Networks: 4.1.1 understand why computers are connected in a network

The idea

A network links two or more computing devices so they can exchange data and share resources. Computers are connected because sharing is cheaper and more flexible than giving every user a separate copy of everything. A school office can send a document to a networked printer instead of buying one printer per desk, and staff can open the same shared folder rather than swapping USB sticks. Connections also let users communicate through email, messaging and video calls, and let a central server hold files, accounts and backups that many machines reach at once. Central management means one administrator can update software, set permissions and monitor use across all devices, which is faster and more consistent than visiting each machine. Networks also allow users to log on at any connected computer and still reach their own files.

What earns the marks

• Sharing hardware such as printers and scanners between many users instead of buying one device per computer.
• Sharing data and files through a central store so users work on the same up-to-date version.
• Communication between users by email, messaging or video calls over the connection.
• Central management of accounts, software updates, permissions and backups from one point.
• Users can access their own files and settings from any connected device after logging on.
• Recognition that networking brings costs and risks such as extra hardware, configuration and wider impact of failure or attack.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Thinking a network exists mainly to make a single computer faster.

  Put it right: , the purpose is sharing and communication between devices, not boosting one machine's processing speed.

• Assuming all networked computers must be in the same room.

  Put it right: , connections can span a building or the world, which is why network types such as LAN and WAN are distinguished.

• Believing files are automatically safe because they are on a network.

  Put it right: , shared access increases the need for permissions, passwords and backups.

• Confusing the internet with a network.

  Put it right: , the internet is one very large network of networks, while any set of connected devices is a network.

Exam tips

• Read the question carefully to see whether it asks for benefits of connecting computers or drawbacks, and answer only that side.
• Give a specific shared resource or activity, such as a networked printer or a shared folder, rather than the vague phrase 'to share things'.
• Where an option mentions speed of a single processor, treat it as a distractor because networking is about sharing and communication.