Networks | OCR A-Level Computer Science (H446)

Networks

92 questions
8 subtopics
Component 01: Computer systems
Component 01

Networks is examined on component 01 of OCR Computer Science, Computer systems.

92 recall questions across 8 subtopics.

Sample questions from Networks

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Characteristics of networks, LANs and WANs, protocols and standards

Is the internet a LAN or a WAN?

Show the answer
The internet is the largest example of a wide area network - in fact a global collection of interconnected wide area networks. It spans the whole planet, no single organisation owns its infrastructure, and it exists to join together enormous numbers of separate networks including individual LANs.
Protocol layering and the TCP/IP stack

Which protocols operate at each layer of the TCP/IP stack?

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Application layer: HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, POP3, IMAP, and DNS queries. Transport layer: TCP and UDP. Network layer: IP, which carries the addressing and routing. Link layer: the technologies that move frames over the physical medium, such as Ethernet on cable and Wi-Fi over radio.

The 8 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
Characteristics of networks, LANs and WANs, protocols and standards	Recall questions on what makes a network, bandwidth and latency, protocols and standards, common internet protocols, error handling, open standards, LANs and WANs, the internet as a WAN, and wired and wireless LANs.	16
Protocol layering and the TCP/IP stack	Recall questions on protocol layering, the application, transport, internet and link layers of TCP/IP, what each layer adds, port numbers, IP and hardware addresses, TCP and UDP, encapsulation, and why layering eases maintenance.	14
DNS and the structure of the internet	Recall questions on the internet and the world wide web, the Domain Name System and its hierarchy, resolving a domain name, DNS caching and cache poisoning, authoritative name servers, and the role of ISPs and the backbone.	9
Packet and circuit switching	Recall questions on packets and their headers, packet switching and circuit switching compared, out-of-order and lost packets, variable latency, why packet switching suits data traffic, when circuits are better, and hop limits.	11
Network security and threats	Recall questions on confidentiality, integrity and availability, viruses, worms and trojans, phishing, denial of service, brute force, packet sniffing, man in the middle attacks, unpatched software, insiders, and layered defences.	10
Firewalls, proxies and encryption	Recall questions on firewalls, packet filtering and stateful inspection, proxy servers, what encryption achieves, symmetric and asymmetric keys, certificates in HTTPS, what each measure does not protect against, and default-deny rules.	12
Network hardware	Recall questions on network interface cards, hubs, switches and routers, wireless access points, modems, twisted pair, coaxial and fibre optic cable, MAC and IP addresses, and choosing hardware for a small office.	11
Client-server and peer to peer	Recall questions on client-server and peer to peer networks, how each works, when each is the right choice, why peer to peer downloads speed up with more users, and evaluating a move from peer to peer to client-server.	9

Networks is 92 of the 1,549 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £9

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.