The parts of a network
A network needs two things: a path for the data, called the transmission medium, and devices that pass the data along. Media can be wired, like cables, or wireless, like microwaves. Paper 1 asks what a modem does: it converts between analogue and digital signals.
By the end of this page you can
- Compare wired and wireless transmission media
- Explain what a modem, router, switch and NIC do
- Tell simplex, half duplex and full duplex apart
- Choose network parts for a small office
Goals tick themselves off as you try the activities below.
Photo: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped, resized, JPEG q72.
Each cable is twisted pair; the box they plug into is a switch.
How often it shows up in past papers
All papers14 of 14 papers
Last 55 of 5 · 2019–2025
Paper 1 counts come from our past-paper bank of CSEC Information Technology Paper 1s. The last-5 row shows how often it came up in the five most recent papers.
Inside this topic
- Media and devicesLocked
- Which way data flowsLocked
- Key termsLocked
- Test yourselfmarkedLocked
- Practise for real · 3 past questionsLocked