Computer Networks: Computer Science OCR: GCSE (9:1)

Network

A collection of computers or devices connected via cables or Wi-Fi to share data, peripherals or an internet connection

Node

Any single machine connected to a network

Topology

The physical arrangement of connected devices on a network, the shape of a network (mesh, star)

Personal Area Network

Small network for data transmission over short distance. For personal use such as headphones, often uses Bluetooth

Local Area Network

Network covering a small geographic area such as a building or site. All hardware is usually owned by the user's organisation, e.g. school.

Wide Area Network

Network covering a large geographical area such as a city or country. Often uses 3rd party hardware, cables or satellite connections.

Wired

A physical network connection using a cable

Wireless

A network connection that uses radio waves

Star

All devices are connected to a central switch or hub which directs data and requests in this versatile topology

Mesh

A network topology where nodes have many connections to other nodes meaning it is fast and reliable but expensive

Client-Server

A network model with a central server where files are stored and clients who request services from the server. More secure and reliable than peer-to-peer

Peer-to-peer

All computers on the network are equal in this model and data may be shared between them. Insecure and unreliable but cheap

Cheap

Peer-to-peer networking model is this

Secure

Client-server model of networking is this

Small

The geographic area of a LAN is this

School

A typical business that will use a LAN in a Star topology with a client-server model

Internet

The world's biggest WAN, it's made of millions of routers connected to other WANs and LANs

Server

A powerful computer attached to a network that awaits and responds to requests for data from the clients

Client

A computer that requests data or services stored on a server. The computer you use in school is a client

Request

A message sent from a client computer to a server asking for data in a client-server network