What is the difference between a LAN and a WAN, and how do the bus, star and mesh topologies compare?
LANs and WANs and the benefits and drawbacks of networking, and the bus, star and mesh network topologies with their advantages and disadvantages.
An Eduqas GCSE Computer Science answer on LANs and WANs, the benefits and drawbacks of networking, and the bus, star and mesh topologies with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to distinguish a LAN from a WAN, state the benefits and drawbacks of networking computers, and compare the bus, star and mesh topologies, giving advantages and disadvantages of each. The LAN-versus-WAN contrast and the topology comparisons are recurring Component 1 questions.
LANs and WANs
The benefits and drawbacks of networking
Network topologies
Try this
Q1. State one difference between a LAN and a WAN. [1 mark]
- Cue. A LAN covers a small area owned by one organisation; a WAN covers a large area and often uses third-party infrastructure.
Q2. Give one benefit of networking computers. [1 mark]
- Cue. Sharing files, an internet connection or peripherals (or central backup).
Q3. State one disadvantage of a bus topology. [1 mark]
- Cue. A break in the backbone cable stops the whole network (or performance drops as devices are added).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas Component 1, 20224 marksExplain the difference between a LAN and a WAN, giving an example of each.Show worked answer →
LAN (up to 2 marks): a Local Area Network covers a small geographical area such as a single building or site, and is usually owned and managed by one organisation. Example: a school or home network.
WAN (up to 2 marks): a Wide Area Network covers a large geographical area such as a country or the world, often using infrastructure (leased lines, fibre) owned by third parties. Example: the internet, or a bank linking its branches.
Markers reward the geographical-area contrast and the ownership point, plus a sensible example of each. Saying "a WAN is just a big LAN" without the ownership/infrastructure detail is weak.
Eduqas Component 1, 20234 marksCompare the star and bus topologies, giving one advantage of each.Show worked answer →
Star (advantage, up to 2): every device connects to a central switch, so if one cable fails only that device is affected, and faults are easy to isolate; performance stays good as devices are added.
Bus (advantage, up to 2): all devices share a single backbone cable, so it uses less cabling and is cheaper and simpler to set up for a small network.
A full-mark answer contrasts them: the star is more reliable but needs more cable and depends on the central switch; the bus is cheap but a backbone fault stops the whole network and performance drops as traffic rises. Markers reward a clear advantage tied to each topology.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE Computer Science specification (from 2016) — Eduqas (2020)