Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

Award one mark for any of the following up to a maximum of two marks:

• Files/data download/upload more quickly (1)
• More employees can use the connection at the same time without it slowing down (1)
• Web pages/streamed video load more quickly with less buffering (1)
• Video calls/conferencing run at a higher quality (1)
• Updates/backups can be completed in less time (1)

Allow 'multiple users' or 'more devices' for the shared-use point

Allow 'video streams more quickly' or 'less buffering' on their own

Do not accept lower latency, as a higher bandwidth does not reduce latency

Do not accept 'more data can be transferred per second' or 'a bigger bandwidth', as these repeat what bandwidth is

Do not accept 'more reliable' on its own, as a higher bandwidth does not make a wired connection more reliable

Award one mark for any of the following up to a maximum of two marks:

• Faster transmission speed (1)
• Higher bandwidth (1)
• Lower latency (1)
• Not affected by interference (from other devices/walls) (1)
• No blind spots/not affected by distance from the wireless access point (1)

Do not accept benefits of wireless connections, e.g. users can move around the building with their devices

Do not accept 'easier to set up' or 'does not need a password' as these are not about network performance

Award up to two marks for a linked description such as:

• (Twisted pair/copper) cable only carries data over a limited distance (about 100 metres) (1) so sensors further away need another switch/device to pass the data on to the farmhouse (1)
• Fibre optic cable can carry data over much longer distances (1) so wired connections can reach sensors across the whole farm (1)
• Data sent further than the cable's range is not received (1) so the computer in the farmhouse does not get readings from those sensors (1)
• A wireless connection can reach sensors that are out of range of the cables (1) so a mix of the two can give readings across the whole site (1)

Allow responses about signal weakening/being lost over a long cable.

Do not accept responses about bandwidth or speed, as range is about distance, not the amount or rate of data.

Award up to two marks for a linked explanation such as:

• Data can avoid a busy/congested link (1) because the router can choose another path (1)
• Data can still arrive if a link fails (1) because the router sends it another way (1)
• Data can take the shortest/fastest path (1) because the router compares the routes and chooses the one with the fewest hops/least traffic (1)

For both marks, the expansion must follow/associate with the statement.

Allow other valid benefits with a linked reason, e.g. traffic can be shared across routes/load balanced (1) because the router can send some packets by another path (1)

Do not accept 'the route is always the same' as this is not a benefit of choosing a route.

Do not accept 'routers are fast' or 'packets are sent faster' on its own: the reason must say how the route is chosen, e.g. avoiding congestion or using a routing table.