OCR J277 · Section 1.3
Computer Networks
Revision Suite
Interactive modules · Animated visuals · Examiner grounding
01 / 141.3.1
What is a Network?
The core definition of a network, its primary benefits, and potential drawbacks.
02 / 141.3.1
LAN vs WAN
Geographical scale, infrastructure ownership, and the defining differences between network types.
03 / 141.3.1
Network Performance
Bandwidth, user load, and interference impacts on network throughput.
04 / 141.3.1
Network Models
Client-Server vs Peer-to-Peer. Centralised vs decentralised architectures.
05 / 141.3.1
Hardware
NIC, Switch, Router, and WAP. Essential components for connectivity.
06 / 141.3.1
The Internet & DNS
The resolution process from human-readable URL to machine-readable IP.
07 / 141.3.1
The Cloud
Remote services accessed via the internet — storage and processing.
08 / 141.3.1
Topologies
Star and Mesh topologies with interactive failure simulations.
09 / 141.3.2
Wired vs Wireless
Ethernet vs Wi-Fi. Signal interference and bandwidth comparisons.
10 / 141.3.2
Encryption
Scrambling data into unreadable ciphertext using secret keys.
11 / 141.3.2
Addressing
MAC addresses (physical) vs IP addresses (logical). Address formats.
12 / 141.3.2
Standards
Enabling interoperability between devices from different manufacturers.
13 / 141.3.2
Protocols
TCP/IP, HTTP/S, FTP, SMTP, POP, IMAP. The rules of communication.
14 / 141.3.2
Layers
Independent networking tasks divided into layered architecture.