Cambridge International AS & A Level Computer Science

Chapter 2 Student Book Answers

What you should already know
1 a) i) MAC address
 A unique number that identifies a device connected to the internet.
 It can be a physical or virtual address.
 A MAC address is usually fixed.
IP address
 When a device connects to the internet it is given an IP address.
 An IP address is usually unique for a particular session.
 It’s format is xx.xx.xx.xx.
b)
 A MAC address identifies a device (usually NIC contains the address).
 An IP address is the location of the device on the internet.
 A MAC address and IP address operate on different layers of the internet protocol.
 A MAC address identifies machines on layer 2.
 An IP address are used on layer 3.
 Even if a computer has an IP address it still needs a MAC address to find other
devices which may be on same network.
c)
 An ISP is a company that provides services to access and use the internet.
 The company will charge a fee for the service provided.
 An ISP has equipment and telecommunication lines to allow internet connection.
 An ISP provides user with an IP address when connecting to the internet.
d)
 An internet (web) browser is software application for accessing information on the
World Wide Web
 An internet browser allows user to view pages on different websites.
 They allow location of websites by typing in the URL in the address bar.
2 Advantages
 NIC/WNIC cards
 network cabling to connect up computers and devices
 switches/hubs to connect devices to form a network
Disadvantages
 router required if internet/external networks need to be accessed
 firewall if any external links exist
 servers to manage security, store common software/files, manage printer queues
 setting up privileges to allow access to user areas
 web browser and ISP if internet connection needed
3 a)
   
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 They will require software to enable WiFi if accessing internet via wireless router.
 Most devices will need a cell net provider (3G, 4G, 5G) and web browser.
b) Advantages
 very small therefore very likely to be carrying it all the time
 can also make calls or access internet on the move
 can be used anywhere since they don’t need to be near a router.
Disadvantages
 small screens can make reading web pages more difficult and more difficult to navigate
 small/virtual keyboards can make typing slower and more error prone
 web browsers (etc.) can drain the battery quickly
 small memory size (most don’t allow memory expansion)
 not all webpage features are compatible with smartphone OS
 data transfer rates can be relatively slow.

Activity 2A
1 Client-server network
 Works well with a small group of workers doing research.
 It is possible to control network resources with good network security (essential when doing
research).
 It is also important that data needs to be backed up on a central server so that all researchers
have access to the latest developments and data.
2 Peer-to-peer network
 Group of consultants is probably small but it all depends on how secure the data needs to be.
 If it is essential that it needs to be very secure, then they may need to consider client-server
networks instead
(Note: as long as the chosen network can be fully justified, there is often more than one possible
answer to the question).

Activity 2B
1 a) LAN:
 Are networks that cover small geographical areas, for example, a building.
 A typical LAN will consist of a number of computers and devices connected by
hubs/switches.
WAN:
 Is a network which covers very large geographical area (e.g. whole country or continents).
 Wans are formed from connecting number of LANs together by routers/gateways.
 Due to vast distances, they use public communication links (such as telephone lines and/or
satellites).
MAN:
 Is a network that covers smaller geographical area than a WAN.
 They often connect devices in a number of buildings within a city (e.g. a university
campus).
b) Benefits:
 sharing of resources such as printers
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 software licence for all the computers on a network is usually cheaper than licences for the
same number of stand-alone computers
 ability to share files leads to more consistent/reliable data since all data accessed from a
central server
 use of a network manager to ensure security and access rights and also to control external
links to, for example, the internet.
c) i) Thick client – a computer that doesn’t rely on processing being done by a server or other
computer; can operate online or offline.
ii) Thin client – a device needing access to the network for it to work e.g. a POS terminal at a
supermarket; depends on a more powerful computer to do the processing.
2 a) i) bus

(ii) star

iii) mesh

b) Bus
Advantages Disadvantages
 easier to expand network  failure of main cable results in
 requires less cabling. failure of whole network
 not very good under heavy load.
 
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Star
Advantages Disadvantages
 easier to upgrade  if the central hub/switch fails, then
 if one node or link fails, then the rest the whole network will be down
of the network can still function.  high cost of cabling.
Mesh
Advantages Disadvantages
 easier to detect network faults  requires bulk cabling
 has very good privacy and security
3 a) Public cloud – a storage environment where the customer/client and cloud storage provider are
different companies.
Private cloud – a storage provided by a dedicated environment behind a company firewall, the
customer/client and cloud storage provider are integrated and operate as a single entity.
b) Benefits:
 Customer/client files stored on the cloud can be accessed any time, from any device,
anywhere in the world provided there is internet access.
 There is no need for the customer/client to carry external storage devices around with them
or even use the same computer where the original files were stored.
 Cloud storage provides user with remote and automatic back-up of data.
 It offers almost unlimited storage capacity (at a cost).
c) Drawbacks:
 There are well-known security aspects to consider.
 If the internet is unstable/fails or the broadband connection is slow it may be
difficult/impossible to access files from the cloud storage facilities.
 Costs can be high if a large amount of cloud storage is required.
 There may be limited data transfer rates.
 Potential for failure of the cloud storage company with unknown results.

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4
Wireless networking Wired networking
 It is easier to expand the networks and it  Using cables produces a more reliable and
isn’t necessary to connect the devices stable network; wireless connectivity is
using cables. often subjected to interference.
 This gives devices increased mobility
 Data transfer rates tend to be faster and there
provided they are within range of the
won’t be any ‘dead spots’.
WAPs.
 Setting up cabled networks tends to be
 There is an increased chance of
cheaper overall in spite of the need to buy
interference from external sources.
and install cable.
 Data is less secure than with wired
systems; it is easier to intercept radio  However, cabled networks lose the ability
waves and microwaves than cables; it is for devices to be mobile; they must be close
essential to protect data transmissions enough to allow for cable connections.
using encryption (e.g. WEP, WPA2).
 Having lots of wires can lead to a number of
 Data transmission rate is still slower than hazards such as tripping hazards,
for cabled networks although it continues overheating of connections (leading to
to improve. potential fire risk) and disconnection of
cables during routine office cleaning.
 Many devices (for example, smartphones)
 Signals can be stopped by walls and there
are only set up for WiFi/Bluetooth
may be drop off points.
connectivity.
 There may be legislation regarding which  There may be building restrictions
signal frequencies may be used. preventing the laying of cables, etc.
(Note: a reasoned argument needs to be made based on which of the features of wired and
wireless networks from the above table were chosen by the candidate)
5 a) Bit streaming
 a contiguous sequence of digital bits sent over a network/internet
 requires high speed data transfer communications link
 requires buffering
 bits arrive at destination in the same order as they were sent.
b)
 Buffers are needed since the rate that data is transmitted to the computer may be different
to the data transfer rate to the media player.
 Buffers prevent movies ‘freezing’ if, for example, the broadband speed is slow.
c) On demand
 digital files stored on a server in bit streaming format
 link to encoded video is placed on the website server
 user clicks on link to start the download of the video as required
 video can be paused/fast forwarded/rewound.
 

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Real time (live)

 live event captured on camera/microphone and sent to a computer
 video/sound signal is encoded to a bit streaming media format
 encoded data is uploaded from computer to dedicated video streaming server
 because data is live, not possible to pause/fast forward/rewind.

Activity 2C
1 a)
 standard telephone line used
 line always open until receivers replaced on handset
 line remains active even during a power cut
 uses circuit switching (which allows line to remain open)
 data (voice) transmitted in analogue (old system using copper cables) or digital (using
newer optical fibre networks)
 data can transmit in both directions at the same time.
b)
 internet connection only live whilst data is being sent/received (talking)
 uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) which converts sound/video to digital packages
(encoding) before sending over the internet
 VoIP uses packet switching (data is broken down into packets and then routed to the
destination by the fastest route and then reassembled in the correct order at the destination)
 data undergoes file compression to reduce the amount of data being sent.
c) GEO
 Geostationary Earth Orbit
 provides long distance telephone and computer network communications
 35 800 km above the Earth with orbital period of 24 hours.
MEO
 Medium Earth Orbit
 used by GPS networks
 5000 to 12 000 km above the earth with orbital period between 2 to 8 hours.
LEO
 Low Earth Orbit
 used by mobile phone network operators
 500 to 1500 km above the Earth with orbital period between 12 mins and 1 hour.
2 a) A: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
B: 10000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
C: 11000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
b) A (upper): 127.255.255.255
01111111 11111111 11111111 11111111
B (upper): 191.255.255.255
10111111 11111111 11111111 11111111
C (upper): 223.255.255.255
11011111 11111111 11111111 11111111
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c) i) 190.15.25.240 – class B network

ii) 190.15 – net ID
25.240 – host ID
iii) This means net ID can be set at maximum 18 bits leaving 14 bits for host ID.
d)
 IPv6 uses 128 bits rather than 32 bits
 IPv6 uses hexadecimal digits
 IPv6 uses built in authentication
 IPv6 ensures no more private address collisions
 IPv6 means there is no more need for NATs
3 a) A private IP address is reserved for internal use behind a router or other NAT device.
A public IP address is allocated by the ISP to identify where the device is on the network –
this IP address is accessible to anyone logged onto the internet.
b) protocol is https
domain is exampleofaurl.co.de
filename is computer_logic.html
c)
 browser opened and user types in url: www.exampleofaurl.co.de/computer_logic.html
 browser asks DNS for IP address
 if DNS server can’t find URL in its database or cache it sends out request to another DNS
server
 second DNS server finds URL and can map it to an IP address
 this IP address is sent back to first DNS server which now puts IP address and URL into its
database/cache; this IP address is now sent back to the user’s computer
 computer’s web browser now sets up communication with the website and starts to
download the pages
 web browser interprets HTML and displays pages on user’s monitor.
4 a) Internet
 a massive network of networks which are made up of computers and other devices
 stands for INTERconnected NETwork
 makes use of TCP/IP protocols.
www
 world wide web
 collection of multimedia web pages
 stored on websites
 http(s) protocols written using HTML
 URL specifies location of web pages
 documents accessed by web browsers
information is accessed over the network.
b) Yes, it is correct.
 WANs are made up of connected LANs using the public network.
 The LANs may be private networks only accessible through passwords and user ids …

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 … therefore may not be accessible from the internet since this uses common access points
which are open to all users.
c) i) Web browser
 a software application for accessing information on www
 allows user to view pages on different websites
 allow location of websites by typing in the URL in the address bar.
(ii) ISP
 a company that provides services to access and use the internet
 company will charge a fee for the service provided
 has equipment and telecommunication lines to allow internet connection
 provides user with an IP address when connecting to the internet.

End of chapter questions

1 a) i) Benefits
 signal only goes to destination node therefore more secure
 easier to expand network
 centralised management means it can be monitored
 failure of one node doesn’t affect whole network.
Drawbacks
 if central hub/switch fails, the whole network fails
 the overall performance is dependent on the central hub/switch.
ii) Benefits
 easier to detect faults
 uses routing logic so data reaches destination node only by the shortest route or
rerouted if one of the nodes fails
 has very good privacy and security
Drawbacks
 complex network topology
 requires considerable amount of cabling which means initial set up is relatively
expensive

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b)

2 a) i)
 Copper cable uses pulses of electricity to transmit data …
 … whereas fibre optic cables uses pulses of light to transmit data.
ii)
 Copper cabling is much cheaper …
 … and is a well-known technology if anything goes wrong.
 Fibre optic cables are the cable of choice when sending data over long distances …
 … this is because they offer the best data transfer rate and have a very high resistance to
external interference.
 The main drawback is the high cost …
 … but they do offer the smallest signal attenuation.
 They have ~26 000 times the transmission capacity of twisted pair cables.
 single mode fibre optic cables use a single mode light source and have a smaller central
core which results in less light reflection along the cable …
 … the benefit of this is that the data can travel faster and further than with multi core
cables.
 Multi core cables allow for a multi-mode light source; the construction causes higher
light reflections in the core.
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b) GEO – Geostationary Earth Orbit:

These provide long distance telephone and computer network communications; orbital period
is 24 hours and they orbit at 35 800 km.
MEO – Medium Earth Orbit
These are used for GPS systems (about 10 MEO satellites are currently orbiting the Earth);
orbital period is 2 to 8 hours; they orbit at 5000 to 12 000 km.
LEO – Low Earth Orbit
These are used by the mobile phone networks (there are currently more than 100 LEO
satellites orbiting the Earth); orbital period is 12 mins to 1 hour; they orbit at 500 to 1500 km.
c) i) Attenuation is the reduction in amplitude of a signal. For example, we see that infrared is
worst in this respect since it can be affected by rain and can also be stopped by internal
walls.
ii) When a device wants to communicate, it picks one of 79 channels at random. If the chosen
channel is already in use, it randomly chooses another channel
3 a) Bit streaming
 is a contiguous sequence of digital bits sent over a network/internet
 requires a high speed data transfer communications link
 requires buffering
bits arrive at destination in the same order as they were sent.
b) i) Benefits
 no need to store large files on a local computer
 no need to wait for whole files to be loaded before watching video
 allows on demand playback
 no specialist software needed.
ii) Potential problems
 video stops/hangs if internet connection is slow or is lost
 video stops/hangs if there is inadequate buffering
 may require special software to run certain files

usual risk of viruses and other malware being transmitted.
c) On demand
 digital files stored on a server in bit streaming format
 link to encoded video is placed on the website server
 user clicks on link to start the download of the video as required
 video can be paused/fast forwarded/rewound.
Real time (live)
 live event captured on camera/microphone and sent to a computer
 video/sound signal is encoded to a bit streaming media format
 encoded data is uploaded from computer to dedicated video streaming server
 because data is live, not possible to pause/fast forward/rewind.
4 a)
 Buffers are needed since the rate that data is transmitted to the computer may be different
to the data transfer rate to the media player.
 Buffers prevent movies ‘freezing’, for example, if the broadband speed is slow.

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b) i) low buffer value = 200 kiB = 200 × 1024 = 204 800 bits

high buffer value = 1.8 MiB = 1.8 × 1 048 576 = 1 887 437 bits
during first 2 seconds, incoming data = (1.5 × 1 048 576)/8 = 196 608 bits
and outgoing data is = (600 × 1024)/8 = 76 800 bits
therefore, data build up is (196 608 – 76 800) = 119 808 bits
therefore, low buffer mark is now (204 800 + 119 808) = 324 608 bits
ii) The buffer builds up as follows:
after 4 seconds: 444 416 bits
after 6 seconds: 564 224 bits
after 8 seconds: 684 032 bits
after 10 seconds: 803 840 bits
and produces a graph which shows high buffer value reached after about 30 seconds of bit
streaming:

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
0 500000 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000

c)
 A larger buffer is needed (e.g. 20 MiB).
 The rate at which data is sent to the media player must increase.
5 a) i) Data collision is when two messages along same data channel sent at same time could
collide.
ii) CSMA/CD relies on fact that frames being sent cause voltage level changes.
iii)
 When a collision is detected, the station stops transmitting the frame and transmits a
jam signal.
 It then waits for a random time period before resending data frame.

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b)

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