A S L E V E L S 9 6 18

COMPUTER SCI ENCE COMMUNICATIONS

Compiled: By Engr. Shahzadah Ashraf
Bande’Shah
TOPIC 1.1
Notes + Topical Past
Papers + Marking Scheme

STUDENTS NAME:

SCHOOL NAME:
shahzadah.ashraf 03332076121
@gmail.com

DATE ISSUED: Follow On Facebook:

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ah.ashraf

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A Levels With
Sir Bande'Shah

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 Cambridge International AS & A Level Computer Science 9618 syllabus for 2021, 2022 and 2023.  Subject content
2 Communication
2.1 Networks including the internet
Candidates should be able to:
Show understanding of the purpose and benefits of
networking devices
Show understanding of the characteristics of a LAN
(local area network) and a WAN (wide area network)
Explain the client-server and peer-to-peer models of
networked computers
Show understanding of thin-client and thick-client
and the differences between them
Show understanding of the bus, star, mesh and hybrid
topologies
Show understanding of cloud computing
Show understanding of the differences between and
implications of the use of wireless and wired networks
Describe the hardware that is used to support a LAN
Describe the role and function of a router in a network
Show understanding of Ethernet and how collisions
are detected and avoided
Show understanding of bit streaming
Show understanding of the differences between the
World Wide Web (WWW) and the internet
Describe the hardware that is used to support the
internet

Explain the use of IP addresses in the transmission
of data over the internet
Explain how a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is used
to locate a resource on the World Wide Web (WWW)
and the role of the Domain Name Service (DNS)
Notes and guidance
Roles of the different computers within the network
and subnetwork models
Benefits and drawbacks of each model
Justify the use of a model for a given situation
Understand how packets are transmitted between
two hosts for a given topology
Justify the use of a topology for a given situation
Including the use of public and private clouds.
Benefits and drawbacks of cloud computing
Describe the characteristics of copper cable, fibre-
optic cable, radio waves (including WiFi), microwaves,
satellites
Including switch, server, Network Interface Card
(NIC), Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC),
Wireless Access Points (WAP), cables, bridge, repeater
Including Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision
Detection (CSMA / CD)
Methods of bit streaming, i.e. real-time and
on-demand
Importance of bit rates / broadband speed on bit
streaming
Including modems, PSTN (Public Switched Telephone
Network), dedicated lines, cell phone network
Including:
• format of an IP address including IPv4 and IPv6
• use of subnetting in a network
• how an IP address is associated with a device on a
network
• difference between a public IP address and
a private IP address and the implications for
security
• difference between a static IP address and a
dynamic IP address
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Page 3 of 79
Chapter 1.2 (Communication)

Local area network (LAN)

The computer could be a stand-alone system or some organizations chose to have more than one
computer connected using a local area network (LAN). It was called a local area network because it
typically connected PCs that were in one room or in one building or on one site.

Wide area network (WAN): a network connecting computers on different sites, possibly thousands
of kilometres apart

Local area network (LAN): a network connecting computers in a single room, in a single building or
on a single site

The benefits of connecting PCs in a LAN included the following.

• The expense of installing application software on each individual PC could be saved

by installing the software on an application server attached to the LAN instead.

• A file server could be attached to the LAN that allowed users to store larger files and
also allowed files to be shared between users.

• Instead of supplying individual printers to be connected to a user’s PC, one or more

printers could be attached to a print server that was connected to the LAN; these
could be higher quality printers.

• Managers in organisations could use electronic mail to communicate with staff

rather than sending round memos on paper.

• The ‘paper-less office’ became a possibility, where files were to be stored in digital
form on a file server rather than as paper copies in a filing cabinet.

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Thick and Thin Client

A thin-client is one which:

• chooses an application to run on the server

• sends input data to the server when requested by the application

• Receives output from the application.

A thick-client is one which:

• chooses an application provided by the server

• possibly carries out some processing before running the application on the server
and also after receiving output from the application

• Alternatively, possibly downloads the application from the server and runs the
application itself.

Client-server: an architecture where a client runs an application provided by a server on a network

Thin-client: a client that only provides input and receives output from the application

Network topologies

The shape of a network, and relationship between the nodes in that network is known as the network
topology. The network topology determines what kind of functions the network can perform, and
what the quality of communication will be between nodes.

BUS Topology

Bus topology is a network type in which every computer and network device is connected to single
cable. When it has exactly two endpoints, then it is called Linear Bus topology. Bus topology uses one
main cable to which all nodes are directly connected. The main cable acts as a backbone for the
network. One of the computers in the network typically acts as the computer server.

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Advantages of Bus Topology

1. It is cost effective.

2. Cable required is least compared to another network topology.

3. Used in small networks.

4. It is easy to understand.

5. Easy to expand joining two cables together.

Disadvantages of Bus Topology

1. Cables fails then whole network fails.

2. If network traffic is heavy or nodes are more the performance of the network decreases.

3. Cable has a limited length.

4. It is slower than the ring topology.

Star Topology

In star topology, each computer is connected to a central hub using a point-to-point connection. The
central hub can be a computer server that manages the network, or it can be a much simpler device
that only makes the connections between computers over the network possible.

Advantages of Star Topology

1. Fast performance with few nodes and low network traffic.

2. Hub can be upgraded easily.

3. Easy to troubleshoot.

4. Easy to setup and modify.

5. Only that node is affected which has failed, rest of the nodes can work smoothly.

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Disadvantages of Star Topology

1. Cost of installation is high.

2. Expensive to use.

3. If the hub fails then the whole network is stopped because all the nodes depend on the hub.

4. Performance is based on the hub that is it depends on its capacity

Mesh Topology

An example of a fully-connected mesh topology is shown in Figure. In this configuration, each end-
system has a point-to-point connection to each of the other end- systems. Transmission is duplex;
messages might be unicast, multicast or broadcast.

Hybrid Network
In a situation where several LANs are connected, they can have different topologies or supporting
technologies. This collection of LANs then becomes a hybrid network. A special connecting device is
needed to ensure that the hybrid network is fully functional. It is often an advantage to be able to
connect a new topology LAN to existing LANs where it is not sensible or not possible to use the existing
topology for the new LAN. An example is when a wired LAN is already installed but a new wireless LAN
is to be connected to it.

Peer to Peer Network

In its simplest form, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network is created when two or more PCs are connected and
share resources without going through a separate server computer. A P2P network can be an ad hoc
connection—a couple of computers connected via a Universal Serial Bus to transfer files.

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Cloud computing

Cloud computing is the provision of computing services usually via the Internet.

Private Cloud

An organization may choose to establish its own private cloud. In this case there are three possible
approaches:

• The organization takes full responsibility for creating and managing the cloud installed on-site and
connected to a private network

• The organization outsources to a third-party the creation and management of an on-site installation
connected to a private network
• The organization outsources the creation and management of an Internet accessible system by a
third-party.

Public Cloud

The alternative is a public cloud. This is created, managed and owned by a third-party cloud service
provider.

The services provided by a cloud are familiar ones provided by file servers and application servers.
They are accessible via a browser and therefore accessible from any suitable device in any location. A
public cloud can be accessed by an individual user or by an organization. One major difference is the
scale of the systems. The provision is established using large mainframe computers or server farms.
The services provided can be characterized as being one of:

• infrastructure provision

• platform provision

• software provision

Many of the advantages to a cloud user arise from the fact that the cloud does not have the limitations
that the systems already available have. For the infrastructure provision, the advantages include the
better performance when running software and the increased storage capacity. For the platform
provision, the cloud can offer facilities for software development and testing. For the software
provision, the cloud will be able to run applications that require high performance systems.
Alternatively, it could be that the costs to a company of buying and installing a software package
themselves would be far too high. The other advantage is the familiar one with regard to outsourcing.
The cloud user no longer needs technical expertise.

The disadvantages to a cloud user relate to the use of a public cloud. The cloud service provider has
complete access to all of the data stored on the cloud. The cloud user cannot be sure that their data
is not being shared with third-parties. This is a concern with regard to data privacy. The security of the
data stored is an issue; the cloud service provider is being relied on to ensure data cannot be lost.

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Subnet

A subnet, or subnetwork, is a network inside a network. Subnets make networks more efficient.
Through subnetting, network traffic can travel a shorter distance without passing through unnecessary
routers to reach its destination.

Imagine Alice puts a letter in the mail that is addressed to Bob, who lives in the town right next to
hers. For the letter to reach Bob as quickly as possible, it should be delivered right from Alice's post
office to the post office in Bob's town, and then to Bob. If the letter is first sent to a post office
hundreds of miles away, Alice's letter could take a lot longer to reach Bob.

Like the postal service, networks are more efficient when messages travel as directly as possible. When
a network receives data packets from another network, it will sort and route those packets by subnet
so that the packets do not take an inefficient route to their destination.

IP address

In order to understand subnets, we must quickly define IP addresses. Every device that connects to
the Internet is assigned a unique IP (Internet Protocol) address, enabling data sent over the Internet
to reach the right device out of the billions of devices connected to the Internet. While computers
read IP addresses as binary code (a series of 1s and 0s), IP addresses are usually written as a series of
alphanumeric characters.

Every IP address has two parts. The first part indicates which network the address belongs to. The
second part specifies the device within that network. However, the length of the "first part" changes
depending on the network's class.

Networks are categorized into different classes, labeled A through E. Class A networks can connect
millions of devices. Class B networks and Class C networks are progressively smaller in size. (Class D
and Class E networks are not commonly used.)

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Let's break down how these classes affect IP address construction:

Class A network: Everything before the first period indicates the network, and everything after it
specifies the device within that network. Using 203.0.113.112 as an example, the network is indicated
by "203" and the device by "0.113.112."

Class B network: Everything before the second period indicates the network. Again using
203.0.113.112 as an example, "203.0" indicates the network and "113.112" indicates the device within
that network.

Class C network: For Class C networks, everything before the third period indicates the network. Using
the same example, "203.0.113" indicates the Class C network, and "112" indicates the device.

Why is subnetting necessary?

As the previous example illustrates, the way IP addresses are constructed makes it relatively simple
for Internet routers to find the right network to route data into. However, in a Class A network (for
instance), there could be millions of connected devices, and it could take some time for the data to
find the right device. This is why subnetting comes in handy: subnetting narrows down the IP address
to usage within a range of devices.

Because an IP address is limited to indicating the network and the device address, IP addresses cannot
be used to indicate which subnet an IP packet should go to. Routers within a network use something
called a subnet mask to sort data into subnetworks.

What is a subnet mask?

A subnet mask is like an IP address, but for only internal usage within a network. Routers use subnet
masks to route data packets to the right place. Subnet masks are not indicated within data packets
traversing the Internet — those packets only indicate the destination IP address, which a router will
match with a subnet.

Suppose an IP packet is addressed to the IP address 192.0.2.15. This IP address is a Class C network,
so the network is identified by "192.0.2" (or to be technically precise, 192.0.2.0/24). Network routers
forward the packet to a host on the network indicated by "192.0.2."

Once the packet arrives at that network, a router within the network consults its routing table. It does
some binary mathematics using its subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, sees the device address "15" (the
rest of the IP address indicates the network), and calculates which subnet the packet should go to. It
forwards the packet to the router or switch responsible for delivering packets within that subnet, and
the packet arrives at IP address 192.0.2.15 (learn more about routers and switches).

NIC
Stands for "Network Interface Card" and is pronounced "nick." A NIC is a component that provides
networking capabilities for a computer. It may enable a wired connection (such as Ethernet) or a
wireless connection (such as Wi-Fi) to a local area network.

WNIC
Instead of an Ethernet port, wireless NICs are designed for Wi-Fi connections and often have an
antenna to provide better wireless reception for the computer. Older wireless cards have PCI
connections while most modern wireless NICs connect to a PCI Express slot.

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Bridge
A network bridge is a device that divides a network into segments. Each segment represent a separate
collision domain, so the number of collisions on the network is reduced. Each collision domain has its
own separate bandwidth, so a bridge also improves the network performance.

Difference between Static and Dynamic IP address:

S.NO Static IP Address Dynamic IP address
1. It is provided by ISP(Internet Service While it is provided by DHCP (Dynamic
Provider). Host Configuration Protocol).
2. Static ip address does not change any time, it While dynamic ip address change any
means if a static ip address is provided then it time.
can’t be changed or modified.
3. Static ip address is less secure. While in dynamic ip address, there is
low amount of risk than static ip
address’s risk.
4. Static ip address is difficult to designate. While dynamic ip address is easy to
designate.
5. The device designed by static ip address can But the device designed by dynamic ip
be trace. address can’t be trace.
6. Static ip address is more stable than dynamic While dynamic ip address is less stable
ip address. than static ip address.
7. The cost to maintain the static ip address is While the maintaining cost of dynamic
higher than dynamic ip address. ip address is less than static ip
address.
8. It is used where computational data is less While it is used where data is more
confidential. confidential and needs more security.

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The Internet

The Internet - a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the
standard Internet Protocol suite (TCP/IP)

World Wide Web (WWW)

World Wide Web - a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the
Internet.
The first thing to notice is that the World Wide Web is not the internet, but a subset of
what the internet offers. The internet hosts all forms of data, including games, video,
telecommunications etc. while the WWW only transmits hypertext documents. The
WWW is accessed through a web browser linking files together using hyperlinks

Intranet

Intranet - a private network within an organization which may offer printer sharing, file
sharing, communication, private websites etc. Which uses internet technologies such as
TCP/IP and web browsers.

Networking Devices

Hub

Network Hub is a networking device which is used to connect multiple network hosts. The
data is transferred in terms of packets on a computer network. So when a host sends a
data packet to a network hub, the hub copies (broadcast) the data packet to all of its
ports connected to. Like this, all the ports know about the data and the port for whom
the packet is intended, claims the packet.
However, because of its working mechanism, a hub is not so secure and safe. Moreover,
copying the data packets on all the interfaces or ports makes it slower and more
congested which led to the use of network switch.

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Switch

Switch is also used to connect multiple network hosts but it’s more intelligent than a hub.
While hub just does the work of data forwarding, a switch does ‘filter and forwarding’
which is a more intelligent way of dealing with the data packets.
So, when a packet is received at one of the interfaces of the switch, it filters the packet
and sends only to the interface of the intended receiver.

Modem

Modem is a kind of Network Device which let you get an internet connection through a
wire (Telephone Copper wires) to your house. This wire is used to carry our internet data
outside to the internet world.
However, our computer generates binary data or digital data in forms of 1s and 0s and on
the other hand, a wire carries an analog signal and that’s where a modem comes in.
A modem stands for (Modulator + Demodulator). That means it modulates and
demodulates the signal between the digital data of a computer and the analog signal of a
telephone line.

Network Router

A router is a network device which is responsible for routing traffic from one to another
network. These two networks could be a private company network to a public network.
You can think of a router as a traffic police who directs different network traffic to
different directions.

Repeater
A repeater is an electronic device that amplifies the signal it receives. In other terms, you
can think of repeater as a device which receives a signal and retransmits it at a higher
level or higher power so that the signal can cover longer distances.
For example, inside a college campus, the hostels might be far away from the main
college where the ISP line comes in. If the college authority wants to pull a wire in
between the hostels and main campus, they will have to use repeaters if the distance is
much because different types of cables have limitations in terms of the distances they can
carry the data for.

Gateway

A gateway, as the name suggests, is a passage to connect two networks together that
may work upon different networking models. They basically work as the messenger
agents that take data from one system, interpret it, and transfer it to another system.
Gateways are also called protocol converters and can operate at any network layer.
Gateways are generally more complex than switch or router.

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Client Server Model

Client computers were then attached to these centralized computers (servers) and if you
wanted to calculate something, you would have to wait for the central computer to
respond.
As computing power got cheaper client nodes became more powerful and the central
computer less important. However, with the growth of the internet, there has been a
shift back to a client server model. Powerful central computers store information such as
emails, documents, music and videos or offer services such as file hosting, printing, game
hosting and internet access; client computers fetch information and use services from
these central servers. In the next few years you are likely to see more and more software
moving away from running on your desktop to running on remote servers and you
accessing it as a client, this is called software as a service.

Cloud Computing

The current client-server model is starting to change, with companies being less likely to
offer services with a centralized server. Increasingly internet firms are reaching a global
clientèle, it makes little sense to have a server or servers based in one location as if your
servers are in America and some of your users in Armenia, and these users will
experience slow access to your services. Another problem is if a power cut affects your
server or the connection to that one server or set of servers goes down then the service
you are offering the internet will also stop.

With cloud computing the services may be distributed all over the globe, meaning that
wherever you are, you'll have a server reasonably close to you offering access to the data
and services you need. Page 14 of 79
 Server
A computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients"
Servers are software programs that in most cases run off normal computing hardware.
Server software includes:
 Printing
 File sharing
 Game hosting
 Websites
 Other web services

Client
An application or system that accesses a service made available by a server
Clients are software programs and processes that connect to servers, sending requests
and receiving responses. Client examples include:
 Web browser page requests
 Chat systems on mobile phones
 Online games

DNS

It's like your computer's GPS for the Internet. Its basic job is to turn a user-friendly
domain name like "google.com" into an Internet Protocol (IP) address like 64.233.167.104
that computers use to identify each other on the network.
Computers and other network devices on the Internet use an IP address to route your
request to the site you're trying to reach. This is similar to dialing a phone number to
connect to the person you're trying to call. Thanks to DNS, though, you don't have to
keep your own address book of IP addresses. Instead, you just connect through a domain
name server, also called a DNS server or name server, which manages a massive database
that maps domain names to IP addresses.

The Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN)

PSTN (public switched telephone network) is the world's collection of interconnected

voice-oriented public telephone networks, both commercial and government-owned. It's
also referred to as the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). It's the aggregation of circuit-
switching telephone networks that has evolved from the days of Alexander Graham Bell.
Today, it is almost entirely digital in technology except for the final link from the central
(local) telephone office to the user.

In relation to the Internet, the PSTN actually furnishes much of the Internet's long-distance
infrastructure.
Because Internet service providers (ISPs) pay the long-distance providers for access to
their infrastructure and share the circuits among many users through Packet-switching,
Internet users avoid having to pay usage tolls to anyone other than their ISPs.

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What are the benefits and drawbacks of using copper cable, fiber-
optic cabling, radio waves, microwaves, satellites?

Physical Media; Wires

One of the key elements that determine bandwidth is the physical nature of the cable
being used. A signal becomes weaker and dies down eventually the longer it travels along
a cable. Therefore, the length of cable determines the bandwidth of the link. For
instance, the bandwidth of a broadband DSL connection to the home is determined by
the length of copper cable between the house and the nearest telephone exchange.

Copper Wires

Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring in which two conductors (wires) are twisted
together for the purposes of cancelling out electromagnetic interference from external
sources or other twisted pairs. It was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Twisted pair is
used to gain enough bandwidth higher than coax cable.

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables are found in many local area networks and
telephone systems. A typical subset of these colors (white/blue, blue/white,
white/orange, orange/white) shows up in most UTP cables as shown above.

UTP cable is the most common cable used in computer networking and is often used in
LAN because of its relatively lower costs compared to optical fiber and coaxial cable. UTP is
also finding increasing use in video applications, primarily in security cameras.

Shielded twisted pair (STP) cables are often copper shielded in an attempt to prevent
electromagnetic interference and so allow bandwidth to be higher for any given length.
This shielding can be applied to individual pairs, to the collection of pairs or both.

Shielded twisted pair (STP) cable

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Copper cable is adequate for network cable runs for up to 100 meters, but above that the
signal becomes too weak, therefore an alternative technology is needed.
Fiber Optic

Fiber optics is a technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads (fibers) to transmit data. A
fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of which is capable of
transmitting messages modulated onto light waves.

fiber optic cable.

Fiber optics has several advantages over traditional metal communications lines:

1. Fiber optic cables have a much greater bandwidth than metal cables. This means
that they can carry more data.
2. Fiber optic cables are less susceptible than metal cables to interference.
3. Fiber optic cables are much thinner and lighter than metal wires.
4. Data can be transmitted digitally (the natural form for computer data) rather than
analogically.

The main disadvantage of fiber optics is that the cables are expensive to install. In
addition, they are more fragile than wire and are difficult to splice.

Fiber optics is a particularly popular technology for local-area networks. In addition,

telephone companies are steadily replacing traditional telephone lines with fiber optic
cables. In the future, almost all communications will employ fiber optics.

Wireless Networks

Wireless network refers to any type of computer network that is not connected by cables
of any kind. It is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and enterprise
(business) installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as
a connection between various equipment locations. Wireless telecommunications
networks are generally implemented and administered using a transmission system called
radio waves.

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Radio Waves

Radio waves are an electromagnetic radiation with differing wavelengths. These waves are
similar to an ocean wave. Radio waves are used for many processes. For example, they are
used to broadcast TV, in communication between satellites and it enables computers to
share information without wires.

Radio waves have a large wavelength so they experience less interference and can travel
over large distances. However, since they do not have a high frequency, they cannot
transmit as much data.

However, they can carry more signals than wires; they are often used for linking buildings
on a college campus or corporate site and increasingly for longer distances as telephone
companies update their networks.

Micro Wave

Microwave radio also carries computer network signals, generally as part of long-distance
telephone systems. Low-power microwaves becoming common for wireless networks
within a building.

Microwave transmission refers to the technology of transmitting information by the use of

electromagnetic waves whose wavelengths are measured in centimeters; these are called
microwaves. This part of the radio spectrum ranges across frequencies of roughly 1.0
gigahertz (GHz) to 30 GHz.
These correspond to wavelengths from 30 centimeters down to 1 cm.

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Microwaves are widely used for point-to-point communications because their small
wavelength allows conveniently-sized antennas to direct them in narrow beams, which
can be pointed directly at the receiving antenna. This allows nearby microwave equipment
to use the same frequencies without interfering with each other, as lower frequency radio
waves do. Another advantage is that the high frequency of microwaves gives the
microwave band a very large information-carrying capacity; the microwave band has a
bandwidth 30 times that of all the rest of the radio spectrum below it. The attenuation of
microwave is less than twisted pair or coaxial cable. A disadvantage is that microwaves are
limited to line of sight propagation; they cannot pass around hills or mountains as lower
frequency radio waves can. It is also affected by anything blocking the line of sight, such as
rainfall.

Satellites

A satellite is any object that revolves around a planet in a circular or elliptical path. The
moon is Earth's natural satellite at 240,000 miles distant. Other satellites that fulfill this
definition are man-made and have been launched into orbit to carry out specific functions.
These satellites are typically between 100 and 24,000 miles away. Satellites have many
purposes including data communications, scientific applications and weather analysis.
Satellite transmission requires an unobstructed line of sight. The line of site will be
between the orbiting satellite and a station on Earth. Satellite signals must travel in
straight lines but do not have the limitations of ground based wireless transmission, such
as the curvature of the Earth.

Microwave signals from a satellite can be transmitted to any place on Earth which means
that high quality communications can be made available to remote areas of the world
without requiring the massive investment in ground-based equipment.

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What Is A Bit Stream?
Millions of bits, travel over thousands of computer networks every day. The system works
much like the modern post office, which has to constantly send and receive letters from all
over the world. Like those letters, computer bits arrive in a continuous, ordered stream
known as the bit stream. The bits identify where they are coming from (often a computer)
and where they are traveling to (often another computer).

All the information sent to and from a computer turns into a series of 1's and 0's that
represent data. When the computer sends a message, the bits travel in a specific order
through a wire to their destination. Typically, the bit stream starts with information about
where it's going and how to process the information once it arrives. An email, for example,
contains information on the sender, the recipient, and the message itself. When the user
sends it, it's broken down into bits of data which travel over the bit stream to the
recipient's computer.

Video on demand (VOD) is a system that may allow users to select and watch/listen to
video or audio content when they choose to, rather than having to watch at a specific
broadcast time (Live streaming). Some TV VOD systems such as Netflix or Hulu allow users
to watch their favorite shows whenever they please.

Real time or Live streaming, as the name suggests, is streaming a video that is happening
at that exact moment. Examples may be a football match, a concert, or a lecture
happening at your university.

What Is Bitrate?

Bitrate is a term used to describe the amount of data that is being passed within a given
amount of time. Depending on the context, common measurements of bitrate include
Kbps and Mbps, respectively meaning kilobits per second and megabits per second. No
matter the units being used, a higher number is generally good, indicating high speed or
high quality.

When it comes to Internet speeds, a higher bitrate is always desirable –it simply sends you
the content that you want faster. With higher bitrates, you can do more with your Internet
connection stream high definition movies, play online games with minimal lag, and
—

download large files in just a few seconds. You can figure out what bitrates you’re getting
by visiting a website such as speedtest.net

When talking about streaming audio or video, bitrates refer to the amount of data stored
for each second of media that is played. For example, a 320 kbps MP3 audio file has a
higher quality than the same file at just 128 kbps. The same applies to videos a higher
–

bitrate will have a higher quality when comparing the same video with the same
resolution. Bitrates should be expected to go up whenever the resolution goes up, as more
data is being processed. Therefore, high bitrates for audio and video may provide excellent
quality, but it can also place a major strain on your hardware which can result in stutters
or frequent pauses in the media being streamed if your bitrate is not high enough or if
there is too much traffic on your line.

Page 20 of 79
1.2.2 IP addressing

IP Address - numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating
in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol

Every device attached to a network has a number assigned to it. This unique number is
called the IP Address, and you might be familiar with the format of:
192.168.7.1

Currently the most common form of IP Address is IPv4 which uses 32 bits to store an
address. This means that there are theoretically different IP Addresses that can exist.
However, due to the allocation of IP ranges to different organizations and tasks, the
number is lower.

An IP address (version 4) in both dot-decimal notation and binary code

An IPv4 address is typically shown as split into 4 chunks as shown above. Different ranges
of IP addresses are categorized differently, with the first part of the IP specifying who or
where the IP address is (the network identifier), and the second part defining which
host/machine it is (the host identifier).

IPv6
As you might have noticed, there is a limit to the number of IPv4 addresses we can have,
this limit is well below the current population of the world. If we were in the future to
have every inhabitant of the planet connected to the internet, there wouldn't be enough
IP Addresses for them to use! This problem is very current and IPv6 is being introduced to
try and resolve it.

Page 21 of 79
Public IP Addresses

A public IP address is assigned to every computer that connects to the Internet, where
each IP is unique. In this case, there cannot exist two computers with the same public IP
address all over the Internet. This addressing scheme makes it possible for the computers
to “find each other” online and exchange information. Users have no control over the IP
address (public) that is assigned to the computer. The public IP address is assigned to the
computer by the Internet Service Provider as soon as the computer is connected to the
Internet gateway.
A public IP address can be either static or dynamic. A static public IP address does not
change and is used primarily for hosting web pages or services on the Internet. On the
other hand, a dynamic public IP address is chosen from a pool of available addresses and
changes each time one connects to the
Internet.

Most Internet users will only have a dynamic IP assigned to their computer which goes off
when the computer is disconnected from the Internet. Thus when it is re-connected it gets
a new IP.
You can check your public IP address by visiting www.whatismyip.com

Private IP Addresses

An IP address is considered private if the IP number falls within one of the IP address
ranges reserved for private networks such as a Local Area Network (LAN). The Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following three blocks of the IP
address space for private networks (local networks):

10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 (Total Addresses: 16,777,216)

172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 (Total Addresses: 1,048,576)
192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 (Total Addresses: 65,536)

Private IP addresses are used for numbering the computers in a private network including
home, school and business LANs in airports and hotels which makes it possible for the
computers in the network to communicate with each other.
Say for example, if a network X consists of 10 computers, each of them can be given an IP
starting from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.10. Unlike the public IP, the administrator of the
private network is free to assign an IP address of his own choice (provided the IP number
falls in the private IP address range as mentioned above).

Pros and Cons of Private IP Addresses

Devices with private IP addresses cannot connect directly to the Internet. Likewise,
computers outside the local network cannot connect directly to a device with a private IP.
It is possible to interconnect two private networks with the help of a router.

If the private network is connected to the Internet (through an Internet connection via
ISP), then each computer will have a private IP as well as a public IP. Private IP is used for
communication within the network whereas the public IP is used for communication over
the Internet. Most Internet users with a DSL connection will have both a private as well as
a public IP.
Page 22 of 79
You can know your private IP by typing ipconfig command in the command prompt. The
number that you see against “IPV4 Address:” is your private IP which in most cases will
be192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.2.

Unlike the public IP, private IP addresses are always static in nature.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

Uniform Resource Locator - A character string referring to the location of an internet

resource.

URLs allow us to specify the domain name and exact location of a resource on the
internet. For example, the following links to a picture on wikicommons:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Clausen_WWI_poster.jpg

We can break this down into its constituent parts:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Clausen_WWI_poster.jpg

Protocol Hostname Location on server

We can therefore summarize a URL as follows:

Protocol: // Hostname / Location_of_file

Hence three parts that make up a URL

 The protocol
 The hostname
 The file location

Domain Name

Humanly-memorable names for Internet participants such as computers, networks, and

services. One domain name can be connected to multiple IP addresses.

Trying to remember IP addresses is as difficult as trying to remember people's phone

numbers. Not many people do it well and you are far more likely to be using a domain
name to access a website. A domain name allows us to link to servers and other
computers using easily remembered names. The domain name also tells us a bit about
the location we are visiting through the use of top level domain names.

Top level domain Description

.com Commercial
.gov US governmental organizations
.org Organization
.uk United Kingdom, country specific website
.onion Deep Web Links
Page 23 of 79
 Sometimes top level domain names might be joined by second level domains, chained
together to tell you more detailed information:

bbc.com - there is a commercial organization called BBC

bbc.co.uk - there is a United Kingdom commercial organization called BBC.
Nadra.gov.pk - there is a Pakistani governmental organization, called NADRA.

Domain Name System (DNS)

Domain Name System server (DNS server) - translates domain names into IP addresses

IA DNS server translates domain names meaningful to humans (such as www.google.com)

into IP Addresses for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices worldwide.
Domain names are far easier for humans to remember than an IP address.

To see a domain name in action you can use the ping command, where pinging Google,
uses the DNS server to find the IP address you want to send a ping packet to:
# ping www.google.com

Pinging www.l.google.com [209.85.229.99] with 32 bytes of data:

Or on Linux try dig

$ dig www.google.com

-- Snip --
ANSWER SECTION:
www.google.com. 246 IN A 173.194.34.144
www.google.com. 246 IN A 173.194.34.148
www.google.com. 246 IN A 173.194.34.145

Internet Registrars - Allow organizations and individuals to buy their own domain names.
Internet registrars are responsible for allocating internet domains to anyone who wants
one. If someone wanted to own their own website with a domain name, they would have
to go to an internet registrar in order to buy the website name. These services typically
require payment in order to maintain control over the name of the website. If you do not
renew your website, then the internet registrars may sell it to other buyers.

Internet Registries - hold domain names which are registered. They allow owners to link
domain names to IP addresses. Well known domains usually have their own registry, such
as .co, .com, .sch

Internet Service Providers - companies which offer customers access to the internet

Page 24 of 79
CSMA/CD
Short for carrier sense multiple access/collision detection, CSMA/CD is a media access
control (MAC) method used most notably in early Ethernet technology for local area
networking. When Ethernet was designed in the 1970s, it was a shared medium. At any
moment, only one frame from one station was transmitting in one direction (half
duplex).

With CSMA/CD, if the network is busy when a station wants to transmit (carrier sense),
the station waits a random number of microseconds before trying again. However, if
two stations coincidentally transmit their frames at exactly the same time, their signals
will collide. Both stations detect the collision and back off a random duration before
retrying.

Today, collisions have been mostly eliminated, because shared Ethernet gave way to
full-duplex, point-to-point channels between sender and receiver. However, CSMA/CD
provides compatibility for older shared Ethernet hubs that may still be in place. Ethernet
is a data link protocol, and CSMA/CD is a MAC layer protocol.

Page 25 of 79
Page 26 of 79
5 (a) Telephone calls can be made by using:

• conventional telephones (using the Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN) system)
over a wired network
• a computer, equipped with speakers and microphone, connected to the Internet

Put a tick () in the correct column to match each description to the appropriate communication
method.

Conventional telephone
Description Internet-based system
using PSTN
connection only in use
whilst sound is being
transmitted
dedicated channel used
between two points for the
duration of the call
connection maintained
throughout the telephone
call
encoding schemes and
compression technology
used
lines remain active even
during a power outage

[5]

(b) Distinguish between the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW).

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

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

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

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

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

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

9608/12/M/J/15 Page 27 of 79
(c) Name the hardware device that is being described:

(i) A device that transfers data from one network to another in an intelligent way. It has the
task of forwarding data packets to their destination by the most efficient route.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) A device used between two dissimilar LANs. The device is required to convert data
packets from one protocol to another.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(iii) A device or software that provides a specific function for computers using a network. The
most common examples handle printing, file storage and the delivery of web pages.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

9608/12/M/J/15 Page 28 of 79
7 Access to World Wide Web content uses IP addressing.

(a) State what IP stands for.

...............................................................................................................................................[1]

(b) The following table shows four possible IP addresses.

Indicate for each IP address whether it is valid or invalid and give a reason.

Denary / Valid or
Address Reason
Hexadecimal Invalid

3.2A.6AA.BBBB Hexadecimal

2.0.255.1 Denary

6.0.257.6 Denary

A.78.F4.J8 Hexadecimal

[4]

(c) Describe two differences between public and private IP addresses.

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

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

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

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

9608/12/M/J/16 Page 29 of 79
6 (a) Explain the difference between the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet.

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

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

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

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

(b) Three methods of connecting devices include fibre-optic cables, copper cables and radio
waves. The table below gives descriptions relating to these connection methods.

Tick (✓) one box on each row to show the method that best fits each description.

Description Fibre-optic cable Copper cable Radio waves

Wireless medium
Twisted-pair is an
example
Uses light waves
WiFi
Fastest transmission
medium
[5]

(c) Bit streaming is used for both real-time and on-demand services.

Describe one difference between real-time and on-demand bit streaming.

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

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

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

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

(d) A device needs an IP address to connect to the Internet. IPv4 is the more common type of
IP address.

Describe, using an example, the format of an IPv4 address.

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

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

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

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

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

...............................................................................................................................................[3]
9608/13/M/J/16 Page 30 of 79
(e) A computer user keys in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a web page into a web
browser.

Describe how the browser uses the Domain Name Service (DNS) to display the web page.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9608/13/M/J/16 Page 31 of 79
6 Downloading a file from a website is an example of a client-server application.

(a) Describe what is meant by the term client-server for this application.

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

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

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

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

(b) The following sequence of steps (1 to 5) describes what happens when someone uses their
personal computer (PC) to request a web page. The web page consists of HTML tags and
text content only. Four of the statements from A, B, C, D, E and F are used to complete the
sequence.

A Browser software interprets the script, renders the page and displays.
B Browser software renders the page and displays.
C Browser software compiles the script, renders the page and displays.
D The web server retrieves the page.
E The Domain Name Service (DNS) uses the domain name from the
browser to look up the IP address of the web server.
F The web server sends the web page content to the browser.

Write one of the letters A to F in the appropriate row to complete the sequence.

1. The user keys in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the browser software.

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

3. ....................................

4. ....................................

5. ....................................
[4]

9608/12/M/J/17 Page 32 of 79
 2

1 Devices connected to the Internet have IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.

(a) Three IPv4 addresses are given.

Circle either Valid or Invalid to indicate whether each address is valid or invalid. Explain your
decision.

Address 1: 3A.21.2H.1 Valid / Invalid

Explanation ...............................................................................................................................

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

Address 2: 299.53.2.2 Valid / Invalid

Explanation ...............................................................................................................................

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

Address 3: 192.2.1.0 Valid / Invalid

Explanation ...............................................................................................................................

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

(b) A website can be accessed using either the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or the IP
address.

Describe how a URL is converted into its matching IP address.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) People use the Internet to stream media.

Complete the following statements by filling in the names of the missing methods of bit
streaming.

................................................. bit streaming is used when watching a live stream of events

that are currently taking place. The event is captured live with a video camera connected to a
computer, and it cannot be paused or rewound.

................................................. bit streaming is used when watching an event that has taken
place in the past. Existing media are encoded to bit streaming format and uploaded to a
server. It can be paused and rewound.
[2]
© UCLES 2019 9608/11/M/J/19 Page 33 of 79
 3

(d) A recording of a concert is stored as a file. The file is compressed using lossy compression
before it is streamed to users.

(i) State why this file needs to be compressed.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Define the term lossy compression.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) The file could be compressed using lossless compression.

Explain why lossy compression is a more appropriate compression technique than

lossless for this file.

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

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

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

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

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

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

© UCLES 2019 9608/11/M/J/19 Page 34 of 79

 2

1 Computers on the Internet have IP addresses.

(a) IP addresses can be in either IPv4 or IPv6 format.

(i) Give an example of a valid IPv4 address.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) State why there is a need for IPv6 addressing.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) A computer’s IPv6 address is:

C100:2235::1000:25AA:AA50
Explain why this IPv6 address would be an invalid IPv4 address.

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

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

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

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

(b) A company has computers in two separate buildings that communicate using the Internet
over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

(i) Describe the transmission of data using a PSTN.

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

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

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

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

(ii) The company wants to install a dedicated line between the two buildings.

Identify one benefit and one drawback of installing a dedicated line between the two
buildings.

Benefit ...............................................................................................................................

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

Drawback ..........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]
© UCLES 2019 9608/12/M/J/19 Page 35 of 79
 3

(c) A network can use routers and gateways.

Explain the role of routers and gateways in a network.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(d) The company has an email server.

Identify three other types of server.

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

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

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

© UCLES 2019 9608/12/M/J/19 Page 36 of 79

 14

8 Bart plays computer games on his stand-alone games console.

The games console has an operating system.

(a) Describe the tasks performed by the operating system to manage the main memory in the
games console.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(b) The computer games are written in a high-level language. Bart does not need a compiler or
an interpreter to run the games he buys for his console.

Explain why the games run without the need for a compiler or an interpreter.

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

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

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

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

(c) When Bart is at work, he connects his work laptop to his employer’s Local Area Network
(LAN). The LAN has both a router and a gateway.

Give two similarities and one difference between a router and a gateway.

Similarity 1 ................................................................................................................................

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

Similarity 2 ................................................................................................................................

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

Difference .................................................................................................................................

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

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/11/M/J/20 Page 37 of 79

 13

7 A company allows customers to stream music from its servers over the Internet.
The company’s internet connection is currently provided through copper cables.

(a) Identify two pieces of hardware, other than the cables, that enable the servers to connect to
the Internet. Describe the purpose of each device.

Device 1 ....................................................................................................................................

Purpose ....................................................................................................................................

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

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

Device 2 ....................................................................................................................................

Purpose ....................................................................................................................................

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

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

(b) The company wants to upgrade their internet connection to fibre‑optic cables.

Give one benefit and one drawback to the company of upgrading to fibre‑optic cables.

Benefit ......................................................................................................................................

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

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

Drawback ..................................................................................................................................

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

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/12/M/J/20 Page 38 of 79

 2

1 Ana owns a small company with four employees. The office has a network containing several
computers that run on a client-server model. There is one server that connects to the Internet
using a router.

(a) Networks transmit data using various types of connection shown in the following table.

Complete the table.

Type of connection Description

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

..................................................................................................
Fibre-optic
..................................................................................................

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

............................................... A communication device in Earth’s orbit that receives and

transmits data
...............................................

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

..................................................................................................
Radio waves
..................................................................................................

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

............................................... Carries data as electrical signals and can consist of a twisted

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

(b) Explain how the client-server model enables the employees to access the same files from
different computers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/13/M/J/20 Page 39 of 79

 3

(c) Each computer in the network has a private IP address.

Give two reasons why the computers do not have public IP addresses.

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

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

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

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/13/M/J/20 Page 40 of 79

 9

5 Wei is developing a program.

(a) He wants to make sure the source code is secure on his laptop.

Explain how encrypting the source code can keep it secure.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(b) Wei wants to compress the source code to transport it to another computer.

Identify the most appropriate compression technique he should use.

Justify your choice.

Compression technique ............................................................................................................

Justification ...............................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/13/M/J/20 Page 41 of 79

1 (a) Explain the term bit streaming.

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

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

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

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

(b) A person watches a film streamed from a website on a tablet computer.

(i) Give two benefits of using bit streaming for this purpose.

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

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

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

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

(ii) State two potential problems of using bit streaming for this purpose.

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

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

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

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

(c) Explain the terms on-demand bit streaming and real-time bit streaming.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9608/13/O/N/15 Page 42 of 79
3 (a) The table shows four statements about IP addresses.

Tick (✓) to show which of the statements are true.

Statement True (✓)

The IP address consists of any number of digits separated by
single dots (.)
Each number in an IP address can range from 0 to 255
IP addresses are used to ensure that messages and data reach
their correct destinations
Public IP addresses are considered to be more secure than private
IP addresses
[2]

(b) Consider the URL:

http://cie.org.uk/computerscience.html

(i) Give the meaning of the following parts of the URL.

http ....................................................................................................................................

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

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

cie.org.uk ...........................................................................................................................

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

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

computerscience.html .......................................................................................................

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

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

(ii) Sometimes the URL contains the characters %20 and ?.

Describe the function of these characters.

%20 ...................................................................................................................................

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

? ........................................................................................................................................

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

9608/13/O/N/15 Page 43 of 79
6 A company operates a chemical plant, which has a number of processes. Local computers monitor
these processes and collect data.

The computers transfer these data to a central computer 50 km away. A telecommunications

company (telco) provides cables.

Engineers at the telco had to decide which type of cable to use. They considered the use of either
copper cable or fibre optic cable.

State two benefits of each type of cable. Each benefit must be clearly different.

Benefits of copper cable

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

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

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

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

Benefits of fibre optic cable

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

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

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

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

9608/13/O/N/15 Page 44 of 79
7 (a) (i) Describe what is meant by a client-server model of networked computers.

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

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

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

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

(ii) Give two benefits of using the client-server model.

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

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

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

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

(b) The diagram shows a computer network with connection to the Internet.

client computer client computer

Internet

file server

mail server

Name the hardware device labelled X.

...............................................................................................................................................[1]

9608/13/O/N/15 Page 45 of 79
(c) A web page offers a link for users to request another web page. The requested web page
contains HTML code and JavaScript code.

Put each statement in the correct sequence by writing the numbers 1 to 5 in the right-hand
column.

Sequence
Statement
number

The requested web page is displayed on the client computer

The user clicks on the hyperlink and the web page is requested
from the web server

The requested web page content is transmitted to the client

computer

The client computer processes the JavaScript code using the

web browser software

The web server locates the requested web page

[5]

9608/13/O/N/15 Page 46 of 79
6 A user watches a video available on a website. The website uses on-demand bit streaming.

Describe how it is possible to watch the video without it continually pausing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9608/13/O/N/16 Page 47 of 79
 10

(c) The bank is upgrading its local area network (LAN) copper cables to fibre-optic cables.

(i) State two benefits to the bank of upgrading to fibre-optic cable from copper cable.

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

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

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

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

(ii) State two drawbacks of upgrading to fibre-optic cables.

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

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

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

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

© UCLES 2019 9608/11/O/N/19 Page 48 of 79

 4

(c) The self-checkout machines connect to a server that stores all the data for the supermarket.
This is a client-server network.

(i) Describe, using an example for the supermarket, the client-server network model.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(ii) The supermarket is concerned about the security and integrity of the data on the server.

Identify two methods that can be used to minimise the security risk to the data, and one
method to protect the integrity of the data.

Security 1 ..........................................................................................................................

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

Security 2 ..........................................................................................................................

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

Integrity .............................................................................................................................

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

© UCLES 2019 9608/13/O/N/19 Page 49 of 79

 16

8 Joshua’s laptop is connected to the router on his home network.

(a) The laptop has a private IP address. The router has both public and private IP addresses.

Explain the reasons why Joshua’s laptop has a private IP address only, but the router has
both a private and a public IP address.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(b) Joshua visits a website by entering its Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Describe how the URL is converted into a matching IP address.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) Give one example of a valid IPv4 address.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which itself is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2020 9608/11/O/N/20 Page 50 of 79

 13

7 A web server has a public IPv4 address.

(a) Draw lines to link each characteristic to its appropriate IP address.

Characteristic IP address

Can use hexadecimal notation

Each group of digits is a number

between 0 and 65535
IPv4

Consists of four groups of digits

IPv6

Uses double colons (::)

The total length of the address is 32 bits

[2]

(b) IP addresses can be static or dynamic.

Explain the reasons for the web server using a static instead of a dynamic IP address.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 4

4 A laptop on a home network connects to the Internet through a router.

(a) The laptop has an IP address.

(i) Give the reasons why the laptop has an IP address.

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

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

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

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

(ii) The laptop’s IP address is private.

Give the reasons why the laptop does not have a public IP address.

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

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

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

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

(iii) The router has an IPv4 address.

Give three differences between the format of an IPv4 address and an IPv6 address.

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

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

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

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

3 ........................................................................................................................................

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/13/O/N/20 Page 52 of 79

 5

(b) A Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is one example of a communication system
that can be used to support the Internet.

Identify and describe two other communication systems that can be used to support the
Internet.

System 1 ...................................................................................................................................

Description ................................................................................................................................

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

System 2 ...................................................................................................................................

Description ................................................................................................................................

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

© UCLES 2020 9608/13/O/N/20 Page 53 of 79

Page 54 of 79
 Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge International AS/A Level – May/June 2015 9618 12

5 (a)

Conventional telephone
Description Internet-based system
using PSTN

connection only in use

whilst sound is being

transmitted

dedicated channel used

between two points for the

duration of the call

connection maintained
throughout the telephone

call

encoding schemes and

compression technology

used

lines remain active even

during a power outage

[5]

(b) maximum of two marks for Internet references and maximum of two marks for world wide
web references

Internet

• massive network of networks/interconnected network of computer devices

• Internet stands for Interconnected Networks
• uses TCP/IP protocol

World Wide Web (www)

• is a collection of (multimedia) web pages/documents

• ...stored on websites
• http/protocols used to transmit data
• web pages are written in HTML
• URLs specify the location of the web pages
• web documents are accessed using browsers [3]

(c) (i) router [1]

(ii) gateway [1]

(iii) server [1]

Page 55 of 79
 Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge International AS/A Level – May/June 2016 9618 12

7 (a) Internet Protocol [1]

(b) [4]

Denary / Valid or
Address Reason
Hexadecimal Invalid

One point from:

• This is more than 32 bits

• 6AA /BBBB in Hex is bigger
than FF / 255 in denary
3.2A.6AA.BBBB Hexadecimal Invalid • 6AA / BBBB uses more than 8
bits / a byte
• The third / fourth group is bigger
than FF / 255 in denary
• The third / fourth group uses
more than 8 bits / a byte

There are 4 bytes, each 255 or

2.0.255.1 Denary Valid below // All the values are in the
range 0 - 255

6.0.257.6 257 is above 255 // The third group

Denary Invalid
is above 255

0A.78.F4.J8 J is not a valid hexadecimal digit //

Hexadecimal Invalid
J8 is not a valid Hex number

One mark for each combination of valid or invalid and the reason.

(c) Two points from: [2]

• Public address can be reached across the Internet.

• Private address can only be reached internally/through the LAN/Intranet // private
address cannot be reached across the Internet.
• NAT (Network Address Translation) is necessary for a private IP address to access the
Internet directly.
• A private address is more secure than a public address // A public address is less secure
than a private address.
• Public addresses are provided by ISP / assigned by InterNIC // Private addresses are
assigned by the router (of the network concerned).
• Public addresses are unique (to the Internet) // Private addresses (are unique within their
network, but) can be duplicated within other (discrete) networks.
• 10.0.0.1 to 10.255.255.254 and 172.16.0.1 to 172.31.255.254 and 192.168.0.1.to
192.168.255.254 form the private address space // IP addresses from the private
address space are never assigned as public.

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 Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge International AS/A Level – May/June 2016 9618 13

6 (a) Two from: [2]

• WWW is a collection of interlinked, hypertext documents/webpages/multimedia

resources (accessed via the Internet) //WWW is content from web servers organised as
web pages
• Internet is the global connection of interconnected computer networks
• The Internet uses TCP/IP protocol / WWW uses http protocols to transmit data
[5]
(b)
Description Fibre-Optic cables Copper cables Radio waves
‘Wireless’ media

Twisted-pair is an

example
Uses light waves

WiFi

Fastest

transmission media

(c) One pair from: [2]

• Real-time - a live stream of an event that is currently taking place

• On-demand - streaming of an event/programme that has taken place in the past

• Real time – the event is captured live with a video camera connected to a computer
• On-demand – Existing media are encoded to bit streaming format and uploaded to a
server

• Real-time – cannot be paused / rewound etc

• On-demand – can be paused / re-wound / fast forwarded etc

(d) Two marks for description, one mark for correct example. [3]

• Four numbers separated with ‘.’

• Each number is between 0 and 255 / 00 and FF in Hex / stored in one byte.
• 32 bits long
• Correct example

(e) Four from: [4]

• URL is a reference address to a resource on the Internet.

• The URL is passed to the nearest Domain Name Server (by browser software).
• DNS server stores a database / list of URLs and matching IP addresses.
• DNS (Name Resolver) looks for the URL in its database.
• Finds the matching IP address and returns it to the originator.
• Or if it cannot find it, it forwards to another Domain Name Server at a higher level.
• (Original) DNS server adds the returned IP address to its cache.
• (Original) DNS server returns the IP address to the browser.

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9608/12 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2017
PUBLISHED

Question Answer Marks

6(a) Two from: Max 2

• The file is made available from a web/email/FTP server 1
• The user’s browser is the client software 1
• The client (software browser) requests the file from the server 1
• The desired file is returned to the client computer 1

6(b) 1. The user keys in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into 4
the browser Software.
2. E // The Domain Name Service (DNS) uses the domain 1
name from the browser to look up the IP address of the web
server.
3. D // The web server retrieves the page 1
4. F // Sends the web page content to the browser 1
5. B // Browser software renders the page and displays 1

6(c)(i) Output1, Output2 1 2

RunnerID // Runner ID 1

6(c)(ii) 6 – 21 1

6(c)(iii) 13 1

6(c)(iv) Checks that the RunnerID entered starts with the characters CAM or VAR only 1

6(c)(v) Two checks from: Max 4

One mark for check and one mark for description

• Format check 1
RunnerID is three letter characters followed by two digit characters
//Position is digit characters only 1

• Length check 1
RunnerID has exactly five characters 1

• Range check 1
The value for Position is between1 and (say) 50 1

• Presence check 1
The text box for RunnerID or Position is not empty 1

• Existence check 1
To ensure that RunnerID has been registered 1

• Uniqueness check 1
To ensure no two runners have the same number 1

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 9608/13 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme
PUBLISHED May/June 2017

Question Answer Marks

7(a) Two from: 2

• The user’s web browser is the client software 1
• The requested web page has program code / script embedded within it 1
• This code is interpreted by the web browser 1

7(b) Four from: Max 4

• The browser parses the URL to obtain the Domain Name 1
• The browser software passes the Domain Name to the nearest Domain Name
Server (DNS) 1
• The DNS stores a list of Domain Names and matching IP addresses 1
• The DNS Name Resolver looks for the Domain Name in its database 1
• If found the corresponding IP address is returned to the originator 1
• If not found the request is forwarded to another higher level DNS 1
• The original DNS adds the returned IP address to its cache 1
• The original DNS returns the IP address to the originator 1
• The browser uses the IP address to request the required web page from the web
server 1
• The web server retrieves the page and delivers it to the originator 1
• The browser software interprets the script and displays the web page 1

7(c)(i) Message1, Message2 1 2

x 1

7(c)(ii) 6 – 19 1

7(c)(iii) 11 1

7(c)(iv) Checks that the product code has not be left blank // presence check on product 1
code

7(c)(v) Two checks from: Max 4

One mark for check and one mark for description

• Range check 1
Check the number entered is (say) between 1 and 100 1

• Format check 1
Checks the product code is a particular format // Checks the number has digit
characters only // by example 1

• Length check 1
The number of items has exactly five characters 1

• Existence check 1
To ensure the product code has been assigned 1

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Question Answer Marks

1(a) 1 mark for each correct indication and explanation 3

3A.21.2H.1 Invalid
H is not a valid hexadecimal digit

299.53.2.2 Invalid
299 is not in the correct range

192.2.1.0 Valid
Consists of four numbers in the range 0–255 separated by
full stops

1(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• URL is parsed to obtain the Domain name

• Domain name is sent to the nearest Domain Name Server (DNS)
• DNS holds a list of Domain names and matching IP addresses
• DNS name resolver searches its database for the Domain name
• If DNS does not find the Domain name, the request is forwarded to a
higher level DNS
• If the Domain name is found, the IP address is returned
• If the Domain name is not found, the request is passed to a higher level
server
• If the Domain name is finally not found, an error message is generated

1(c) 1 mark for each correct term 2

Real-time

On-demand

1(d)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 1 1

• The data files are very large

• It would take a long time to send the uncompressed file // Compressed
files will download faster
• A higher bandwidth would be needed to transmit the uncompressed file

1(d)(ii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 1 1

• Data is lost
• The decompressed file is not the same as the original

1(d)(iii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• Lossy creates a smaller file than lossless // lossy compresses further

than lossless
• The recording of the concert is a large file size and needs significant
reduction in size
• Lossy removes detail which can be lost without people noticing
• By example e.g. reduction in sound quality will not be noticed

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9608/12 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2019
PUBLISHED

Question Answer Marks

1(a)(i) 1 mark for any valid example 1

e.g. 192.168.0.1

1(a)(ii) 1 mark for correct answer 1

The number of IP addresses needed will exceed the number available using
IPv4.

1(a)(iii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Too many digits per group

• Too many groups of digits
• The address is more than 32 bits / 4 bytes
• Colons are used as separators

1(b)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• The PSTN consists of many different types of communication lines

• Data is transmitted in both directions at the same time // (full) duplex
data transmission
• The communication passes through different switching centres

1(b)(ii) 1 mark for benefit, 1 mark for drawback 2

Benefit
• (Probably) faster connection / communication / transmission of data
• (Usually) more consistent transmission speed
• Improved security

Drawback
• Expensive to set-up / maintain
• Disruption to the dedicated line would leave no alternative

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9608/12 Cambridge International AS/A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2019
PUBLISHED

Question Answer Marks

1(c) 1 mark per bullet point to max 4, max 3 for router, max 3 for gateway 4
Only award the repeated bullet points (1 to 5 in each section) once

Router:
• Connects two (or more) networks
• Can connect a network to a WAN // acts as the single access point
for
• Receives packets and forwards towards the destination
• using the IP address of the destination
• Assigns private IP addresses
• Operates between similar networks // networks using the same protocol
• Can be used to segment a network

Gateway:
• Connect two (or more) networks
• Can connect a network to a WAN // acts as the single access point
for
• Receives packets and send packets towards the destination
• using the IP address of the destination
• Assigns private IP addresses
• Connects two dissimilar networks // networks that use different
protocols

1(d) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 for any valid answer 3

For example:
• File server
• Print server
• Proxy server
• Web server
• Application server

Question Answer Marks

2(a)(i) 1 mark for correct answer 1

• To convert a (higher level) programming language to a different form

2(a)(ii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Easier de-bugging
• because errors can be corrected in real time
• The effect of any change made to the code can be seen immediately
• Parts of the program can be tested, without all the program code being
available

2(a)(iii) 1 mark for correct answer 1

Assembler

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9608/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2020
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Question Answer Marks

7(c) 1 mark for each correctly completed statement 3

• CREATE (line 1)
• INTEGER (line 6)
• PRIMARY KEY (line 7)

CREATE TABLE INSTRUCTOR(

InstructorID VARCHAR(5),
FirstName VARCHAR(15),
LastName VARCHAR(15),
DateOfBirth DATE,
Level INTEGER,
PRIMARY KEY (InstructorID)
);

7(d) 1 mark per bullet point 2

• Alter table student

• Add an appropriate identifier with suitable data type

ALTER TABLE STUDENT

ADD TelNum VARCHAR;

7(e) 1 mark per bullet point 4

• Select lesson date and lesson time

• From table LESSON
• Where InstructorID = “Ins01”
• And lesson date is greater than today’s date

SELECT LessonDate, LessonTime

FROM LESSON
WHERE InstructorID = "Ins01"
AND LessonDate > #######;

Question Answer Marks

8(a) 1 mark per bullet point to max 4 4

• Reads/writes data to/from RAM

• … e.g. current data/instructions from a game so the CPU can access it

• Allocates virtual memory

• … when there is insufficient RAM to run a program/game

• Allocates RAM to optimise performance

• Paging
• Segmentation

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Question Answer Marks

8(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Software will have been built using a compiler // the software is pre-
compiled
• Software is an executable file // the game is already in machine code //
the game is already set-up to run on the console
• Source code is not provided so does not need compiling/interpreting

8(c) 1 mark for each similarity, max 2 3

• Both devices regulate network traffic between two networks // connect

two networks
• Both receive packets from a network and both forward packets onto a
network

1 mark for a difference

• A Router connects two networks using the same protocol, a Gateway can
connect two networks using different protocols

Question Answer Marks

9(a) 1 mark for each correctly identified utility program 3

Description Utility program

Reorganises files on a disk to improve

Defragmentation software
efficiency

Scans a hard disk to identify bad Disk contents analysis / repair

sectors software

Prepares a hard disk for first use Disk formatter

9(b) 1 mark for 3 correct answers 1

Action Lossy Lossless

Reducing the resolution of an image 

Using run-length encoding on a text file 

Reducing the sampling rate of a sound file 

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Question Answer Marks

7(a) 1 mark for device, 1 mark for matching purpose. Max 2 devices. 4

• Router
• To connect (devices) / the servers to the Internet // to transmit data
between the servers and the Internet // to forward data towards its
destination

• Gateway
• To connect a server that uses a different protocol to the Internet // to join
two different types of network

• Modem
• To connect (the servers) to the Internet over a telephone line

• Network interface card // NIC

• To enable the servers to connect to the (company) network

7(b) 1 mark per bullet point, max 1 for benefit, max 1 for drawback 2

Benefit:
• (Consistently) faster data transmission
• More stable connection

Drawback:
• High initial cost as new hardware will be needed
• Expertise required to complete connections

7(c)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• The web page may have interactive features

• Created using JavaScript
• E.g. text box, buttons
• Validates the input client-side
• Handles the data returned from the server-side script

7(c)(ii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 2

• Database on the server is accessed

• Using PHP
• Searches for the data the user entered
• Returns the song // Returns a message to say song not found

7(d)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Prevents unauthorised access to the data

• Monitors incoming and outgoing traffic
• Blocks transmissions from unauthorised sources / websites / ports
• Maintains an allow list / deny list of IP addresses

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Question Answer Marks

7(d)(ii) 1 mark only from: 1

• Running up-to-date antivirus software

• Use of proxy server
• Strong / Biometric passwords
• Etc.

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Question Answer Marks

1(a) 1 mark for each correctly completed media or description 4

Type of connection Description

Transmits data as light //

Fibre-optic Uses (a bundle of) glass/plastic threads to
transmit data

A communication device in Earth’s orbit that

Satellite
receives and transmits data

Carries data wirelessly, often known as Wi-Fi //

Radio Waves Carries data in the form of electromagnetic
waves

Carries data as electrical signals and can consist

Copper cable
of a twisted pair

1(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• The employees’ computers are the clients

• The server hosts the (shared) files
• An employee can request a file (from the server) from any of the client
computers
• Several employees can access the same file (on the server) at the same time

1(c) 1 mark per bullet point 2

• Improved security because the IP address is not visible outside the network
• An internet presence is not required for each employee computer
• Only the router needs a public IP address, as only the router needs to be
externally visible
• Reduces number of (public) IP addresses needed

Question Answer Marks

2(a) 1 mark for each appropriate term 4

The printer uses a laser (beam) and a rotating mirror to draw the contents of the
page on the photosensitive drum as an electrostatic charge. The toner is attracted
to this charge.

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Question Answer Marks

4(b) 1 mark for interpreter 3

1 mark per bullet point for justification to max 2

• The interpreter translates and executes line by line

• The interpreter stops translation when an error is found
• …the error can be corrected, and the program continues running from where it
stopped
• There is no need for an executable file (at this stage)

4(c)(i) 1 mark per benefit to max 2 2

• She can charge a fee for the game

• She retains the copyright
• ... so, the game cannot be re-distributed by a third-party without her permission

4(c)(ii) 1 mark per benefit to max 1 1

• Potentially better support, as she is charging a fee

• Likely to have fewer bugs / less prone to malware than if distributed under other
licences e.g. open source
• Redress available if the game does not function correctly

4(c)(iii) 1 mark per bullet point 2

• They can check it works // check if it meets their requirements

• ... without having to paying a fee if it does not

Question Answer Marks

5(a) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• Encryption scrambles the source code (so it is meaningless)

• … using an encryption key / algorithm
• If the file is accessed without authorisation it will be meaningless
• It requires a decryption key / algorithm to unscramble

5(b) 1 mark for a lossless technique 3

1 mark per bullet point for justification to max 2

• Lossless does not lose any data

• Any lost data will mean the program will not work

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 Page 2 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge International AS/A Level – October/November 2015 9618 13

1 (a) any two from:

– sequence of digital signals / bits

– over a communication path / Internet
– transfer of data at high speed
– requires fast broadband connection
– requires some form of buffering
– bits arrive in the same order as sent [2]

(b) (i) any two from:

– no need to wait for a whole file to be downloaded

– no need to store large files on user’s computer
– allows on demand playback
– no specialist software is required for playback in browser [2]

(ii) any two from:

– video stops / hangs if very slow Internet / broadband speed low

– video stops / hangs if inadequate buffering capacity
– loss of Internet means can’t access films / files
– may require specific software to run the files / films
– viruses can be downloaded from the websites [2]

(c) 2 marks for on-demand and 2 marks for real-time

on-demand

– digital video tape, analogue video tape, or digital files are converted to bit streaming –
format for broadcasting on the net; this is known as encoding these encoded streaming
video files are then uploaded to a dedicated server
– a link for the encoded video is placed on a web site
– a user clicks on the link to download the encoded streaming video; the streamed video is
– then broadcast to the user as and when they require it
– can be paused / can go back and re-watch / fast-forward, etc.

real-time

– an event is captured live with a video camera

– the video camera is connected to a computer
– the video signal is converted to streaming media files (encoded) on the computer
– the encoded feed is then uploaded from the computer to a dedicated streaming server
via cable, DSL, or a high-speed internet connection
– the server then sends the live images it to all users requesting it as real-time video
streaming
– cannot be paused etc. [4]

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 Page 3 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
Cambridge International AS/A Level – October/November 2015 9618 13

3 (a)

Statement True (
)

The IP address consists of any number of digits separated by

single dots (.)

Each number in an IP address can range from 0 to 255

IP addresses are used to ensure that messages and data reach

their correct destinations

Public IP addresses are considered to be more secure than

private IP addresses
accept words TRUE or FALSE in right hand column
1 mark per tick, –1 mark for each wrong tick if more than 2 [2]

(b) (i) http – enables browser to know what protocol is being used to access information in the
domain

cie.org.uk – cie.org.uk is the domain name

computerscience.html – actual web page / file being viewed [3]

(ii) %20 – because <space> not allowed in a URL, %20 is the coding for a space (32 in
denary)

? – separates the URL from all parameters or variables [2]

6 any four points from (maximum 3 marks per type of cable):

– fibre optic cables have greater bandwidth

– fibre optic cables need less signal boosting // can transmit over longer distances
– fibre optic cables have greater security (more difficult to “tap” into)
– fibre optic cables are immune to electromagnetic and other effects
– fibre optic cabling is lighter in weight (easier to install)
– fibre optic cables consume less power
– copper cabling is less expensive to install
– copper cable is easier to install because it is more flexible
– it is easier to make terminations using copper cabling
– the expertise in use of copper cabling is more extensive
– has been around for years … so very little is “unknown” about installations using this type
of cabling [4]

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 Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
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7 (a) (i) – at least one computer used to “serve” …

– … other computers are referred to as “clients”
– server provides services / applications etc. …
– … which may be requested by clients [2]

(ii) any two from:

– files and resources are centralised

– creation of security / manage security
– user needs user name and password to access network
– centralised back-up
– intranet capability
– Internet monitoring
– Clients can be less powerful machines, therefore less expensive to buy
– Saving resources on server reduces the burden on the client [2]

(b) router [1]

(c)

Statement Sequence
number

The requested web page is displayed on the client computer 5

The user clicks on the hyperlink and the web page is requested
1
from the web server

The requested web page content is transmitted to the client

3
computer

The client computer processes the JavaScript code using the

4
web browser software

The web server locates the requested web page 2

[5]

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6 Any four from:

• User needs high-speed broadband (connection)

• Data is streamed to a buffer (in the computer)
• Buffering stops video pausing as bits streamed
• As buffer is emptied, it fills up again so that viewing is continuous
• Actual playback is (a few seconds) behind the time the data is received by computer [4]

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Question Answer Marks

4(c)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Less interference in the signal

• The signal does not degrade as quickly // Needs less signal boosting
• More secure // more difficult to hack
• Greater bandwidth // Faster transmission speeds possible

4(c)(ii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Initial installation cost is higher // Cable / hardware is more expensive to

buy per metre
• Specialists / trained personnel are needed to install / maintain
• Difficult to terminate // The electronics at both ends are more complex
• Fibres can break when bent
• Only transmits data in one direction // Cannot transmit power, only data

4(d)(i) 1 mark per table 3

• Table CUSTOMER with fields FirstName, LastName, DateOfBirth,

CustomerID
• Table ACCOUNT_TYPE with fields AccountID, Name, Bonus
• Table CUSTOMER_ACCOUNT with fields ID, CustomerID, AccountID,
Amount

CUSTOMER (CustomerID, FirstName, LastName, DateOfBirth)

ACCOUNT_TYPE (AccountID, Name, Bonus)

CUSTOMER_ACCOUNT (ID, CustomerID, AccountID, Amount)

4(d)(ii) 1 mark for 1 or 2 correct Primary Keys, 2 marks for 3 correct Primary Keys 2

CUSTOMER: CustomerID
ACCOUNT_TYPE: AccountID
CUSTOMER_ACCOUNT: ID

4(d)(iii) 1 mark for both table name and Foreign Key 1

Table: CUSTOMER_ACCOUNT
Foreign Key: CustomerID / AccountID

4(d)(iv) 1 mark for each correct term 3

Definition Term

All the data about one entity Table / Relation

The data in one row of a table Tuple / Record

A column or field in a table Attribute

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Question Answer Marks

1(c)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 plus 1 mark for suitable example 4

• When a barcode on an item is scanned

• « the server performs any requested tasks // the server looks up the
details of the product
• The self-checkout machine is a client
• « that send requests to the server // the self-checkout machine asks
for, e.g. the price of the item
• The server returns the results of the request // the server returns e.g.
the item price
• Self-checkout machine displays e.g. price to the user

1(c)(ii) 1 mark for each security method to max 2, 1 mark for integrity 3

Security
• encryption
• access rights
• username and password // biometrics // user accounts
• backup // disk mirroring
• firewall
• Physical methods (e.g. CCTV, locked rooms etc.)

Integrity
• checksum
• parity
• validation on input

Question Answer Marks

2(a) 1 mark per bullet point to max 4 for each management task, max 6 in total 6

Process Management
• Manages the scheduling of processes
• « allows multi-tasking / multi-processing
• « ensures fair access
• « handles priorities
• Manages which resources the processes require
• Enables processes to share information
• Prevents interference between processes // resolution of conflicts

Memory Management
• Allocates memory to processes
• Ensures fair usage of memory
• Organises memory / by example
• Makes use of virtual memory
• Keep processes separate
• To release memory when a process stops

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Question Answer Marks

8(a) 1 mark per bullet point to max 4 4

• The router needs a public IP address so it can be identified on the

Internet
• The router needs a private IP address so it can be identified on the
home network
• The router has a public and a private IP address so that it can route
data between the two networks (home and Internet)

• The laptop needs a private IP address so it can be identified on the

home network // so the router knows where to send data
• The laptop does not have a public IP address because it does not
connect directly to the Internet
• ... this is more secure because it hides the laptop from the outside world
• … all data from the Internet must be transmitted via the router

8(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• The browser parses the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to obtain the
Domain Name

• The domain name is looked-up in the locally cached list of

corresponding IP addresses. If it is not found…
• The domain name is sent to the closest Domain Name Server (DNS)

• The DNS stores a table of Domain Names and corresponding IP

addresses // searches its database of Domain Names and
corresponding IP

• If the DNS finds the Domain Name, it returns the IP address

• If it cannot find the Domain Name, it sends the request to a higher DNS
/ upstream server
• If the Domain Name is not found, an error is returned

8(c) 1 mark for any valid example 1

e.g.
192.168.0.1

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Question Answer Marks

6(a) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

For example:
• The manager is supporting her professional development
• The manager is working in the best interest of his/her colleague (Malika)
• This will ensure she is introduced to all aspects of the job
• The manager is offering appropriate support

6(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

For example:
• She is acting in her own best interest
• … by taking responsibility for her own professional development
• She is acting in the best interests of her colleagues
• … by ensuring she is up-to-date and does not need further training

6(c) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

For example:
• Discuss the problems with her
• Discuss the concerns with her colleagues
• Assign her a mentor who can reassure her
• Team building exercises

7(a) 1 mark for correct lines from IPv4, 1 mark for correct lines from IPv6 2

Characteristic IP address
Can use hexadecimal
notation

Each group of digits is a

number between 0 and
65535 IPv4

Consists of four groups of

digits

IPv6
Uses double colons (::)

The total length of the

address is 32 bits

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Question Answer Marks

7(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• Static IP does not change whereas a dynamic IP address does change

• … the DNS does not need updating
• … which might be delayed causing ‘address not found’ errors
• The webserver may be accessed directly using just the IP address // the
IP address is still held in cache memory

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Question Answer Marks

3(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• To run / test the program multiple times without re-compiling

• To produce an executable file
• … so that it can be distributed without the source code

3(c) 1 mark for a benefit, 1 mark for a drawback 2

Benefit:
• Programs may be interpreted on different platforms

Drawback:
• Intermediate code / program still needs to be interpreted on the user’s
computer, which may run slowly
• Extra CPU resources may be required

Question Answer Marks

4(a)(i) 1 mark per bullet point 2

• To identify the laptop on the home network

• To allow the router to send data to the laptop from the Internet / another
device on the home network

4(a)(ii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• The router has the public IP address for the home network
• All data comes through the router
• The laptop is not accessible / visible to the outside world
• … to ensure security // to protect the laptop from external threats

4(a)(iii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 3

• IPv4 has 4 groups of digits, IPv6 has 8 groups of digits

• In IPv4 each group is from 0-255, in IPv6 each group is from 0-65535
• IPv4 uses a full-stop between each group, IPv6 uses a colon between
each group
• IPv4 is 32-bit, IPv6 is 128-bit // IPv4 uses 4 bytes, IPv6 uses 16 bytes

4(b) 1 mark for identification, 1 mark for further description 4

• Dedicated lines / leased line services

• Connection that is only used for that business/organisation // permanent
connection

• Cell phone network

• Send data to cell towers over mobile connection

• Satellite
• Send data to satellites in orbit

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