique network address to identify it. outage.
Wireless Access Points (WAP): Communication: Bi-directional.
Allows devices to connect to the LAN via WiFi Dedicated Lines:
instead of using a cable. Telecommunication path between endpoints.
Usually built into the router. Not shared with multiple users; it’s
Cables: bought/leased.
A wired transmission medium that allows Function: Able to host websites as well as carry
communication in wired networks. phone calls. Allows continuous, uninterrupted
Bridge: access to the Web.
Connects two LANs which work using the same Cell Phone Network:
protocol, which can be two segments of the same Wireless networks spread over land areas divided
network. into (hexagonal) cells.
Stores network addresses for all devices (end- Base Stations: Each cell is served by at least one
systems) between the two networks. base station (transceiver), which uses a different
Looks for the receiving device before it sends the frequency range compared to adjacent cells to
message. transmit data.
Repeater: Capacity: Larger capacity is possible since the
Connects two cables. same frequencies can be used in non-adjacent
Regenerates the sent data signal over the same cells.
network before the signal weakens (attenuation) Transmission: Radio waves are usually used for
to prevent it from being corrupted. transmission. Can be broadcast in all directions
over a wide area.
Portable Transceivers: Devices like mobile
phones can communicate and access the internet
via base stations.

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CAIE AS LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE
IPv4 IPv6
32-bit address, split into 4 The 128-bit address is divided Public and Private IP Addresses:
blocks by “.” into eight 16-bit blocks by “:” Public IP:
Each block could have a value Each block can have 4 hex Provided by the ISP.
between 0 and 255 (00 to FF in values ranging from 0000 to Unique and can be accessed across the internet.
hex). FFFF. Private IP:
IPv6 can be shortened by Issued by the LAN’s router.
removing at least (≥) 2 blocks Unique within the LAN and can only be accessed
containing only zeroes. For within the LAN.
example: NAT (Network Address Translation): Required
For example, 255.0.1.255. “2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2 for private IP addresses to access the internet
e:0070:7334” can be shortened
to directly.
“2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0070:73 Security: Private IPs are more secure than public
34" IPs since they are not directly accessible on the
Internet and are hidden by NAT.
IPv4 vs. IPv6 Address Range: The range of IP addresses used
IPv4 Functionality: for private IP addressing can never be assigned to
IP Address Structure: public IP addresses.
Network Identifier (netID): Identifies the
network to which the host (device) is connected. Static Dynamic
Host Identifier (hostID): Identifies the host The IP address will change at
IP address never changes.
within the network. regular periods.
Classful Addressing: Used for IPv4, where Static IP addresses are valid Dynamic IP address is relatively
different bit lengths for identification impose when websites need to more secure, hence used
restrictions on available addresses. remember a device for a long where data privacy is quite
Subnetting: time, e.g VPNs whitelisting. important.
Definition: The practice of dividing a network into Faster upload/download Maintaining the cost of the
two or more networks. speeds. dynamic IP address is a lesser.
Structure: IP addresses are broken down into
three parts by not changing the netID but Static vs. Dynamic IP addresses
partitioning the host ID into a subnet ID and host
ID. URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Subnet ID: These bits are used to identify Unique reference address for the exact location of an
each subnet within the network. internet resource on the WWW
Subnet Masks: Numbers that hide (mask) the Protocol: Enables the browser to know what protocol is
netID of a system's IP address and leave only used to access information in the domain.
the host part as the machine identifier, Host-name: The domain name.
allowing data to be routed within the subnet Location of Server: The path indicating the server
to the appropriate host. location.
Domain Name Service (DNS)
Definition: A naming system used for computers or
resources having an internet connection.
Structure: Consists of a hierarchy of DNS servers
which have a URL database and their corresponding
IP addresses.

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CAIE AS Level
Computer Science

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