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Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE ICT Your notes

Networks
Contents
Network Hardware
Wireless Networks
Cloud Computing
Network Environments
Network Types

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Network Hardware
Your notes
Router
What is a router?
The router is responsible for routing data packets between different networks
An example of data the router can direct is, sending internet traffic to the correct destination/devices
in your home network
The router connects networks together, local area networks (LAN) to the wider internet which is a type
of wide area network (WAN)
The router can manage and prioritise data traffic, which can help to keep connections stable
The router will assign IP addresses to the devices on the network

What are data packets?

Data packets are small 'chunks' of data that make up a larger piece of data that has been broken
down so that is can transmitted over the internet
Data can include anything from text, images, audio, video, animations, etc, or any combination of these
A data packet consists of:

Header Payload Trailer

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Source IP address Actual data being transported Additional security information

(less common)
Your notes
Destination IP address End of packet notification

Packet number
(1 of 5 etc.)

Error checking (checksums)

What is an IP address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier given to devices which communicate over the
Internet (WAN)
IP addresses are dynamic, they can change
IP addresses make it possible to deliver data to the right device
A device connecting to a network will be given an IP address, if it moves to a different network then the
IP address will change

IPv4
Internet Protocol version 4 is represented as 4 blocks of denary numbers between 0 and 255,
separated by full stops
Each block is one byte (8 bits), each address is 4 bytes (32 bits)

IPv4 provides over 4 billion unique addresses (232), however, with over 7 billion people and countless
devices per person, a solution was needed

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IPv6
Internet Protocol version 6 is represented as 8 blocks of 4 hexadecimal digits, separated by colons Your notes
Each block is 2 bytes (16 bits), each address is 16 bytes (128 bits)

IPv6 could provide over one billion unique addresses for every person on the planet (2128)

Network Interface Card (NIC)

What is a network interface card (NIC)?
The Network Interface Card (NIC) is required for a computer to connect to a network
A NIC can be both wired and wireless and allows your computer to send and receive data over a
network

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Hub
Your notes
What is a hub?
A hub is a networking device which is used to connect multiple devices in a network
Hubs are "dumb" devices that pass on anything received on one connection to all other connections
All data is sent to all devices, this can lead to network inefficiencies and security issues

Switch
What is a switch?
A network switch is a device that connects multiple devices on a network together
Unlike a hub, a switch only sends data to the device it was intended for, which improves network
efficiency
This is done by a switch having a lookup table
When a switch receives a data packet, it examines the destination MAC address of the packet and
looks up that address in the lookup table
Once it has found the matching MAC address it will then forward the data packet to the corresponding
device

What is a MAC address?

A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier given to devices which communicate over
a local area network (LAN)
MAC addresses are static, they can never change
MAC addresses make it possible for switches to efficiently forward data to the intended recipient

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Any device that contains a Network Interface Card (NIC) has a MAC address assigned during
manufacturing
Your notes
A device connecting to a local network already has a MAC address, if it moves to a different network
then the MAC address will stay the same

A MAC address is represented as 12 hexadecimal digits (48 bits), usually grouped in pairs
The first three pairs are the manufacturer ID number (OUI) and the last three pairs are the serial number
of the network interface card (NIC)
There are enough unique MAC addresses for roughly 281 trillion devices

Bridge
What is a bridge?
A network bridge is a device used to connect two local area networks (LANs) together to create one
larger network
Unlike a switch/hub, bridges only connect local area networks together

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Your notes
Worked Example
Explain the difference between a switch and a hub regarding data forwarding capabilities.
[2]
Answer
A switch forwards data packets based on the destination MAC address and only sends data to the
intended device [1]
A hub broadcasts incoming data packets to all connected devices [1]

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Wireless Networks
Your notes
What is a wireless network?
A wireless network is a network where connections are made using radio waves to transmit data
through the air
The most common types of wireless connections are:
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth

Wi-Fi
What is Wi-Fi?

Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) is a common standard for wireless networks

Wi-Fi is common in most homes and offices to connect devices such as laptops, tablets & smart
phones

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Using Wi-Fi, devices communicate with a hotspot or a wireless access point (WAP), which can be a
standalone device or built into a router or switch
Your notes
Wi-Fi may be preferred over Bluetooth when:
High speed data transfer is required
Long range communication is required
Many devices are needed to be connected at the same time
Advantages Disadvantages

Portability - Easy to move around, location is Speed - Slower data transfer than Ethernet
only limited by range

Cost - Less expensive to setup and add new Security - Less secure than Ethernet
devices

Compatibility - Most devices are manufactured Range - Relies on signal strength to the WAP, signals
with a built in Wi-Fi adapter can be obstructed (up to 100m)

Bluetooth
What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is another common standard for wireless networks

Bluetooth is common in most homes and offices to connect devices such as headphones, controllers,
keyboards & mice
Bluetooth is used typically for a direct connection between two devices
When two devices pair, they both exchange a cryptographic key

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The keys are used to generate a secret shared key which is used to encrypt the data between the two
devices and create a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN)
Your notes
Connected devices continuously change their transmitting frequency between 79 different channels
to avoid interference and improve the reliability of the connection
This is known as the frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS)
Advantages Disadvantages

Compatibility - Ideal for personal devices and ad-hoc Speed - Very slow transfer speeds
connections

Power - Very low power consumption Security - Data can be intercepted by anyone
in range

Range - Short range (30m)

Differences between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

Bluetooth Wi-Fi

Maximum number of connections 7 30

Transmission frequency 2.4Ghz 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz

Maximum range (meters) 30 meters 100 meters (depending on obstructions)

Maximum transfer speed 3 Mbytes / Sec 75 Mbytes / Sec

(Depending on the standard being used)

Worked Example
A school IT team is trying to determine what technology they should use to connect students'
tablets around the school for data transfer and are unsure whether to choose Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
technology.
Consider the advantages and limitations of both and justify your answer

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[7]
Answer Your notes
WiFi offers significantly faster transfer rates compared to Bluetooth [1]
so students will be able to upload and download files faster [1]
WiFi coverage can be over a much larger area compared to Bluetooth [1]
so that students will be able to access resources wherever they are in the school [1]
Bluetooth however, is easy to set up [1]
students can transfer data without the school having to invest in expensive infrastructure [1]
Given the current situation, the school is in, the preferred choice for connecting student's tablets
would be Wi-Fi [1]

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Cloud Computing
Your notes
Cloud Computing
What is cloud storage?
Cloud storage is a term to describe long-term (secondary) storage of data that resides in a remote
location, accessible only via a wide area network (Internet)
Data is stored on remote servers, typically using magnetic storage (HDD), but increasingly using solid
state (SSD)
The three types of cloud storage are:
Public cloud - The customer and the cloud storage provider are different companies
Private cloud - The customer and the cloud storage provider are a single organisation
Hybrid cloud - Combines both public and private cloud options and allows for sensitive data to
remain private whilst providing public cloud services for less sensitive information

Advantages and disadvantages of cloud storage

Advantages Disadvantages

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Data can be accessed from anywhere A stable internet connection is required to

use cloud storage
Your notes
Data can be accessed by anyone with the relevant Storing data in the cloud may be
permissions, making it quick to share files and collaborate vulnerable to security breaches
with others

Data can be accessed on any device with an internet The user is dependent on the storage
connection provider for the availability and reliability
of its services

Allows customers to increase or decrease their storage Should the company dissolve or cease to
capacity as needed exist, all cloud data may be lost

Providers often use multiple servers to store and backup As the amount of storage or
data, reducing the risk of data loss due to hardware failure bandwidth required increases, the service
may become expensive over time

Providers offer advanced security features, such as data

encryption and multi-factor authentication multi-factor
authentication, to protect user data from unauthorised
access

There is no need to hire specialist staff as IT services being

provided by the cloud storage provider

Worked Example
Explain the difference between cloud storage and local storage
[2]
Answer
Cloud storage involves storing data on remote servers accessed via the internet [1]
While local storage refers to storing data on physical devices like hard drives or flash drives [1]

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Network Environments
Your notes
Internet
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a global network of networks
Internet, short for INTERconnected NETworks is multiple local area networks (LANs) connected to form
a large wide area network (WAN)
The Internet is the most well-known wide area network (WAN)
The Internet is used to provide connectivity to the World Wide Web

What is the World Wide Web?

The world wide web, or simply the web, is a collection of websites and web pages that are accessed
using the internet
It was created in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee, who envisioned it as a way to share and access information
on a global scale
The web consists of interconnected documents and multimedia files that are stored on web servers
around the world

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Web pages are accessed using a web browser, which communicates with web servers to retrieve and
display the content
Your notes
Intranet
What is an intranet?
An intranet is a network designed to work much like the internet, but operate only within a local area
network (LAN)
Intranets provide companies with a secure platform to share information and resources exclusively
with their employees
An intranet is a private network
Intranets sit behind a firewall to ensure security and that only authorised users can access it

Advantages of intranet over internet

Better bandwidth than the internet
Data is kept within the organisation
Less chance of hacking and attacks
Administrators can manage access to external sites and links

Extranet
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What is an extranet?
An extranet is an extension to an intranet that allows authorised access from outside of the local area Your notes
network
Once authenticated, users will have managed access to network resources and/or information
An extranet is useful for companies who want to provide access to:
Customers
Clients
Key stakeholders

Similarities between the internet, intranet and extranet are as:

They are all web based technologies
They allow users to access information remotely
They all use client server architecture
They all use security measures such as authentication and encryption
They all promote and facilitate information and resource sharing

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Worked Example
A company uses an Intranet. Explain what is meant by an Intranet Your notes
[2]
Answer
An Intranet is a private network that is accessible to employees of the organisation and not to
members of the public [1]
It provides employees access to company information and to share resources internally [1]

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Network Types
Your notes
What are the different types of networks?
A network is two of more devices connected together with the purpose of sharing resources
There are three types of networks
Local Area Networks (LANs)
Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)
Wide Area Networks (WANs)

Local Area Network (LAN)

What is a local area network?
A local area network (LAN) is a network which has a small geographical area (under 1 mile)
All of the hardware is owned by the company/organisation/household using it
LANs will use unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable, fibre optic cable or wireless connections (Wi-Fi)

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Your notes

Advantages and disadvantages of LANs

Advantages Disadvantages

Allows centralised management of updates, backups If hardware fails, the network may not function
and software installations properly or even at all

Can secure its devices with the use of firewalls, Networks are more prone to attacks than
antivirus software and other security features to standalone computers
prevent unauthorised access

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Allows users on the network to share resources such Access to data and peripherals can be slow
as printers and other peripherals depending on network traffic
Your notes
Allows the users of the network to collaborate and Require maintenance to ensure that software is
share files and folders up to date, upgrades and backups which can
be costly

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

What is a wireless local area network?
A wireless local area network is a local area network where devices connect to the network wirelessly
instead of using cables
Extra hardware, wireless access points (WAPs) or hotspots are connected to the network so that users
can connect using Wi-Fi

Advantages and disadvantages of WLANs

Advantages Disadvantages

Allows users to connect anywhere that is in the range of a Limited in their coverage and can be
Wireless Access Point (WAP) without the need for additional further affected by walls and other
hardware or wiring. structures

Can be used in a variety of environments both indoors and out Bandwidth speeds can become an
making them highly flexible issue in high traffic areas

Additional wireless access points can be added relatively easily Interference from other devices which
resulting in additional users being able to use the network or can affect performance and
increased network coverage connectivity

Access to peripherals such as printers Vulnerable to security threats due to

wireless signals being intercepted

Wide Area Network (WAN)

What is a wide area network?
A wide area network (WAN) is a network which has a large geographical area (over 1 mile)

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They are a collection of LANs joined together

The computers on a WAN are connected via routers Your notes
The hardware used to connect the networks together is not all owned by the
company/organisation/household using it.
For example, telephone lines owned by telecommunication companies
WANs will use fibre optic cable, telephone lines and satellite to connect the LANs together

Worked Example

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Give 2 reasons why a fitness centre may want to install a WLAN

[4] Your notes
Answer
The fitness centre may wish to install a WLAN for several reasons such as :
Customers can connect to their Wi-Fi and search for information such as class times etc [1]
will improve customer services [1]
Staff at the fitness centre will be able to access resources wirelessly such as printers [1]
allowing them to move freely around the centre [1]

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