COMPUTER FORM 4 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Outline any 2 Examples of wireless transmission media (2marks)

3. The organisation has chosen wireless connectivity over wired connectivity for its new
office building. There is no significant difference in the cost of installing either.
Give three reasons why the organisation might prefer wireless connectivity.
4. Routers have an important role in how the internet functions.
Describe how a router directs data on the internet.
5. A large comprehensive school has over 500 computers connected to their Local Area
Network (LAN) with a connection to the Internet. (a) Describe, in detail, four
disadvantages for the school of having a network of computers compared to stand
alone computers
6. Distinguish between microwave and a radiowave transmission and a microwave
transmission (KCSE 2017 PP1)
7. State examples of wireless transmission media
8. State three functions of a network operating system
9. State the function of a switch in a computer network
10. State five functions of network operating system
11. State which layer of the TCP/IP model each of the network protocols operates at
✓ HTTP-
✓ UDP -
✓ IP -
✓ IMAP -
✓ HTTP-
✓ UDP -
✓ IP -
✓ IMAP -
12. State email protocols
13. Many organisations provide free public access to a wireless network.
Explain three ethical, legal or data privacy issues that an organisation should be aware
of when allowing this access
14. Ochieng manages a network for an organisation.
(a) Two computers are assigned the same IP address.
Explain why Ochieng must change the IP address of one of the computers.
15. (b) Identify the network topology that requires a server.
16. List two types of network software
17. Differentiate between logical and physical network topology
18. Give a reason why microwaves are commonly used for point-to-point communication
19. State the difference between radio waves and microwave transmission
20. State the characteristics of each of the following network topologies
▪ Mesh Topology (2mks)
• Ring Topology (2mks)
21. Your friend wishes to install a wireless network in his office. Explain to him the
difference between guided and unguided media
22. Differentiate between bus topology and star topology of networks. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of star topology over bus topology
23. Computer networks are valuable to many businesses and individuals.
(i) State the purpose of network protocols
24. A school intends to install a computer network. Explain three challenges that the
school may experience after the installation
25. Xpat ICT has been tasked to construct a network for an organisation. Explain three
factors that the company should consider when selecting the medium for the
connectivity
26. Distinguish between a PAN and a LAN
27. Distinguish between a client-server and a peer-to-peer network
28. Fibre optic cable is available in either single-mode or multi-mode. Outline the
characteristics of each mode.
29. Students are using their wireless notebooks to complete their work in a classroom.
They will need to connect wirelessly to a printer to print their answers at the end of the
lesson.
Describe how CSMA/CA (Carrier-sense multiple access with collision avoidance)
operates in the above scenario.
30. 802.3 is the standard for ethernet wired networks and 802.11x is the standard for
ethernet wireless networks.
Outline why standards such as these are important in the development of network
devices and software.

31. Describe why fibre optic cable would be used for the backbone of the network. (2
marks)

32. Describe how the firewalls can ensure the security of the EmergWA network.

33. Describe a transmission media that would work better in remote areas
34. The volunteers assisting in an emergency all wear personal protection equipment
(PPE) that has an RFID tag sewn into the collar so that they can be tracked if they
become lost in a remote location. Identify what RFID is and outline how it works. (3
marks)
35. Describe two differences between a switch and a repeater
36. Describe the role of a repeater when used in a network.
37. Satellite services are used to provide broadband internet connectivity to regional and
remote areas of Kenya. State one advantage and one disadvantage of using satellites
for this purpose.
38. State the primary function of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
protocol.
39. List three characteristics of Internet Protocol version 6 (IP6).
 40. List two primary functions of a domain name server.
41. When developing a network security policy, it is important to understand the threats
that can be made against a network. ‘IP spoofing’ and ‘back doors’ are two techniques
that can compromise the security of a network. Describe each of these techniques.
• IP spoofing
• Back door:

42. Explain, with examples where appropriate, the following five computer terms.
o Buffer
✓ batch processing
✓ e-commerce
✓ simulation
43. Describe three possible threats to the computers connected to the network and
give one way each threat can be reduced or prevented
44. State two ways in which a computer may be used in a healthcare sector other than
record keeping
45. Describe what is meant by a MAC address.
46. A company has a website that is stored on a web server.
(a) The website data is broken down into packets to be transmitted to a user.
Describe the structure of a data packet.
47. A web server has an internet protocol (IP) address. Give three characteristics of an IP
address.
48. Identify the network component that uses the IP address to send data only to its
correct destination
49. State two advantages and one disadvantage of having a network of computers, rather
than a series of stand-alone machines, in a school classroom.
50. Explain the difference between
(i) serial and parallel,
(ii) simplex and duplex
modes of data transmission.
51. When data is transmitted it is subject to corruption. Explain how a parity check could
be used to determine whether corruption has taken place.
52. Explain, using examples where appropriate, the meaning of these computer terms
(a) byte
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(b) compiler
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(c) handshaking
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(d) technical documentation
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(e) simulation
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..[2
53. Give one example of wireless technology
54. Give one benefit and one disadvantage of the use of wireless technology.
55. Give one advantage using a star network rather than a ring network.
56. Explain what is meant by the two terms download speed and upload speed
57. Give two advantages of using broadband rather than dial-up
58. Give two different scenarios when a fast broadband connection is essential.
59. Give one advantage of a star network when compared to a ring network.
60. Describe how a FRID works.
61. Website data is broken down into packets to be transmitted to a user. Describe the
structure of a data packet.
62. Give three characteristics of an IP address.
63. A workshop has a lot of heavy machinery operating throughout the day and requires a
cable to connect a workstation to a switch. Which of the following, unshielded twisted
pair (UTP) or shielded twisted pair (STP) cable, would be the more suitable? Justify
your response.
64. Outline a factor that can influence the performance of a network.