A home network is connected to the internet by a router.
Explain one reason why a home network uses a router to connect its devices to the internet.
Mark scheme
Award up to two marks for a linked explanation such as:
- All the devices can share one internet connection (1) because the router forwards data packets between the home network and the internet (1)
- Data can reach the correct device on the home network (1) because the router uses the destination IP address to forward each packet to that device (1)
- Each device does not need its own separate connection to the internet (1) because the router forwards data packets for all the devices between the home network and the internet (1)
For both marks, the expansion must follow/associate with the statement.
Do not accept 'it provides Wi-Fi' because Wi-Fi is not why a router is needed to connect to the internet.
Do not accept 'it connects the home network/devices to the internet' or 'a router connects networks' without saying what the router does with the data, as this restates the question.
Do not accept 'it connects the cables' without saying what it does with the data.
Example answers and how they were marked
It lets all the devices share the internet connection because it forwards their data packets between the home network and the internet.
Why: Linked point (1) and reason (1): the router forwards data packets between the home network and the internet.
All the devices can share one internet connection because it connects the home network to the internet.
Why: Point (1) for sharing one internet connection, but the reason only restates that it connects the network to the internet, which the scheme does not accept.
It provides Wi-Fi for the devices.
Why: Wi-Fi is not why a router is needed to connect to the internet; do not accept.