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A university has buildings in two sites that are 5 miles apart - OCR - GCSE Computer Science - Question 7 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 7
A university has buildings in two sites that are 5 miles apart. (a) Describe the difference between a LAN and a WAN. (b) Site A has 4 classrooms. Site B has 2 clas... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A university has buildings in two sites that are 5 miles apart - OCR - GCSE Computer Science - Question 7 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
Describe the difference between a LAN and a WAN.
Answer
A Local Area Network (LAN) operates over a small geographical area, typically within a building or campus, providing high-speed connectivity with minimal delay. In contrast, a Wide Area Network (WAN) covers larger geographical distances, often connecting multiple LANs across cities or countries, resulting in potentially slower speeds due to the longer distances and additional routing requirements.
Step 2
Complete the network diagram for site A of the University.
Answer
The network diagram for Site A includes:
- Site A, Classroom 1 connected to the central switch.
- Site A, Classroom 2 connected to the central switch.
- Site A, Classroom 3 connected to the central switch.
- Site A, Classroom 4 connected to the central switch.
All classrooms are interconnected to the central switch, which in turn connects to the Internet for communication with Site B.
Step 3
Explain how each of the following can contribute to the performance of a network. Wifi frequency
Answer
Wifi frequency affects performance as higher frequencies (e.g., 5GHz) can carry more data per second than lower frequencies (e.g., 2.4GHz). However, 5GHz may have a shorter range, possibly limiting connectivity in larger areas.
Step 4
Explain how each of the following can contribute to the performance of a network. Interference
Answer
Interference from physical objects or electronic devices can disrupt Wi-Fi signals, leading to increased data loss and reduced quality of connection, ultimately affecting overall network performance.
Step 5
Explain how each of the following can contribute to the performance of a network. Number of concurrent users
Answer
The number of users connected to the network can limit bandwidth availability. More users sharing the same bandwidth can lead to congestion, increased data transmission times, and lower overall performance.
Step 6
Explain how each of the following can contribute to the performance of a network. Type of network traffic
Answer
Certain types of traffic, such as video streaming or large file transfers, consume more bandwidth than basic web browsing or text-based communications. Therefore, a network loaded with high-bandwidth traffic will perform worse, especially if the underlying infrastructure is limited.
Step 7
Identify one other factor that can contribute to the performance of a network.
Answer
Latency is another factor that affects network performance. It refers to the delay in data transmission across the network, which can hinder performance, especially for real-time applications like gaming or video conferencing.
Step 8
Describe how packet switching can be used when sending data from one site to the other.
Answer
Packet switching involves breaking down data into smaller packets, each sent independently over the best available routes across the network. At the destination, the packets are reassembled in the correct order. This method enhances efficiency as it allows multiple packets from different sources to travel through the network simultaneously, optimizing bandwidth use and reducing congestion.
Step 9
Describe the threat malware can pose to the university's network and give a prevention method that the university can use. Description
Answer
Malware can infiltrate the university's network, leading to data theft, system damage, or unauthorized access to sensitive information, significantly compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the network.
Step 10
Describe the threat malware can pose to the university's network and give a prevention method that the university can use. Prevention
Answer
To prevent malware attacks, the university should implement robust antivirus and anti-malware solutions across all devices, ensuring regular updates and scans to detect and eliminate potential threats.
Step 11
Describe the threat a brute force attack can pose to the university's network and give a prevention method that the university can use. Description
Answer
A brute force attack involves an attacker attempting multiple passwords or encryption keys to gain unauthorized access to the network. This can lead to significant breaches of sensitive data if successful.
Step 12
Describe the threat a brute force attack can pose to the university's network and give a prevention method that the university can use. Prevention
Answer
To prevent brute force attacks, the university should implement strong password policies, including complexity requirements and lockout mechanisms after a certain number of failed attempts, along with multi-factor authentication for additional security.
Step 13