What hardware connects a network, and how is data transmitted across it?
The hardware needed for networking (network interface card, switch, router, transmission media), wired versus wireless connections, bandwidth, and how data is sent in packets.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Computer Science Unit 1 content on network hardware and data transmission, covering the network interface card, switch and router, wired versus wireless connections, transmission media, the meaning of bandwidth, and how data is broken into packets to be sent across a network.
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What this topic is asking
WJEC wants you to know the hardware needed to build a network (the NIC, switch and router), the difference between wired and wireless connections, what bandwidth is, and how data is sent in packets. This is part of the Communication content in Unit 1 of WJEC GCSE Computer Science (3500).
Network hardware
Wired and wireless connections
Bandwidth
Sending data in packets
Try this
Q1. State the purpose of a switch. [1 mark]
- Cue. To connect devices within a LAN and forward data only to the device it is intended for.
Q2. Give one advantage of a wired connection over wireless. [1 mark]
- Cue. It is generally faster, more reliable and more secure.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC-style Unit 14 marksDescribe the purpose of a network interface card (NIC), a switch and a router.Show worked answer →
A Unit 1 network-hardware question. A network interface card (NIC) is the hardware that connects an individual device to a network and gives it the ability to send and receive data, and it has a unique MAC address (1 mark). A switch connects devices together within a LAN and forwards data only to the specific device it is meant for, using MAC addresses, which is more efficient than sending to all (1 mark). A router connects different networks together and directs (routes) data between them, for example connecting a home or school LAN to the internet (1 mark, plus 1 mark for a clear distinction between the switch working within a network and the router working between networks). Markers reward the distinct role of each device. A common error is to swap the switch and router, or to say a switch connects to the internet.
WJEC-style Unit 13 marksExplain what bandwidth is and how breaking data into packets helps it travel across a network.Show worked answer →
A Unit 1 transmission question. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted over a connection in a given time, usually measured in bits per second; higher bandwidth means more data can be sent per second (1 mark). Data is broken into small packets, each carrying part of the data plus addressing information (1 mark). Packets can travel independently and take different routes across the network, and they are reassembled at the destination, which makes efficient use of the network and means one lost packet can be resent without re-sending everything (1 mark). Markers reward the definition of bandwidth and a sensible benefit of packets. A common error is to define bandwidth as speed of a single bit rather than data per second.
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