The network of the company needs to be upgraded - NSC Information Technology - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 2

For connecting mobile devices to the company's network, Wi-Fi is the most suitable medium as it allows for wireless connectivity and mobility.

1. Mobility: Users can connect to the network from various locations without being tethered to a specific spot.
2. No cables needed: Reduces clutter and installation costs as there is no need for physical cabling.

A local network can still facilitate file transfers and communication between computers, even when the connection to the internet is faulty.

1. Less secure: Peer-to-peer networks are generally less secure, making them vulnerable to unauthorized access and data breaches.
2. Difficult to manage: Managing a large number of computers in a peer-to-peer network is challenging, as it lacks centralized control and resources.

BitTorrent is a widely used peer-to-peer file transfer protocol for sharing large files over the internet.

In a server-based network, a server can act as a resource provider, delivering software, data, and other resources to the client machines.

One disadvantage of using a switch in a network is that if the switch fails, all computers connected to it will lose access to the network, creating a single point of failure.

The hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) defines how messages are formatted and transmitted on the web, enabling the transfer of web pages and resources.

HTTP has been extended to HTTPS to provide secure and encrypted transfer of web content, ensuring data privacy and integrity during transmission.

Data needs to be encoded to change its format for transmission over different mediums, which ensures that it can be correctly interpreted by the receiving devices.

A website is a collection of related web pages that are hosted on a server. A web page, on the other hand, is a single document that is displayed in a web browser and can contain text, images, videos, and links.

The purpose of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is to improve the visibility of a website in search engine results, thereby increasing the amount of organic traffic to the site.

One way to apply SEO in webpage design is by incorporating relevant keywords and phrases into the content, which helps improve search engine rankings.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) works by separating the content of a webpage (HTML) from its presentation. CSS defines styles for various elements such as fonts, colors, and layouts.

When changes are made in a CSS file, all webpages linked to that stylesheet are updated automatically, promoting consistency and ease of maintenance.

1. Exposure to hacking: Public hotspots are often unsecured, making it easy for hackers to intercept data transmitted over the network.
2. Shoulder surfing: Users are at risk of having their sensitive information stolen by individuals observing their screens in crowded areas.

A VPN service establishes an encrypted connection between the user's device and a private network over the internet. This involves authenticating the user, creating a secure tunnel for data transmission, and ensuring that the user has access to the same security permissions as if they were directly connected to the workplace network.

Companies have not abandoned static web pages because they are easier to create and host, and they can be beneficial for providing timeless information that does not change frequently, such as company policies or contact details.

1. Personalization: Dynamic web pages can provide tailored content to users based on their preferences and previous interactions.
2. Up-to-date content: They can display the most current information since they are generated each time the page is accessed, ensuring relevancy.

Metadata is a set of data that describes and gives additional information about other data, such as the author, date created, and file size.

A semantic search works by using the metadata associated with content on the internet to understand the intent behind a user's search query. It leverages contextual information to provide search results that are tailored and relevant to the user's needs.