Describe why fibre optic cable would be used for the backbone of the network. (2 marks)
Describe how the firewalls can ensure the security of the EmergWA network.
Describe a transmission media that would work better in remote areas
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)
(ii) 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.
May not have space for cables to be installed
Employees and visitors can move around the building without disconnecting
Adding new users just means giving out the SSID and password
Describe overtype and insert modes as used in word processors
Explain why it is beneficial to get more RAM instead of relying on virtual memory.
Explain how the operating system performs job/process scheduling/management
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
A technique used to gain unauthorised access to a computer whereby an intruder sends messages to that computer from a false IP address
Back door:
An undocumented method of gaining access to a program, online service or an entire computer system
Aeroplanes now use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to determine their location.
Describe how the computer on board the aeroplane uses GPS to find its exact location
Give two benefits of using GPS in this application
Describe how the computer on board the aeroplane uses GPS to find its exact location
– satellites transmit signals to onboard computers
– computers receive/interpret these signals
– system depends on very accurate timing/use of atomic clocks
– each satellite transmits data indicating location and time
– computer in aeroplane calculates location based on at least three satellites
– at least 24 satellites in operation at any one time
– position accurate to within one metre
– can also calculate altitude of aeroplane
– ref to “triangulation”:
Give two benefits of using GPS in this application
– safer as the known location is exact/more accurate
– reduces the possibility of pilot error
– allows accurate estimation of arrival time
– display and guide the pilot to the nearest airport in case of emergency
State the name of the storage space used by the operating system when there is insufficient RAM
State the formatting features used in Ms Excel
Font Formatting:
Cell Formatting:
Differentiate between object code and source code
Explain the functions of the following parts of the CPU
Control Unit; Decodes instruction; Controls the fetching and writing of data;
Arithmetic Logic Unit/ ALU; Executes mathematical instructions; Executes logical instructions; Compares values held in registers;
Clock; Controls the number of instructions carried out each second; allows the CPU to synchronize operations;
Explain why a software developer should be responsible for addressing ergonomic issues in software design.
Responsibilities of the software developer is to ensure that the ergonomics focuses on making software user-friendly, reduces repetitive motions or eyestrain and enables movements of users to promote comfort and efficiency.
Software can be designed with adjustable text sizes and screen brightness settings to prevent eye strain, offering users a way to customise their visual experience for better comfort during prolonged use.
Identify one component common to all computers.
State the primary function of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) protocol.
Give three characteristics of an IP address.
Explain how the techniques of
(i) verification,
(ii) validation
are used to ensure that the stored data is as accurate as possible.
Dual input of data
Rules are given to the processor
Drop-down list/radio buttons
State two reasons for the increased use of computers in offices (2 marks)
Explain why a developer, who is good at both low-level and high-level programming, would normally use high-level languages when writing programs.
Shaneela is designing and coding a website. The files she creates will be stored on
a computer.
(a) File management is a function that an operating system performs.
Describe how an operating system organises files
The organisation of files is in a hierarchy/tree structure
A node is either a folder/directory/sub-folder/sub-directory or the file itself
The top node/folder/directory/drive is the root
Compare the use of a compiler with the use of an interpreter to translate code
Both translate source code written in high level programming languages into machine code.
Compiler: Produces a single executable file that is portable between machines
Interpreter: Source code needs a special environment to run
Compiler: Needs to be compiled for a particular architecture
Interpreter: Can run on any architecture that has the translator/interpreter
Complier: Entire source code file is translated at once
Interpreter: Code is translated line by line
Compiler: Provides error report at the end of the compilation
Interpreter: Errors more obvious in the sequence
Compiler: The program source code is not available (so helps protect IP)
Interpreter: Source code is available
Compiler: Only has to be translated once (affecting the speed of execution)
Interpreter: Has to be translated each time, therefore (affecting the speed of execution)
Compiler: Requires two files to be maintained (one for execution and for editing purposes)
Interpreter: Requires only one file to be maintained