A network joins computers so they can share files and devices. The internet is the network of networks that joins organisations across the world.
The idea
A local area network joins computers in one building or one school. A wide area network joins places that are far apart. The internet is the largest of these. A router sends data from one network to another. A switch joins devices inside one local network. A modem connects a local network to the line that reaches an internet provider. Each device on a network can have an address so that data arrives at the right machine. A web address names a page. The browser uses that address to request the page.
Sharing has risks. A password should be known only to the person who owns the account, and it should not be a word that is easy to guess. Do not open a link or an attachment you were not expecting, even if the message looks official. That habit is how false messages steal account details. Back up important files, so a fault on one disk is not the only copy. A school network can share a printer and files. That convenience is the reason for the network. The safety rules are the cost of it.
The ICT tips guide sets out the papers, the practical, and the mistakes that cost marks. WASSCE ICT tips
What earns the marks
A LAN and the internet are not the same mark. The LAN is local. The internet joins many networks. A router and a switch are different devices. Do not define the internet as "Google" or as a single website. Name the device by the job it does. A safety answer needs the habit, not a slogan. "Be careful online" earns nothing. "Do not share your password" is a point.
Practice questions
These are practice questions in the style of the paper, with a model answer and a mark scheme. They are not a promise of what your paper will ask.
1Question 1
4 marks
(a) What is a local area network? (2 marks)
(b) State one way it differs from the internet. (2 marks)
Model answer
(a) A local area network joins computers in one place, such as a school or an office, so they can share files and devices.
(b) The internet joins many networks across long distances. A local area network stays in one site.
Mark scheme
Computers joined in one place or one site1 mark
They share files, a printer or other resources1 mark
The internet covers a much wider area, or joins many networks1 mark
The local network is limited to one site1 mark
2Question 2
2 marks
State the job of a router. (2 marks)
Model answer
A router forwards data from one network to another, so a school network can reach the internet.
Mark scheme
It sends or forwards data between networks1 mark
A consequence, such as reaching the internet, or choosing a path1 mark
3Question 3
2 marks
State two habits that reduce the risk of someone else using your account. (2 marks)
Model answer
Keep the password private, and do not open links in messages you were not expecting.
Mark scheme
One habit, such as a private password or signing out on a shared computer1 mark
A second habit, different from the first1 mark
Practise ICT with Anna
More questions on this topic are inside glearn, marked as you answer, with the reason written out. The first ones need no account.
What is the difference between a router and a switch?+
A switch joins devices inside one local network. A router sends data from that network to another network, which is how the local network reaches the internet.
Is the internet the same as a website?+
No. The internet is the network that carries the data. A website is one set of pages you can open with a browser. Many websites share the internet. One website is not the internet. All WASSCE ICT past questions