2. Communication
Networks (LAN/WAN, client–server, peer-to-peer, thin and thick clients), topologies, cloud computing, wired and wireless media, LAN hardware, Ethernet, bit streaming, the internet's infrastructure, IP addressing, URLs and DNS.
Statometer72CoreNext Paper 176%Everything for this topic — study hub
AS Level · 9618 · Paper 1
This topic is rows 5–7 of the study route.Open it on your study route
Statometer — what 33 real papers say about this topic and each of its 3 syllabus bullets
Core · #8 of 12 in AS Level · recomputed with every new session
A regular, well-paid topic — you cannot afford a gap here.
- Next Paper 1
- 76%
- 8 in 10 chance it is set
- Marks a paper
- 12.5 / 75
- 17% of Paper 1 · fair share 13%
- Appeared in
- 28 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings 2021–2026
- Last set
- May/Jun 2026
- 9618/11 · Q7 · 13 marks · 11-series streak
What the papers say
- Set in 28 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — about 8 papers in 10.
- Worth about 12.5 marks a paper (17% of Paper 1, 1.3× its fair share).
- Last set May/Jun 2026 · 9618/11 · Q7 for 13 marks — in the most recent series.
- Set in each of the last 11 series without a miss.
- Easing off: about 15.1 marks a paper earlier, 11 in the latest years — still examined, just smaller.
- Lives on “Describe” and “State” — 80% of its questions: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- 37% of its questions involve a diagram, table or figure — practise with pen and paper.
- 43% of its questions are set out as code, pseudocode or a table to complete.
- Most of its marks (51%) come in extended questions of 12+ marks — plan the answer before writing.
- Its biggest question so far: 20 marks (May/Jun 2023 · 9618/11 · Q4).
- Inside the topic, §2.1 Media and LAN hardware carries the most marks (42%) and §2.1 Networks the least (27%).
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 85%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
- The examiner has commented on 61 of its questions — read “What the examiner said” before you practise.
Command words
Share of questions using the word (a question can use several). What each wants →
Question shapes
- ≤ 6 mk19
- 7–9 mk16
- 10–12 mk18
- 13–15 mk16
- 16+ mk10
Average 10.4 marks a question · 37% with a figure or table · 43% with code · biggest 20 marks
Assessment objectives — how it is examined
Every part of every current-syllabus question filed under Cambridge's AO1 / AO2 / AO3 (from its command word and what it asks you to do), so you know whether this topic pays for definitions, for applying, or for judging and building.
- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
Paper 1 as a whole
| Paper 1 | Syllabus | Measured |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 Knowledge & understanding | 60% | 68% |
| AO2 Apply & analyse | 40% | 32% |
| AO3 Design, program & evaluate | 0% | 0% |
Syllabus = Cambridge's grid; measured = the bank's current-syllabus papers.
Inside the topic — every syllabus bullet, measured
Each part of each question is filed under the bullet it examines; the numbers are per Paper 1 sitting, exactly like the topic's. Open a bullet for its own Statometer.
2.1Networks#10 of 25 on Paper 1Core · 6863% next paper4.2 marks24/33 sittings↘ May/Jun 2026Core · 6863%
4.2 · 27% of topic24/33May/Jun 2026latest series · ↘A regular earner inside the topic — most papers touch it.Syllabus: networking devices; LAN vs WAN; client-server vs peer-to-peer; thin vs thick clients; bus, star, mesh and hybrid topologies; public and private cloud computing
- Next Paper 1
- 63%
- 6 in 10
- Marks a paper
- 4.2
- 6% of the paper · 27% of the topic
- Asked in
- 24 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings · 41 questions
- Last asked
- May/Jun 2026
- 9618/11 · Q7 · 6 marks · 11-series streak
- Asked in 24 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — about 7 papers in 10.
- About 4.2 marks a paper (6% of Paper 1; 27% of the topic's marks across its 3 bullets).
- Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 9618/11 · Q7 (6 marks) — in the most recent series.
- Asked in each of the last 11 series.
- Easing: 5.2 → 3.5 marks a paper.
- Usually “Describe” or “Explain”: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Biggest chunk of marks so far: 12 in May/Jun 2025 · 9618/12 · Q6.
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 88%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings↘ EasingAssessment objectives
AO1 88%- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
- Describe73%
- Explain42%
- Give42%
- Complete39%
2.1Media and LAN hardware#11 of 25 on Paper 1Core · 6866% next paper4 marks24/33 sittings↘ May/Jun 2026Core · 6866%
4 · 42% of topic24/33May/Jun 2026latest series · ↘A regular earner inside the topic — most papers touch it.Syllabus: wired (copper, fibre) vs wireless (radio, microwave, satellite); switch, server, NIC/WNIC, WAP, bridge, repeater; the router; Ethernet and CSMA/CD; bit streaming
- Next Paper 1
- 66%
- 7 in 10
- Marks a paper
- 4
- 5% of the paper · 42% of the topic
- Asked in
- 24 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings · 57 questions
- Last asked
- May/Jun 2026
- 9618/11 · Q7 · 6 marks · 11-series streak
- Asked in 24 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — about 7 papers in 10.
- About 4 marks a paper (5% of Paper 1; 42% of the topic's marks across its 3 bullets).
- Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 9618/11 · Q7 (6 marks) — in the most recent series.
- Asked in each of the last 11 series.
- Easing: 4.5 → 3.9 marks a paper.
- Usually “Describe” or “Explain”: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Biggest chunk of marks so far: 11 in May/Jun 2025 · 9618/11 · Q2.
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 82%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings↘ EasingAssessment objectives
AO1 82%AO2 19%- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
- Describe65%
- Explain42%
- State42%
- Give42%
2.1The internet#18 of 25 on Paper 1Regular · 4254% next paper2 marks19/33 sittings↘ May/Jun 2026Regular · 4254%
2 · 31% of topic19/33May/Jun 2026latest series · ↘Set most sessions for a few marks; know the definition and one example.Syllabus: WWW vs internet; modems, PSTN, dedicated lines and cell networks; IPv4/IPv6, subnetting, public/private and static/dynamic addresses; URLs and DNS
- Next Paper 1
- 54%
- 5 in 10
- Marks a paper
- 2
- 3% of the paper · 31% of the topic
- Asked in
- 19 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings · 45 questions
- Last asked
- May/Jun 2026
- 9618/11 · Q7 · 1 marks · 8-series streak
- Asked in 19 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — about 6 papers in 10.
- About 2 marks a paper (3% of Paper 1; 31% of the topic's marks across its 3 bullets).
- Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 9618/11 · Q7 (1 marks) — in the most recent series.
- Asked in each of the last 8 series.
- Easing: 2.8 → 1.5 marks a paper.
- Usually “Describe” or “Explain”: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Biggest chunk of marks so far: 8 in Oct/Nov 2025 · 9618/11 · Q7.
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 90%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings↘ EasingAssessment objectives
AO1 90%- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
- Describe69%
- Explain42%
- Complete38%
- State38%
21% of the topic's marks sit in question parts that belong to another topic (scenario questions cross sections) or that no bullet claims; they count for the topic, not for a bullet.
Marks a paper, year by year
Grey years are the previous syllabus (2015–2021, 48 questions) — history, not counted in the rates.
By exam series
- May/Jun15/18 · 15.6 mk
- Oct/Nov13/15 · 11.8 mk
What you need to know3syllabus §2.1
- 2.1Networks — networking devices; LAN vs WAN; client-server vs peer-to-peer; thin vs thick clients; bus, star, mesh and hybrid topologies; public and private cloud computing
- 2.1Media and LAN hardware — wired (copper, fibre) vs wireless (radio, microwave, satellite); switch, server, NIC/WNIC, WAP, bridge, repeater; the router; Ethernet and CSMA/CD; bit streaming
- 2.1The internet — WWW vs internet; modems, PSTN, dedicated lines and cell networks; IPv4/IPv6, subnetting, public/private and static/dynamic addresses; URLs and DNS
Video lectures12ZAK's YouTube channel · play here
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Infographics2draw these the way the examiner expects · download as PNG
Network topologies
IP addressing, subnets & DNS
Key terms16use these exact words in the exam
Code help2referenced to the Cambridge pseudocode guide
DECLARE IP, Part : STRINGDECLARE i, Dots, Val : INTEGERDECLARE OK : BOOLEANIP ← "192.168.1.254"OK ← TRUEDots ← 0Part ← ""FOR i ← 1 TO LENGTH(IP) + 1IF i > LENGTH(IP) OR MID(IP, i, 1) = "." THENVal ← STR_TO_NUM(Part)IF Val < 0 OR Val > 255 THENOK ← FALSEENDIFPart ← ""Dots ← Dots + 1ELSEPart ← Part & MID(IP, i, 1)ENDIFNEXT iOUTPUT IP, " valid: ", OK AND Dots = 4
DECLARE First, Second : INTEGERDECLARE IsPrivate : BOOLEAN// Address 172.20.5.9First ← 172Second ← 20IsPrivate ← FALSEIF First = 10 THENIsPrivate ← TRUEENDIFIF First = 172 AND Second >= 16 AND Second <= 31 THENIsPrivate ← TRUEENDIFIF First = 192 AND Second = 168 THENIsPrivate ← TRUEENDIFIF IsPrivate THENOUTPUT "Private address - used inside a LAN, reached through NAT"ELSEOUTPUT "Public address - unique on the internet"ENDIF
💡 The private ranges are 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255 and 192.168.0.0/16.
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