1 (a) Telephone calls can be made by using: J15/P12/5

• conventional telephones (using the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN) system) over a wired network
• a computer, equipped with speakers and microphone, connected to the Internet
Put a tick ( ) in the correct column to match each description to the appropriate communication method.

√
√
√
√
√
(b) Distinguish between the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW)[3].
-Internet is a network of networks spread over large geographical areas which uses TCP/IP
-World Wide Web (www) is a collection of (multimedia) web pages stored on websites which makes use of http protocol
used to transmit data. URLs specify the location of the web pages
(c) Name the hardware device that is being described:
(i) A device that transfers data from one network to another in an intelligent way. It has the task of forwarding
data packets to their destination by the most efficient route.
Router
(ii) A device used between two dissimilar LANs. The device is required to convert data packets from one protocol to
another.
Gateway
(iii) A device or software that provides a specific function for computers using a network. The most common examples
handle printing, file storage and the delivery of web pages.
Server
2 (a) Explain the difference between the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet. J16/13/6
-WWW is a collection of interlinked hypertext documents resources accessed via the Internet whereas Internet
is the global connection of interconnected computer networks
-The Internet uses TCP/IP protocol whereas WWW uses http protocols to transmit data

-A live stream of an event that is currently taking place for real-time whereas On-demand streaming of an
event that has taken place in the past
-Real time is when the event is captured live with a video camera connected to a computer whereas on-
demand is when existing media are encoded to bit streaming format and uploaded to a server
-Real-time streaming cannot be paused whereas on-demand streaming can be paused , re-wound or fast
forwarded
(d) A device needs an IP address to connect to the Internet. IPv4 is the more common type of IP
address. Describe, using an example, the format of an IPv4 address.
IPv4 address consists of 4 octets, each is of one byte in length, ranging from 0-255. e.g 10.11.12.13
 (e) A computer user keys in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a web page into a web browser.
Describe how the browser uses the Domain Name Service (DNS) to display the web page.
-The browser software passes the URL to the nearest Domain Name Server (DNS)
-The DNS stores a list of Domain Names and matching IP addresses and resolves the URL.
-If URL is found then the corresponding IP address is returned to the browser
-If not found, the request is forwarded to another higher level DNS
-The browser uses the IP address to request the required web page from the web server
-The web server retrieves the page and delivers it to the browser
-The browser software loads the webpage and displays the web page

3 (a) Explain the term bit streaming. N15/13/1

It refers to a sequence of bits sent at high speed in a compressed form over the Internet that can be displayed
in real time on the user’s computer.
(b) A person watches a film streamed from a website on a tablet computer.
(i) Give two benefits of using bit streaming for this purpose.
-no need to wait for a whole file to be downloaded
-no need to store large films on user’s computer
-allows on-demand playback of films
-no specialist software is required for playback in browser
(ii) State two potential problems of using bit streaming for this purpose.
-video hangs if the broadband speed is very low
-video hangs if buffering capacity is inadequate
-loss of Internet connection means the film cannot be accessed
-viruses can be downloaded from the websites
(c) Explain the terms on-demand bit streaming and real-time bit streaming.
On-demand : -video files are uploaded to a dedicated server and a link for the video is placed on a web site
-a user clicks on the link to download the encoded streaming video
-the streamed video is then broadcasted to the user as and when they require it

real-time : -an event is captured live with a video camera

-the video signal is converted to streaming media files on the computer
-the video is then uploaded from the computer to a dedicated server via a high-speed internet connection
-the server then sends the live images it to all users requesting it as real-time video streaming
4 A company operates a chemical plant, which has a number of processes. Local computers monitor
these processes and collect data. The computers transfer these data to a central computer 50 km away.
A telecommunications company (telco) provides cables. Engineers at the telco had to decide which type
of cable to use. They considered the use of either copper cable or fibre optic cable. N15/13/6
State two benefits of each type of cable. Each benefit must be clearly different.
Benefits of copper cable
-It is less expensive to install
-It is easier to install because it is more flexible
-It is easier to make terminations using copper cabling
Benefits of fibre optic cable
-It has greater bandwidth
-It need less signal boosting thus it can transmit over longer distances
-It has greater security as it is more difficult to “tap” into
-It is immune to electromagnetic and other effects
-It is lighter in weight (easier to install)
-It consume less power
5 J18/11/1
6 Access to World Wide Web content uses IP addressing. J16/12/7
(a) State what IP stands for. Internet Protocol

Invalid 6AA and BBBB is greater than FF

Valid All octets are within 0-255

Invalid 3rd octet (257) is greater than 255

Invalid 4th octet(J8) as J is not a hex value

(c) Describe two differences between public and private IP addresses.

-Public address can be reached across the Internet whereas private address can only be reached internally
-Network Address Translation is necessary only for a private IP address to access the Internet directly.
-A private address is more secure than a public address as a private IP address cannot be accessed directly from
the Internet
-Public addresses are provided by ISP whereas private addresses are assigned by the router
-Public addresses are unique to the Internet whereas private addresses can be duplicated within other LANs
7 (a) An IP address has the following value: N15/12/9
11.64.255.90
(i) Write the above IP address in hexadecimal. 0B . 4 0 . F F . 5 A Don’t forget to put dots and leading 0s!
(ii) Explain the format of an IP address.
-It consists of 4 octets with each 8 bits in size , representing 32 bits
-It consists of a network ID and a host ID
-The range for each octet ,in denary, is 0-255 No need to explain the use of IP
(b) Study the following sentence:
“When a user enters a URL into their web browser, the DNS service locates the required resource.”
Explain how a URL and DNS are used to locate a resource. [4]
-Browser software sends URL (Uniform Resource Locator ) to DNS (Domain Name Server)
-The URL is resolved into an IP address by DNS by checking database of URLs with matching IP address
-A DNS server may need to pass a request onto another DNS server
-DNS server adds returned IP address and URL to its cache
-DNS server may return an error message if requested domain name is invalid or does not exist
-DNS server returns IP address to browser
8 N15/13/3
(b) Consider the URL:
http://cie.org.uk/computerscience.html
(i) Give the meaning of the following parts of the URL.
http enables browser to know which protocol is being used to access information in the domain
cie.org.uk cie.org.uk is the domain name being accessed
computerscience.html actual web page on the domain
(ii) Sometimes the URL contains the characters %20 and ?.
Describe the function of these characters.
%20 <space> is not allowed in a URL, %20 is the coding for a space
? separates the URL from all parameters or variables

9 Downloading a file from a website is an example of a client-server application. J17/12/6

(a) Describe what is meant by the term client-server for this application.
-At least one computer (web server hosting website) is used to provide the required file to other computers(clients) via
browsers

E D F B
10 (a) (i) Describe what is meant by a client-server model of networked computers. N15/13/7
-At least one computer (server) is used to provide services and applications to other computers(clients)
(ii) Give two benefits of using the client-server model.
-All the files are stored at the same place. Management of files becomes easy and it is easier to find files.
-Changes can be made easily by just upgrading the server - New resources and systems can be added
-Servers can play different roles for different clients
-As all the data is stored on server its easy to make a back-up of it.
-Resources and data can easily be shared Not information

Router / Gateway

5
1
3
4
2
 11 A college has a client-server network. J18/11/5
(a) The college has a file server and other servers.
State the purpose of two other servers in the college network
-Domain controller server: This server is used for the management of user accounts(IDs and passwords) such as T and S.
-Email server: This server is used for storing, receiving and sending emails for the teaching staff.
-Print server: this server manages print jobs from network teaching client computers.
-Database server: this server manages a college database management system(DBMS) such as MySQL.
-Web server: this server manages pages available from a college website.

-Internet is a network of networks spread over large geographical areas which uses TCP/IP whereas World Wide Web
(www) is a collection of (multimedia) web pages stored on websites which makes use of http protocol used to transmit
data. URLs specify the location of the web pages
(c) Students use the college’s learning resource website. Several of the web pages include PHP script.
Describe the sequence of events when a student requests a web page with embedded server-side code.
-The user types the URL of the desired website and the web page is requested from the web server
-The server finds the web page
-This web page contains a server-side script, the script is executed on the server
-The web server renders the page content as HTML and text only.
-The customized web page is returned to the browser as plain HTML.
12 J15/33/2

13

J16/32/1
(c) Computer A starts transmitting a packet to Computer C. At exactly the same time, the File
server starts transmitting a packet to Computer D. This causes a problem.
(i) State the name given to this problem. Collision
(ii) Give three steps taken by both Computer A and the File server to allow them to transmit their
packets successfully
-when a collision is detected, both computer A and file server stops transmission
-Each waits a random time before trying again
-After expiry of random time, each computer tries to re-transmit
(d) Adding a switch to the LAN changes its topology. Explain how the use of a switch removes the
problem identified in part (c)(i).
-A star topology is created where each port of the switch connecting to a single device via a dedicated cable
-There are dedicated links between devices thus collisions are no longer possible
14 J18/33/3

(a) (i) State one benefit and one drawback of the star topology
-signals from any device only go to destination therefore it is more secure
-Easy to connect, remove, troubleshoot nodes or devices
-Centralised management helps in monitoring the network.
-Failure of one node or link doesn’t affect the rest of network.
-Performance does not degenerate under load

-If central device fails then whole network goes down.

-Performance is dependent on capacity of central device
(ii) State one benefit and one drawback of the bus topology.
-easier to set-up and extend.
-less cable is required

-difficult to detect and troubleshoot fault at an individual station.

-efficiency reduces as the number of devices connected to it increases due to number of collisions
-security is lower because several computers receive the sent signal from the source.
1 X sends a connection request to Y.
2 Computer Y sends ready or busy signal.
3 If busy, X waits and then resends the
connection request to Computer Y.
4 D
5 A
6 C
7 B
15
N16/32/6

Router /Switch /Bridge

(ii) Explain how the device in part (c)(i) decides whether to transfer a packet from one network to the other.
Router uses IP addresses in making decisions where to route data by using its routing table
Routing table has entry for associated network ID

Switch /Bridge make use of MAC addresses to redirect/reject the packet

MAC address table is created as packets are sent and received
16

N17/32/1

(c) The user on Computer A and the user on Computer B are both using the Internet at the same time. On a few
occasions, Computer A and Computer B start transmitting packets to the router at exactly the same time. This causes
a problem called a collision.
(i) Explain what is meant by a collision in this context
-Only one transmission is allowed on the bus at any one time, the two packets from A and B cannot both use the bus at
the same time.
(ii) As a result of the collision, both Computer A and Computer B stop transmitting. Computer A must carry out a
number of steps to ensure the successful transmission of its packet.
Give two of the steps.
-Wait for a random time and then check whether the bus is idle for transmission
(d) The LAN topology is redesigned.
(i) Describe the changes that could be made to the LAN topology to overcome the problem identified in part (c).
-Star topology where each device has its own dedicated line to the server
-Ring topology where the use of tokens is transmitted from device to device in one direction
(ii) Explain how the redesign has overcome the problem.
-No collisions as each device has its own cable to the server
-No collisions as tokens are being transmitted in one direction only
N17/33/1
17
(c) The LAN shown in part (a) will be connected to the Internet.
(i) A router will be attached to one of the devices on the LAN. State the device used. Give a reason for your choice.
Server : It can provide a software firewall which can check all internet traffic
Switch : Internet traffic bypasses the server therefore server is not overloaded with internet traffic
(ii) Explain why a router is required.
-Router acts as gateway as the LAN and the Internet are two different networks which are operating on different protocols
-Router forwards packets between networks
-Router has a public IP address and it holds a list of private IP addresses.
-Router translates private IP addresses to public IP addresses and vice versa (NAT)
(iii) After the router has been connected, Computer A sends several packets to an internet web server.
Explain how the packets are transmitted from the router to the web server.
-Each packet has the IP address of the web server address No need to state NAT
-The routers on the Internet make use of routing tables to forward packets towards destination web server
-Packets can take different routes from source to destination and they are reassembled in order at the web server
18 (a) A network can be set up using a star topology. N18/32/2
Give three features of a star topology.
-Each node is connected to the central device
-Each node has a dedicated connection to the central device
-Each connection must be bidirectional
19 A local college has CSMA/CD in operation on its Local Area Network (LAN). N18/33/3
(a) One function of CSMA/CD is to monitor traffic on the network.
State two other tasks performed by CSMA/CD.
-to detect a collision on the network
-to halt transmissions when a collision occurs
-to calculate random wait time
-to allow retransmission after a random amount of time
20 Devices connected to the Internet have IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. J19/11/1
(a) Three IPv4 addresses are given.
Circle either Valid or Invalid to indicate whether each address is valid or invalid. Explain your decision.
Address 1: 3A.21.2H.1 Valid / Invalid
Explanation H is not a valid hexadecimal digit from the 3rd octet

Address 2: 299.53.2.2 Valid / Invalid

Explanation The value 299 from the 1st octet is exceeding the max value 255

Address 3: 192.2.1.0 Valid / Invalid

Explanation It consists of 4 octets , with values between 0-225 , separated by , [3]

(b) A website can be accessed using either the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or the IP address.
Describe how a URL is converted into its matching IP address.
-The browser software passes the URL to the nearest Domain Name Server (DNS)
-The DNS stores a list of Domain Names and matching IP addresses and resolves the URL.
-If URL is found then the corresponding IP address is returned to the browser
-If not found, the request is forwarded to another higher level DNS
-If the Domain name is finally not found, an error message is generated
 Real-time

On-demand

(d) A recording of a concert is stored as a file. The file is compressed using lossy compression before it is
streamed to users.
(i) State why this file needs to be compressed.
The compressed recording will take less time to upload and download.
(ii) Define the term lossy compression
lossy compression make decision about what parts of the file can be discarded. It does not allow the original file to be re-
created exactly.
(iii) The file could be compressed using lossless compression.
Explain why lossy compression is a more appropriate compression technique than lossless for this file.
Lossy creates a smaller file than lossless as the recording of the concert is a large file size which needs a significant
reduction in size. It removes detail which can be lost without people noticing

21 Computers on the Internet have IP addresses. J19/12/1

(a) IP addresses can be in either IPv4 or IPv6 format.
(i) Give an example of a valid IPv4 address. 192.152.25.25
(ii) State why there is a need for IPv6 addressing.
The total number of possible IP addresses with IPv4 is not enough for the total number of IP addresses required

(iii) A computer’s IPv6 address is: C100:2235::1000:25AA:AA50

Explain why this IPv6 address would be an invalid IPv4 address.
-Too many digits per group , too many groups of digits
-The address is more than 32 bits
-Colons are used as separators
(b) A company has computers in two separate buildings that communicate using the Internet over a Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN).
(i) Describe the transmission of data using a PSTN.
-The PSTN consists of many different types of communication lines.
-Data is transmitted in both directions at the same time (duplex data transmission)
-The communication passes through different switching centres
(ii) The company wants to install a dedicated line between the two buildings.
Identify one benefit and one drawback of installing a dedicated line between the two buildings

-It allows a faster transmission of data

-More consistent transmission speed is available
-Improved security as the line is not shared

-Expensive to set-up and maintain

-Disruption to the dedicated line would cause serious disruptions to communications
(c) A network can use routers and gateways.
Explain the role of routers and gateways in a network.
Router:
-Connects two or more networks
-Receives packets and forwards towards the destination using the IP address of the destination
-Performs the network translation from public IP to private IP addresses and vice versa.
-Operates between similar networks using the same protocol
-Can be used to segment a network

Gateway:
-Connects two dissimilar networks that use different protocols
-verifies the authentication of usernames and passwords.
(d) The company has an email server.
Identify three other types of server. Domain controller server, File server, CD-ROM server, database server , print server
22 Cables connect the computers in a university admissions department in a star topology. The server room J19/33/2
contains the server and printer for the employees to use. The department has three employees. Each employee has a
computer connected to the star network.
(a) (i) Draw a diagram to show this topology

Note: 2-way transmission for each cable

(ii) Explain the benefits to the admissions department of using a star topology.
-Personal data used by admissions department is kept secure as the transmissions only go between server and device
-A new device/employee can be easily added to the network as only one connection direct to server needs setting up
-If one node or link fails, the other employees can continue working / the rest of network is unaffected
-If the department has a range of different devices ,they can all operate at different speeds or with different protocols
(b) Each department of the university has its own network. All the department networks connect to the university’s main
Local Area Network (LAN). The LAN has a bus topology and uses the CSMA/CD protocol.
Describe the CSMA/CD protocol
It stands for Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
-Each device on the network is connected to a common communications channel, and any device can use the channel at any
time.
-If one device has data to send to another device and the channel is clear, it will transmit the data
-If the channel is busy, the device waits until it is clear before trying to transmit.
-If by chance, two or more devices try to transmit at the same moment, the signals will collide. The collision is detected, and
all devices stop transmission, and after a random waiting period, one of the devices will try to transmit again.
(c) Explain how the following devices are used to support the university LAN
(i) Router
It allows internal connections between the university LANs and allows external connection from the main LAN

(ii) Network Interface Card (NIC)

It provides each device with a unique MAC address to uniquely identify it on the network

(iii) Wireless Access Point

It allows the devices to connect to the LAN via radio communication instead of using a cable
23 Customers of a bank can access their account information by logging in on the bank’s website. N19/11/4
(a) The bank has a client-server model of networked computers.
(i) Describe, using the bank as an example, the key features of a client-server model.[3]
-The bank's server holds the customer account data and performs the requested tasks.
-The computers used by the customers are the clients that send requests to the server which returns the results of
the request. e.g a customer asks for a list of recent transactions on their account
(ii) Give two other examples of applications that can use the client-server model.[2]
-Use of email , Point of sale terminals , Use of a print server in a LAN
(b) The bank is upgrading its local area network (LAN) copper cables to fibre-optic cables.
(i) State two benefits to the bank of upgrading to fibre-optic cable from copper cable.[2]
-Less interference in the signal
-The signal does not degrade as quickly
-More secure as it is more difficult to hack
-Faster transmission speeds possible
(ii) State two drawbacks of upgrading to fibre-optic cables. [2]
-Initial installation cost is higher than cabling
-Need for trained personnel
-Electronics at both ends are more complex
-Fibres can break when bent
24 Dominic sends his videos to his colleagues over the Internet using bit streaming. N19/12/6(e)
(i) Describe how the video is sent using bit streaming. [4]
It refers to a sequence of bits sent at high speed in a compressed form over the Internet that can be displayed in real time
on the user’s computer. The downloaded data is sent to a buffer to ensure smooth playback of the media files

(ii) Circle either Real-time or on-demand to identify whether the video will be sent using real-time or on-demand bit
streaming. Justify your choice. [2]
Real-time / on-demand
-The video does not need to be broadcast live as the video is already recorded
-Dominic’s colleagues will watch the video at a later date at their convenience
25 A computing department in a school has a Local Area Network (LAN) with a bus topology. N19/32/3
(a) A description of sending a message on a bus network is given.
Complete the following description by inserting an appropriate term in each space.
Computer 1 and Computer 2 are on the same bus network. Computer 1 sends a message to Computer 2. Before the
packets
message is sent, it is split into ................................................ carrier
. Computer 1 needs to check that the .......................................
collision
is free, before sending the message, otherwise a ................................................ will occur that will be managed by the
CSMA/CD
................................................ protocol. [4]

(b) The computing department’s LAN needs to connect to the Internet.

Explain how each device is used in the operation of the bus network.
Router , Network Interface Card (NIC) [4]

-A router contains a routing table and it holds the private IP / MAC addresses of the devices on the bus
-It provides the public IP address for the network by acting as the NAT
-It forwards packets to the correct IP / MAC address

A NIC has a unique MAC address to identify a device and it provides a hardware interface between a computer
and a network
 (c) The computing department’s network is being adapted to allow students to connect wireless devices.
(i) Identify two types of hardware components the computing department will need to allow wireless connection.[2]
-Wireless Access Points
-Wireless Network Interface Card
-Wireless Router

(ii) Describe how the wireless connection sends and receives data.[4]
On Sending the data, WIFI encrypts the data and encodes the data into analogue signal. It listens for other radio signals and
broadcasts when quiet using an antenna. The WIFI is constantly checking analogue signals using an antenna. On detecting a
signal, It checks whether it is for that device. If so, it decodes the signal and decrypts the data.

Q26.
(a) An IP address is 199.125.140.0, the LAN is to be divided into subnets of usable 28 hosts. State the number of
subnets, network ID and broadcast ID for each subnet and the subnet mask.
No of host bits : 2h -2 >= 28
2h >= 30
therefore h = 5 bits, no of bits for network = 8-5=3

No of subnets = 2^3 = 8
Subnet mask = 11111111. 11111111. 11111111.11100000
=255.255.255.224

Network ID Broadcast ID (each subnet has 256/8 = 32 hosts)

199.125.140.0 199.125.140.31
199.125.140.32 199.125.140.63
199.125.140.64 199.125.140.95
199.125.140.96 199.125.140.127
199.125.140.128 199.125.140.159
199.125.140.160 199.125.140.191
199.125.140.192 199.125.140.223
199.125.140.224 199.125.140.255
(b) An IP address is 225.145.40.0, the LAN is to be divided into 4 subnets. State the number of available hosts and
usable hosts per subnet , network ID and broadcast ID for each subnet and the subnet mask.
No of network bits : 2n >= 4
therefore n = 2 bits, no of bits for host ID = 8-2=6

Subnet mask = 11111111. 11111111. 11111111.11000000

=255.255.255.192
No of available hosts per subnet = 2^6 = 64 hosts No of usable hosts per subnet= 64 -2=62
Network ID Broadcast ID (each subnet has 256/4 = 64 hosts)
255.145.40.0 255.145.40.63
255.145.40.64 255.145.40.127
255.145.40.128 255.145.40.191
255.145.40.192 255.145.40.255
(c) Given an IP address of 197.170.10.200 and subnet mask of 255.255.255.224, find how many networks, how many
hosts for each network and state the network ID and broadcast ID for the given IP address.
Subnet mask =255.255.255.224
11111111. 11111111. 11111111.11100000
Therefore no of network bits = 3 , host bits = 5
No of subnets = 2^3 = 8 No of hosts per subnet =2^5=32 No of usable hosts per subnet= 32-2 = 30

Network ID for IP address 197.170.10.200

197.170.10.200 AND 255.255.255.224
11000101.10101010.00001010.11001000
11111111. 11111111. 11111111 .11100000
11000101.10101010.00001010.11000000 = 197.170.10.192 Next network ID = 192+32 = 224
Broadcast ID = 223
Therefore IP address 197.170.10.200 has network ID 197.170.10.192 and broadcast ID 197.170.10.223
(d) An CIDR IP address 200.192.140.120/27, state the following subnet mask, valid hosts per subnet, number of
subnets, network ID and broadcast ID for this IP address.
No of network bits = 27-24 = 3

Subnet mask = 11111111. 11111111. 11111111.11100000

=255.255.255.224

Therefore no of network bits = 3 , host bits = 5

No of subnets = 2^3 = 8 No of hosts per subnet =2^5=32 No of valid hosts per subnet= 32-2 = 30

Network ID for IP address 200.192.140.120

200.192.140.120 AND 255.255.255.224 = 200.192.140.96 Next network ID = 96+32 = 128

4th octet Broadcast ID = 127

01111000
11100000
01100000=96

Therefore IP address 200.192.140.120 has network ID 200.192.140.96 and broadcast ID 200.192.140.127