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What are the main types of network, and how are they arranged and connected?

Network types (LAN, WAN, PAN), network topologies (bus, star, ring and mesh) and the hardware that connects a network.

A CCEA A-Level Digital Technology answer on computer networks: the types of network (LAN, WAN and PAN), the network topologies (bus, star, ring and mesh) with their advantages and disadvantages, and the hardware that connects a network.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.811 min answer

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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  1. What this dot point is asking
  2. Types of network
  3. Network topologies
  4. Network hardware
  5. Why networks matter in A2 1
  6. Try this

What this dot point is asking

CCEA wants you to know the types of network (LAN, WAN and PAN), the main network topologies (bus, star, ring and mesh) with their strengths and weaknesses, and the hardware that connects a network. Networks underpin the rest of A2 1, from databases to cloud computing.

Types of network

The key differences are scale and ownership. A LAN is small and owned by the organisation; a WAN spans cities or the globe and usually rents telecommunications links it does not own. A PAN is the smallest, centred on an individual.

Network topologies

  • Bus. Cheap and simple with little cabling, but the whole network fails if the backbone breaks, and performance drops as traffic rises because devices share one cable.
  • Star. A cable or device fault affects only that device, and performance is good, but the network depends on the central switch (a single point of failure) and uses more cable.
  • Ring. Data travels in one direction around the loop; a break in the ring can disrupt the network unless it is dual-ring.
  • Mesh. Many redundant paths make it very resilient (if one link fails, data is rerouted), which is why the internet is mesh-like, but full meshing is expensive in cabling and hardware.

Network hardware

The hardware that builds a network includes the network interface card (NIC) that connects each device, the switch that connects devices within a LAN and forwards data only to the intended recipient, the router that connects different networks together and routes data between them (for example a home LAN to the internet), and wireless access points that let devices join the network over Wi-Fi. Cabling and wireless media carry the signals, covered in the transmission dot point.

Why networks matter in A2 1

Almost every modern information system is networked: databases are accessed over a network, mobile and cloud services depend on WANs, and data protection law applies to data in transit. Understanding network types, topologies and hardware is the foundation for the protocols, transmission and security topics that follow.

Try this

Q1. State the type of network that connects a person's phone, watch and headphones. [1 mark]

  • Cue. A personal area network (PAN).

Q2. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of a star topology. [2 marks]

  • Cue. Advantage: a single cable fault affects only one device, and performance is good. Disadvantage: the network depends on the central switch (a single point of failure) and uses more cable.

Q3. Explain why a mesh topology is very resilient. [2 marks]

  • Cue. Devices have multiple redundant connections, so if one link fails, data is rerouted along another path and the network keeps working.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

CCEA A2 14 marksDistinguish between a LAN and a WAN, giving an example of each.
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Contrast the two on geographic scale and ownership, then give an example.

A local area network (LAN) connects devices over a small, single site such as a building or campus, and the cabling and equipment are usually owned by the one organisation. Example: the computers in a school or office connected together.

A wide area network (WAN) connects devices over a large geographic area, often using third-party telecommunications links the organisation does not own. Example: the internet, or a company's network linking offices in different cities.

Markers award marks for the scale contrast (small single site versus large geographic area), the ownership point, and a valid example of each. Saying a WAN is "just a bigger LAN" without the geographic and ownership distinction limits the marks.

CCEA A2 16 marksCompare the star and bus network topologies, giving one advantage and one disadvantage of each.
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Describe each topology's layout, then give a balanced advantage and disadvantage.

Star: every device connects to a central switch or hub. Advantage: if one cable or device fails, only that device is affected, so the rest of the network keeps working, and performance is good because there are no collisions on shared cable. Disadvantage: if the central device fails the whole network goes down, and it uses more cable.

Bus: all devices share a single backbone cable. Advantage: cheap and simple to set up with little cabling. Disadvantage: the whole network fails if the backbone breaks, and performance falls as traffic rises because devices share one cable and data can collide.

Markers award marks for each topology's layout, a valid advantage and a valid disadvantage. Mixing up the single-point-of-failure (central device for star, backbone for bus) loses marks.

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