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Networkshardware

The document provides an overview of network hardware, focusing on the Network Interface Card (NIC), MAC addresses, and IP addresses. It explains the roles of NICs in connecting devices to networks, the differences between static and dynamic addresses, and the functions of routers in managing data traffic. Key concepts include the structure of MAC and IP addresses, as well as the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 to accommodate the growing number of devices.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views7 pages

Networkshardware

The document provides an overview of network hardware, focusing on the Network Interface Card (NIC), MAC addresses, and IP addresses. It explains the roles of NICs in connecting devices to networks, the differences between static and dynamic addresses, and the functions of routers in managing data traffic. Key concepts include the structure of MAC and IP addresses, as well as the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 to accommodate the growing number of devices.

Uploaded by

amaan2imran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cambridge (CIE) O Level Your notes

Computer Science
Network Hardware
Contents
Network Interface Card (NIC)
MAC Addresses & IP Addresses
Router

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Network Interface Card (NIC)
Your notes
Local Area Network Hardware: Network
Interface Card (NIC)
Network hardware is a selection of essential components that enable the connectivity
and communication of devices within computer networks
Networks use a variety of hardware to function, some of which include:
Router
Wireless access point (WAP)
Switch
Transmission media
Network interface card (NIC)
The exam requires you to understand the purpose of the network interface card (NIC)

What is a network interface card (NIC)?


The Network Interface Card (NIC) is required for a computer to connect to a network
A NIC can be both wired and wireless and allows your computer to send and receive data
over a network

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MAC Addresses & IP Addresses
Your notes
Devices on a network send and receive data, a device needs an address to ensure it
sends data to the correct place
There are two types of network address systems:
MAC Address
IP Address

MAC Addresses
What is a MAC address?
A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier given to devices which
communicate over a local area network (LAN)
A network interface card is given a MAC address at the point of manufacture
MAC addresses are static, meaning they can never change
MAC addresses make it possible for switches to efficiently forward data to the
intended recipient
Any device that contains a Network Interface Card (NIC) has a MAC address assigned
during manufacturing
A device connecting to a local network already has a MAC address, if it moves to a
different network then the MAC address will stay the same

A MAC address is represented as 12 hexadecimal digits (48 bits), usually grouped in


pairs
The first three pairs are the manufacturer ID number (OUI) and the last three pairs are the
serial number of the network interface card (NIC)
There are enough unique MAC addresses for roughly 281 trillion devices

IP Addresses
What is an IP address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier given to devices which
communicate over the Internet (WAN)

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IP addresses can be static, meaning they stay the same or dynamic, meaning they can
change
Your notes
IP addresses make it possible to deliver data to the right device
A device connecting to a network will be given an IP address, if it moves to a different
network then the IP address will change
IPv4
Internet Protocol version 4 is represented as 4 blocks of denary numbers between 0
and 255, separated by full stops
Each block is one byte (8 bits), each address is 4 bytes (32 bits)

IPv4 provides over 4 billion unique addresses (232), however, with over 7 billion people
and countless devices per person, a solution was needed

IPv6
Internet Protocol version 6 is represented as 8 blocks of 4 hexadecimal digits,
separated by colons
Each block is 2 bytes (16 bits), each address is 16 bytes (128 bits)

IPv6 could provide over one billion unique addresses for every person on the planet
(2128)

Worked Example
Computers in a network can be identified using both IP addresses and MAC
addresses.

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Describe two differences between IP addresses and MAC addresses [2]
Answer Your notes
IP address is dynamic/can change // MAC address is static/cannot change
IP address is used to communicate on a WAN/Internet // MAC address is used to
communicate on a LAN

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Router
Your notes
Router
What is a router?
The router is responsible for routing data packets between different networks
An example of data the router can direct is, sending internet traffic to the correct
destination/devices in your home network
The router connects networks together, local area networks (LAN) to the wider internet
which is a type of wide area network (WAN)
The router can manage and prioritise data traffic, which can help to keep connections
stable
The router will assign IP addresses to the devices on the network

Image of a router

Image of how a router connects LANs to other networks

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Your notes
Worked Example
State 3 tasks carried out by a router [3]
To answer the question you must simply identify 3 tasks a router does
1 mark each to max 3 e.g.
Send and Receive packets of data
Connect a local network to the internet
Assign IP addresses to nodes/devices
Converts packets from one protocol to another

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