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Past Papers May/June 2015 to MayJune 2024, Oct/Nov 2015 to Oct/Nov 2024:

9618/12/O/N/22
1) A Local Area Network (LAN) consists of four computers, one server and a switch.

The LAN uses a star topology.

(a) Complete the following diagram to show how the hardware is connected.

(b) A router is attached to one of the devices on the LAN shown in part (a) to connect the LAN
to the internet.

(i) Identify the device. Give a reason for your choice.

Device ...............................................................................................................................

Reason ..............................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) Describe the role and function of the router in the network.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

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9618/12/M/J/21
2 (c) Seth accesses both software and data using cloud computing.
(i) Give two benefits of storing data using cloud computing.
1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) Give two drawbacks of Seth using cloud computing.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................[2]

(d) Draw one line from each term to its most appropriate description.

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9618/13/M/J/21
3. Melinda and her friends set up a peer-to-peer network between their computers to
share data.
(a) Describe the key features of a peer-to-peer network.
............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[2]
(b) Describe two drawbacks to Melinda and her friends of using a peer-to-peer network.
1
............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................
2
...........................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [4]

(c) Melinda connects her laptop to the internet through her router.
 Tick one box in each row to identify whether the task is performed by the router
or not.

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………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….[3]

(d) Melinda sends emails from her webmail account (email account accessed through a
website). Explain whether Melinda is using the internet, or the World Wide Web
(WWW), or both.
............................................................................................................................................
.
............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................
..
............................................................................................................................................
.
............................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[3]

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9618/12/M/J/22
4 (a) The following incomplete table contains four network devices and their descriptions.
Complete the table by writing the missing devices and missing descriptions.

(b) Describe three differences between fibre-optic cables and copper cables.
1 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
2 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
3 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
[3]
(c) Ethernet uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD).
Describe CSMA/CD.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................

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...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................
. [4]
9618/12/M/J/24
5. An assessment board scans exam papers and stores the digitised papers on a server. Exam
markers download the digitised papers to mark. The exam markers then upload the mark for
each paper.
(b) The exam markers use software that operates as a thin-client to mark the exam papers.
Complete the table by identifying two characteristics of a thin-client.
Describe how each characteristic will be used in this software.

[4]
(c) Data transmitted on the internet passes through multiple different systems.
(i) Describe the role of routers in the transmission of data through the internet.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [2]
(ii) Describe the role of the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) in the transmission
of data through the internet.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................... [2]

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9618/12/O/N/21
6.(b) Andy plays some of the computer games over the internet. He has several devices that
connect wirelessly to the router in his house.
(i) Identify the topology of Andy’s home network. Justify your choice.
Topology ............................................................................................................................
Justification .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
[2]
(ii) The router has a wireless access point (WAP) to allow the devices to connect wirelessly.
Identify three functions of the router in Andy’s network.
1 ........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
2 ........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
3 ........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
[3]

9608/33/M/J/15
7 (a) Four descriptions and three types of local area network (LAN) are shown below.
Draw a line to connect each description to the type of LAN it applies to.

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9608/32/M/J/16
8 A Local Area Network (LAN) consists of four computers and one server. The LAN
uses a bus topology.
(a) Complete the diagram below to show how the computers and the File server could
be connected.

(b) Computer C sends a data packet to Computer A.

Three statements are given below.
Tick (✓) to show whether each statement is true or false.

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(c) Computer A starts transmitting a packet to Computer C. At exactly the same time,
the File server starts transmitting a packet to Computer D. This causes a problem.
(i) State the name given to this problem.
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[1]
(ii) Give three steps taken by both Computer A and the File server to allow them to
transmit their packets successfully.
Step 1

................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

Step 2

................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

Step 3

................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[3]

(d) Adding a switch to the LAN changes its topology. Explain how the use of a switch
removes the problem identified in part (c)(i).
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[4]

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9608/31/M/J/18
9. Star and bus are two types of topology that can be used in a Local Area Network (LAN).

(a) (i) State one benefit and one drawback of the star topology. Benefit
...............................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
Drawback ..........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................[2]
(ii) State one benefit and one drawback of the bus topology. Benefit
...............................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
Drawback ..........................................................................................................................
. .......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(b) The sequence of steps 1 to 7 describes what happens when the LAN transmits data
from Computer X to Computer Y using circuit switching. Four statements (4 to 7) are
missing from the sequence.

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Write one letter (A to D) in the appropriate space to complete the sequence.

1 Computer X sends a connection request to Computer Y.
2 Computer Y sends ready or busy signal.
3 If busy, Computer X waits and then resends the connection request to Computer Y.
4 ……………
5 ……………
6 ……………
7 …………… [3]

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Answers
9618/12/O/N/22
1

9618/12/M/J/21
2)-
฀The faster the clock speed the more instructions can be run per second

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9618/13/M/J/21
3

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9618/12/M/J/22
4

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4(b) 1 mark for each difference

e.g.
Fibre optic data is transmitted using light, copper cable through
electrical signals
Fibre optic has higher bandwidth than copper cable // Fibre optic has
higher transmission rates than copper cable
Fibre optic has smaller risk of (noise) interference than copper cable
Fibre optic can be used over longer distances than copper cable before
repeaters are needed
Fibre optic is much more difficult to hack into than copper cable
Fibre optic is more prone to damage than copper cable
[3]
4(c) 1 mark per point to max 4
A workstation / node (wishing to transmit) listens to the communication
channel
…data is only sent when the channel is free // ... if channel is free data
is sent
Because there is more than one computer connected to the same
transmission medium
... two workstations can start to transmit at the same time, causing a
collision
If a collision happens, the workstations send a (jamming) signal / abort
transmission
…and each waits a random amount of time before attempting to resend
[4]
9618/12/M/J/24
5

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5(c)(i) 1 mark each to max 2:

Receives packets from internet
Analyses the destination IP address of each packet
Forwards the packet towards its destination
... using the routing table
Maintains/updates the routing table
Finds the most efficient route to the destination [2]

5(c)(ii) 1 mark each to max 2:

The PSTN consists of many different types of communication lines
… therefore the digital data may need to be converted into a different
form/analogue signal
Data is transmitted in both directions at the same time // duplex data
transmission
Using a PSTN the communication passes through different switching
centres/ISPs [2]

9618/12/O/N/21
Q6

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9608/33/M/J/15
7

9608/32/M/J/16
8

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9608/31/M/J/18
9.

9 (b)

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