A small office has four computers connected to a central switch, as shown. The office network is connected to the internet through a router. The manager is ...
Question 1 Report
A small office has four computers connected to a central switch, as shown. The office network is connected to the internet through a router. The manager is choosing a network topology that will remain reliable if one computer or one cable fails.
(a) State the network topology shown. [1]
(b) Complete the table. [3]
| Topology | Feature |
|---|---|
| Bus | All devices share one main __________. |
| Ring | Each computer is connected to two __________. |
| Mesh | There are __________ possible paths between devices. |
(c) Give two advantages of using the topology shown rather than a bus topology. [2]
(d) Explain why a fault in the central switch affects communication between all of the computers. [2]
(e) Identify the device that forwards packets between the office network and the internet. [1]
(f) State what is meant by the internet. [1]
(g) Explain one reason why topology choice can affect the reliability of a network. [2]
(h) State one way a smartphone could use the office network. [1]
Answer Details
(a) The topology is a star topology [1]. Each computer has its own connection to the central switch.
(b) A bus has one main backbone cable; in a ring, each computer connects to two neighbouring computers/devices; a mesh has multiple (many) possible paths between devices [3].
(c) In a star, failure of one computer does not stop the other computers communicating, and failure of one individual cable disconnects only its device [2]. This is unlike a bus, where a backbone fault can affect all devices.
(d) All communication between computers passes through the switch. If the switch fails, it cannot receive and forward frames, so the computers cannot communicate with each other [2].
(e) The router forwards packets between the office network and the internet [1].
(f) The internet is a worldwide network of interconnected networks [1].
(g) Topology determines how far a fault spreads. For example, a failed star cable normally affects one computer, but failure of the central switch disconnects every device [2].
(h) A smartphone could use Wi-Fi to access the internet through the office network [1]. It could also access shared files or print to a network printer.
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