What are the main types of network, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of networking?
Describe LANs and WANs, wired and wireless connections, and explain the benefits and drawbacks of connecting computers in a network.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on types of network, covering LANs and WANs, wired versus wireless connections, and the benefits and drawbacks of networking computers.
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC asks you to define the two main scales of network, the LAN and the WAN, to distinguish wired from wireless connections, and to weigh up why an organisation would network its computers against the problems that brings. The benefits-and-drawbacks question is a frequent exam form, so you need balanced, explained points rather than a one-sided list.
What a network is
The starting definition underpins the rest of the topic.
LAN and WAN
Networks are classified mainly by the geographical area they cover.
Wired and wireless
Within a network, connections are made in one of two ways.
The choice is a trade-off: a desktop in a fixed location may be wired for speed, while a phone or laptop uses Wi-Fi for mobility.
Benefits and drawbacks of networking
This balanced evaluation is the headline exam skill for the dot point.
The main benefits are sharing files and hardware, central backup and management, and communication between users. The main drawbacks are a single point of failure, the spread of malware, security risks from more access points, and the cost of equipment and management.
The internet as the biggest WAN
It is worth being clear how the internet fits this classification. The internet is the largest WAN of all: a global network connecting countless smaller networks together. A home or school LAN connects to the internet through a router, so local devices can reach websites and services around the world. This is why the LAN-WAN distinction matters in practice: your devices talk to each other quickly over the local LAN, while reaching anything outside means sending data across the wider WAN. Many organisations also run a private WAN to link their own sites securely, separate from the public internet. Placing the internet correctly as a WAN, not a LAN, is a point examiners often check.
Why this matters
Almost every organisation networks its computers, so understanding the LAN-WAN distinction and the wired-wireless trade-off explains how homes, schools and businesses are connected, and leads directly into network hardware and the internet. The balanced evaluation skill, weighing convenience and sharing against security and reliability, recurs throughout the course, especially in the cyber security topic where the very connectivity that brings benefits also creates risk.
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-style2 marksState what is meant by a LAN and a WAN, giving an example of each.Show worked answer →
A LAN (Local Area Network) connects devices over a small geographical area, such as a single building or site; an example is a school network or a home network.
A WAN (Wide Area Network) connects devices over a large geographical area, often using third-party infrastructure; the internet is the largest example, or a company linking offices in different cities.
Markers award one mark for the LAN definition with a correct scale/example and one mark for the WAN definition with a correct scale/example. The key contrast is the geographical size covered.
WJEC-style4 marksDiscuss two benefits and two drawbacks of connecting a company's computers in a network rather than using stand-alone machines.Show worked answer →
Benefits: files and resources such as printers can be shared, saving cost and avoiding duplicate copies; and data can be backed up centrally and users can log in from any machine, which is convenient and consistent.
Drawbacks: if the network or central server fails, many users are affected at once; and a network is more vulnerable to the spread of malware and to unauthorised access, so it needs security and management.
Markers award one mark for each valid benefit and each valid drawback, up to four marks. Strong answers explain the consequence, not just name the point, for example linking sharing to cost saving and a server failure to widespread disruption.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology specification — WJEC (2021)
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Unit 1 guide — WJEC (2020)