Learning objectives
Describe star, mesh and hybrid topologies, and compare them on reliability, transmission speed, scalability, data collisions and cost for home, small-office and enterprise networks
(HL) Describe the functions of DNS, DHCP, file, mail, proxy and web servers, and evaluate a server arrangement for scalability, reliability and security
Compare the client–server and peer-to-peer models for web browsing, email, online banking, file sharing, VoIP and blockchain, and explain how segmentation, subnetting and VLANs improve performance and security
Distinguish IPv4 from IPv6, public from private and static from dynamic IP addresses, and explain how network address translation lets many private devices share one public address and slows IPv4 exhaustion
Compare fibre-optic cable, twisted-pair cable and wireless transmission on bandwidth, installation, cost, range, interference, attenuation, reliability and security, and explain how packet switching splits data into packets with headers that switches and routers forward independently for reassembly
(HL) Compare static and dynamic routing on configuration, maintenance, complexity, resource use, convergence and scalability, and recommend one for a network of a given size
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