Factors Influencing Digital Communication (Edexcel IGCSE ICT): Flashcards
Exam code: 4IT1
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Define bandwidth.
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Cards in this collection (15)
Define bandwidth.
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be carried by a connection in one second, measured in bits per second.
Define latency.
Latency is the delay between data being sent and received.
Give three things a higher bandwidth can improve.
Higher bandwidth improves upload and download speeds, online gaming and streaming high definition video.
Define buffer.
A buffer is a temporary area of memory holding enough downloaded data to play a few seconds of streamed content.
What condition must be met for content to stream successfully?
Data must be downloaded to the buffer at a faster rate than it is being emptied, otherwise the buffer empties and playback will pause.
Why does a large delay between data being sent and received increase the error rate?
A big delay means more data will be on the network causing collisions, which leads to even more packets being sent as the error rate increases.
How does high latency affect a user playing a fast paced online game?
High latency causes lag, so the game does not respond as quickly to the user's commands, putting them at a disadvantage against players with lower latency.
How does high latency affect a video call?
It increases the time it takes for data to be transferred between devices, so voice and video become out of sync, lagging or delayed.
Name four factors that affect the speed and volume of data transfer.
Interference, the transfer method, blockages and distance.
Why does distance reduce the speed of a data transfer?
The strength of both wired and wireless signals reduces as data has to travel further, so more packets have to be requested again.
True or False?
A wireless connection can carry more frequencies than a wired one, giving it a higher bandwidth.
False.
Wired connections can carry more frequencies, so they have a higher bandwidth than wireless connections.
Compare wired and wireless connections on security and portability.
Wired has better physical security but its location is limited by the physical cable, while wireless is less secure and easier to intercept but its location is only limited by range.
Fibre optic is a type of cable that uses to transmit data on a wide area network.
Fibre optic is a type of cable that uses light to transmit data on a wide area network.
Give three advantages of fibre optic over copper cable.
Fibre transmits data at a much higher speed with a much higher bandwidth, does not suffer from interference so is the most secure option for sensitive data, and can cover long distances without degradation.
Give two drawbacks of copper cable.
Copper degrades over time, which limits its range, and it suffers from interference, which can disrupt data quality; it is also slower with lower bandwidth than fibre.
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