Personalised Feedback Sheet for IGCSE Section 4 - Networks

Name: Raheem Khan

Target grade: D
General feedback/class needs:
There was a lot of material covered in this unit from the definition of a network,
to LANs, WANs, WLANs, network hardware, security, authentication methods,
video conferencing, Fax, Email and the Data Protection Act. This meant that there
really wasnt anywhere to hide if you didnt do your revision. Unfortunately for
many of you, this was your problem in this test. If you look back over the lessons
you did:

Notes from each topic

Multiple practise exam questions
Revision lessons

Worse you all went over the correct answers in class and you also had access
to ALL past exam questions, answers and revision material on my site, so even if
you didnt get it the first time you couldve improved by doing some revision.
Those who didnt do so well also fell in to the same old traps:

Not reading the question or relating to it in your answer

Giving short or one word answers when you need to explain yourself!

These three things should now be considered so basic that no one is making
these mistakes. There is no magic formula for passing a test and no one is just
better than you, it all comes down to how much work youve done and are
prepared to do. If you are able to sit yourself down, practise questions from my
site and test yourself then you stand a chance of doing seriously well.
Finally, you have GOT to stop talking about hackers in your answers! It seems
that as soon as one of you is unsure of an answer you revert to itll get
hacked!!! This is NEVER going to be an exam answer so please, stop using it
unless I explicitly tell you that its ok.
Your performance:
Marks: 24/54
Percentage: 44.444444444444443%
Grade: E
Your personal targets:
1.

To NOT use short or one word answers unless STRICTLY indicated by the
question this means I must justify or explain any answers I give
2. To be able to describe encryption and explain how it works
3. To revise effectively for each test not just reading notes, but doing
practise questions from lessons or from the websites provided to me by
my teacher
Challenge/Extension

Copy out and answer questions 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14 from the test, with
their full and correct answers.
2)A large company has a LAN. The manager of the company wants to replace it
with a WLAN. Explain the differences between a LAN and a WLAN, giving an
advantage and a disadvantage of a WLAN. [4 marks]
A WLAN is wireless while a LAN is a cabled connection. A WLAN is cheaper to
install as you dont need to pay for wires and has no wires you could trip over but
a WLAN can be accessed by unauthorised people.
7)Give two advantages and two disadvantages of having computers networked.
[4 marks]
Advantage: you can share information
Advantage: you can communicate and access information
Disadvantage: viruses can be spread more
Disadvantage: computers can slow down because of many devices connected to
the same network
8)To protect the customers data the company owner will make sure the system
uses encryption. Describe encryption. [3 marks]
Data cannot be deleted because it is scrambled and it can only be decoded with
an encryption key.
If the data is interrupted, it will be no use to the person who interrupted it.
9)Describe the role of a proxy server when a LAN is connected to the internet. [3
marks]
To allow both public and private networks on the same LAN.
11)Describe four differences between an intranet and the internet. [4 marks]
Intranet is restricted/The internet is public/The internet has an unlimited number
of users/Contains
only specific group purpose information
12)Mobile phones are used for accessing the internet. Give two advantages and
two disadvantages
of using a mobile phone rather than a PC to access the internet. [4 marks]
Mobile phone is portable/Instant access anywhere
Mobile phone is not as fast as PC/Poor internet connection at times on mobile
phones
13)Explain the purpose of the Data Protection Act and one of the principles. [2
marks]
To control the way information is handled and to give legal rights to people who
have information

stored about them and one of the principles is to be accurate and up to data.
14)Give three advantages of video conferencing. [3 marks]
Advantage: you know who you are speaking to
Advantage: it is cheap as it is an online service
Advantage: everyone can use it
15)Give three disadvantages of video conferencing. [3 marks]
Disadvantage: stability of connection
Disadvantage: limited to a certain number of users at the time
Disadvantage: poor audio quality with large groups