OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277) · Computer systems (Paper 1) › Networks, connections and protocols › Wired and wireless networks, protocols and layers
Practise Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. 11 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
Written for this site in the style of OCR exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy3 marks
(a) State one advantage of a wired (Ethernet) connection compared with a wireless connection.[1]
(b) State one advantage of a wireless connection compared with a wired connection.[1]
(c) Which type of connection is most suitable for connecting wireless headphones to a phone? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
Ethernet
Bluetooth
Fibre optic cable
Wi-Fi
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
faster / more reliable / less affected by interference / more secure
(b)
users can move around / no cables are needed / easy to add new devices / cheaper to set up
(c)Answer: Bluetooth
Question 2Medium4 marks
Compare Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections.[4]
Show the answer and mark scheme
Ethernet is usually faster / has a higher bandwidth than Wi-Fi
Ethernet is more reliable / less affected by interference; Wi-Fi signals are weakened by walls and distance
Ethernet is more secure because physical access to a cable is needed; Wi-Fi signals can be intercepted, so encryption is essential
Wi-Fi lets users move around / connect without cables
Ethernet cables cost money to install / can be a trip hazard / may need holes drilled in walls
Wi-Fi makes it easy to add new devices
Question 3Hard6 marks
An esports café has 30 gaming PCs at fixed desks, a seating area where customers use their own laptops and phones, and wireless game controllers that are used with some of the PCs.
Recommend the most suitable type of connection for the gaming PCs, for the customers' own devices and for the game controllers. Justify each recommendation.[6]
Show the answer and mark scheme
gaming PCs: Ethernet
high bandwidth / low latency / reliable, which matters for online gaming, and the PCs do not move
customers' devices: Wi-Fi
customers can connect their own devices without cables and move around the café
game controllers: Bluetooth
short range and low power, and the controller pairs directly with its PC