CLASS 8

CHAPTER 1: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS

1. Circle the correct option.

a. (i) b. (iii) c. (ii) d. (ii) e. (iii)

2. Match the related options.

a. (v) b. (iii) c. (iv) d. (i) e. (ii)

3. Fill in the blanks.

a. guided media b. bus c. Internet
d. star e. protocol

4. Put a tick () for the correct statements and a cross () for the wrong ones.
a.  b.  c.  d.  e. 

5. Answer the questions.

a. A computer network is a group of computers and other peripheral devices (such as printers and
modems) connected by means of communication links, such as cables, telephone lines, radio
waves, etc. Three advantages of a computer network are:
 Speed
 Communication
 Information sharing
Three disadvantages of a computer network are:
 Security issues
 Dependency on server
 Degraded performance
b. Network architecture refers to the layout of a computer network that specifies how a computer
network is configured to facilitate information exchange and resource sharing. The two major
types of network architectures are client-server and peer-to-peer network.
c. (i) Internet and intranet
 The Internet is the largest network that connects millions of computers worldwide to
share information and services, while an intranet is a private computer network owned
by a company or an organisation and is accessible only to its employees.
 People all over the world can use the Internet for various purposes like accessing web
pages, send e-mails, watch videos, play online games and download data. In contrast,
the intranet has a protecting system to prevent unauthorised access from external
computer networks. Thus, it has a limited number of users.
(ii) Hub and switch
Hub and switch differ in way of handling data. A hub gathers the signals from a device
connected to the network and transmits them to all other connected devices. On the other
hand, a switch determines the source and destination of each arrived data packet and then
passes it only to the intended receiver instead of broadcasting it to all the computers.
 (iii) Guided and unguided transmission media
 A guided media provides a physical path between the communicating devices in a
network, while an unguided media sends or receives the data through air or space. It
does not involve any cable between two communicating devices.
 Guided media is mainly used for small LANs, while an unguided medium is useful for the
networks that need to transmit signals over vast distances.
d. A protocol is a formal set of rules and conventions that governs how computers exchange
information over a network.
e. (i) Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(ii) Wireless Fidelity
(iii) Local Area Network
(iv) Network Interface Card
(v) Personal Area Network
(vi) Metropolitan Area Network
f. There are four types of computer networks, which are explained as follows.
 Personal Area Network (PAN): A PAN is the smallest possible network intended for one
person. It is used to interconnect personal devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile
phone, tablet or any other hand-held device of an individual. The devices in a PAN are linked
together either using cables or wirelessly. This network can cover an area of only a few
metres (less than 10 metres).
 Local Area Network (LAN): A LAN is a network that covers a relatively small area such as a
residence, a building or a campus. A LAN does not exceed an area of two to three square
kilometres. It may serve as few as two or three users or to as many as hundreds of users.
LANs are owned, controlled and managed by a single person or an organisation.
 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): A MAN is a network that covers an area larger than a
LAN, for example, a city. It is basically formed by connecting multiple LANs. It may be owned
by one or more organisations. An example of a MAN is the cable TV networks that are
spread over a city.
 Wide Area Network (WAN): A WAN is a network that spans a large geographical area such
as several cities or even countries. It connects different smaller networks, including LANs
and MANs. Computers in a WAN are often connected through public networks such as
telephone systems. Sometimes, satellites are also used to connect computers in a WAN. The
Internet is an example of a widely used WAN.
g. The way in which the network components (cables, computers and other peripheral devices) are
connected together in a network is known as the network topology. Some of the basic
topologies are described below.
 Bus topology: In this topology, the computers and other devices are connected to a single
cable called the bus (or backbone). This cable has terminators at both the ends. Whenever a
message is transmitted on the network, it is passed to all the workstations connected
through the bus.
 Ring topology: In this topology, the computers and other devices are connected to each
other in such a way that they form a closed loop (ring). Every workstation in a ring topology
has exactly two neighbours. All the messages are transmitted through a ring in the same
direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) until they reach their destination.
 Star topology: In this topology, the workstations are not directly connected to each other;
rather they are connected to a centralised network device known as a hub. The hub acts as a
central controller and the workstations are connected to it via cable segments. If a
 computer wants to send data to another computer on the network, it sends the message to
the hub, which then sends the message to the intended computer.
 Mesh topology: In this topology, each node is linked to every other node in the network.
This enables every node to have direct communication with all other nodes on the network.
h. (i) Modem: A modem (an acronym of modulator/demodulator) is a device that enables a
computer to transmit data over telephone lines. In a computer, the information is stored
digitally, whereas the information transmitted over telephone lines is in analog form. The
job of a modem is to convert data from digital to analog form at the sender’s end and then
convert it back to digital form at the receiver’s end.
(ii) Hub: A hub is a small rectangular device that connects multiple devices on a network so that
they can communicate with one another. It gathers the signals from a device connected to
the network and transmits them to all other connected devices. A hub has multiple ports
ranging from 4 to over 400.
(iii) NIC: The Network Interface Card (NIC), commonly referred to as Ethernet card, is a
hardware device that enables a computer to connect to a network. It allows the computer
to communicate over the network. Earlier, these cards were available as small circuit boards
that could be inserted onto the motherboard. Nowadays, they come pre-installed in the
computers by the manufacturer.
(iv) TCP/IP: TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is the suite of
communication protocols which is used as a standard for transmitting data over networks. It
consists of two protocols, namely, TCP and IP. The TCP is responsible for dividing the
message or file into small packets at the source computer that are transmitted over the
network. Then at the destination computer, it reassembles the packets into the original
message or file. On the other hand, the IP handles the address part of each packet so that it
reaches the right destination. Any computer or a device which is connected to the Internet
must be supported by TCP/IP.

6. Application-based questions.
a. Ambika can connect her mobile phone to her sister's mobile phone using Bluetooth option and
transfer photos.
b. (i) Local area network (LAN)
(ii) Ethernet cable, hub and switch
c. Peer-to-peer network
d. (i) Hub
(ii) Star topology
(iii) The advantage of start topology is that the network is not disrupted even if a workstation fails or is
removed from the network. However, if the hub fails, the entire network breaks down.