1. Networks Keywords Network Hardware
LAN, Packet, Wireless access point (WAP), Router, Switch, Network interface card (NIC), Transmission media, Network performance
Networks
Network Hardware

2. Video
Objectives
BEGINNER: Identify the components required to create a LAN.
ADVANCED:
Describe the role of each component in a LAN.
EXPERT:
Understand what is meant by the performance of a network and explain the factors that can affect the performance of a network.
Starter activity

3. Packet Questions
Objectives
BEGINNER: Identify the components required to create a LAN.
ADVANCED:
Describe the role of each component in a LAN.
EXPERT:
Understand what is meant by the performance of a network and explain the factors that can affect the performance of a network.
1. What do we mean by a packets of data?
2. Why do we need to create packets of data?
3. What might happen if we did not have the correct hardware to guide the passage of the packets of data?
Data transmitted over a network is broken down into packets.
Each packet contains the address of the sender and the address of the receiver (IP addresses)
Packets will also contain a sequence number
Packets will have a time to live (how many hops around the network they can take before they disappear.
Starter activity

4. What is the role of these components?
Objectives
BEGINNER: Identify the components required to create a LAN.
ADVANCED:
Describe the role of each component in a LAN.
EXPERT:
Understand what is meant by the performance of a network and explain the factors that can affect the performance of a network.
Wireless Access Point
Allows for wireless devices to connect to a network (either LAN or WAN)
Includes connections through Wifi and Bluetooth
WAPs provide Internet access in public places (often known as Wi-Fi hotspots)
Network Interface Card
A network interface card allows a computer to connect to a wired network
A NIC allows data packets to travel to and from a computer
A NIC contains a MAC address which is a physical hardware address
A NIC allows an Ethernet cable to be plugged into this
Starter activity
Transmission Media
Ethernet (Cat 5e / Cat6)
Known as twisted pair
A networking standard
Fibre optic
Very fast cable but also more expensive (often used with WAN or larger LANs)
Coaxial Cable
An older networking standard

5. What is the role of these components?
Objectives
BEGINNER: Identify the components required to create a LAN.
ADVANCED:
Describe the role of each component in a LAN.
EXPERT:
Understand what is meant by the performance of a network and explain the factors that can affect the performance of a network.
Router
An interconnection device used on networks to connect two or more devices.
Routers contain a routing table which has a list of IP addresses and common routes for packets to take
Routers examine packets IP addresses
The router will apply a subnet mask to identify a network and determine which network the packet should be forwarded to
If the packet is for this network – the router determines which host to send the packet to
Routers allow packets from different network types to be exchanged.
Switch
If two or more computers place a packet onto a network at the same time – a data collision occurs
A switch is an interconnection device that connects two or more devices together and helps in solving the issue of data collisions
As a data packet arrives at the switch – its destination address is examined and the switch creates a direct connection to that device
As far as the two devices are concerned there are no other computers on the network.
Starter activity

6. Task Complete the Network Hardware Worksheet Objectives
BEGINNER: Identify the components required to create a LAN.
ADVANCED:
Describe the role of each component in a LAN.
EXPERT:
Understand what is meant by the performance of a network and explain the factors that can affect the performance of a network.
Complete the Network Hardware Worksheet
Match up the network hardware term to the definition.
Starter activity
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