Unit 5 Network devices and websites

Network devices
Get started!
Have you ever sent a letter to someone?
Sending things through the post lets users send documents and packages to an address in the
same country or another country.
• Talk with your partner about how a letter reaches the intended address.
• What happens if the letter cannot be delivered to the intended address?

In this unit, you will

You will learn: learn about devices
• the role of hardware in a network that make up a
network, the role of an
• that all devices on a network have an
IP address and storing
IP address
and accessing websites.
• how websites are stored and accessed over
the internet.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Warm up
Walk with your teacher around your school.
Look at all the devices that are connected to
the school’s computer network.
Look at the cables and other devices in the
computer room.
Draw the devices you have seen on a sheet of
paper. Show how the cables are connected to
the devices in your drawing.
Tell your partner the names of the different
devices that you have seen in the computer
room and other places in the school.

Do you remember?
Before you start this unit, check that you can:
• explain the role of servers and clients in a network
• describe the differences between the World Wide Web and the internet
• describe the differences between Wi-Fi® and ethernet.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Networks
Network devices
Learn
A computer network is a group of connected computers that can:
• ‘talk’ or communicate with one another
• share devices
• share data
• share software.
Networks need several
types of hardware devices
to work. Three of these laptop
devices are:
• switches internet
router
• Wi-Fi access points access point
• routers. tablet
switch

mobile phone

servers printer
desktop desktop laptop

Switches
A network switch connects all the other
devices in a network, allowing them to
share information and communicate
with one another.
The other devices connect to the switch
using wires.
Devices that are connected to a switch
include: computers, printers, scanners,
gaming consoles, servers and Wi-Fi
access points.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Access points
A Wi-Fi access point allows computers and
other devices to connect to it wirelessly. WAP
The access point is then connected to a
network router or switch via a cable.
Access points are used to create a wireless
network. Access points allows users to move
from one location to another and continue
to have wireless access to a network.
Access points can also increase the
number of users that can connect to the
same network.

Routers client client client client

A router lets other devices connect to
the internet. It allows several
different devices to use the same
internet connection. printer printer
switch switch
A router sends data to and from the
server server
internet or between computers.
Routers can connect to more than one
switch to form a larger network.
router

internet

For more about

Keywords what a router
switch: networking hardware that connects multiple does, see Unit 9.
devices on the same network and is able to receive and
forward data to the specific destination device
Wi-Fi access point: a wireless network device that acts Did you know?
as a gateway for devices to connect to a network in a
building, school or campus Many modern routers have built-in
router: a device that connects computers to the internet switches and Wi-Fi access points.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Practise
1 State whether the following statements are true or false:
a A switch can connect to many devices in a network.
b A router can only be connected to one switch.
c A router allows the devices on the network to access the internet.
d All devices connected to an access point have to use wires.
e Access points can increase the number of users on a network.
f Switches allow connected devices to share information and communicate with one another.
2 Replace each label with one of the following words: router, Wi-Fi access point and switch.

laptop

internet
Label A
Label B
tablet
Label C

mobile phone

servers

3 Write out these sentences and fill in the correct words in the blank spaces.
switches router network switch Wi-Fi access point
a A ________ connects all the network devices in a network.
b A ________ sends data to and from the internet. It can also be used to connect multiple
________ to form a large ________.
c A ________ can allow devices to connect to a network wirelessly.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

IP Address
Learn
What is an IP address?
When you go online, for example to send emails, shop or chat, you send and receive data.
This data must be sent to the correct destination and come back to your device.

Receiver’s address

Sender

To make this possible, each device connected to the internet is assigned a unique IP address.
The IP address identifies the device on the network and on the internet.
An IP address has a similar role to your home address – it allows website, emails, and all other
data to be delivered to your device.
An IP address consists of a string of four numbers separated by full stops. An example address
is: [Link]

Keyword
Hi!
IP address: a string of
four numbers separated
by full stops that identifies
any device on a network.
It allows devices to
Hello! communicate with one
PC PC
another over the internet
IP: [Link] IP: [Link]

All devices on the internet find, send and exchange information with other connected devices
using their IP address.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Did you know?

How do IP addresses work?
Your device accesses the internet through a router, which is connected to the internet.
An IP address is assigned to your device by a router.
An IP address can change depending on where you are. For example, if you go to the library and
you take your device with you, your home IP address does not come with you. This is because you
are using another network to access the internet.
Instead, the router in the library network will assign a different IP address.

[Link]

laptop

internet [Link]
router access point
tablet
switch
[Link]

mobile phone

[Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]

[Link]

servers printer
desktop desktop laptop

Practise
1 State whether the following statements are true or false:
a IP stands for Internet Protocol.
b Every computer on the internet has the same IP address.
c An IP address is a string of three numbers separated by full stops.
d Some devices on the internet do not have an IP address.
2 How many sets of numbers are contained in an IP address?
3 Tell your partner why each device has a unique IP address.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Storing and accessing websites

Learn
A web page is a way to display information from the internet. A collection of related web pages is
called a website. For a website to be available to anyone, it needs to be stored on a computer or
server that is connected to the internet.

2023

Each website has an address known as a URL (uniform resource locator). The URL of a website is
shown in the address bar of a browser (Mozilla, Chrome™, Microsoft Edge, and so on).
For example, the URL of Hodder Education is: [Link]

URL

The URL of Scratch is: [Link]

URLs are generally made up of letters, which makes it easy for people to remember them.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Computers, on the other hand, work with IP addresses. Computers need to turn a URL into an
IP address.

user

requests response

Keyword
browser URL (uniform resource locator): the
request
address of a given unique web resource
sends
website website
from information
server

website

Accessing a website
1 After a user types a URL, such as [Link] into the browser and
presses enter, the browser has to find the server on the internet that stores the website.
2 The browser sends the request to the router.
3 The router converts the URL into an IP address.
4 The request travels across the internet until it reaches a website server with the correct
IP address.
5 The website server receives the request and sends a copy of the web page code to your browser
to display.
6 Your web browser displays the page on your screen.

Did you know?

What is the URL for
your school’s website? The first publicly available website
was developed by Berners-Lee and
became available on the internet
on August 6, 1991. The site’s URL
was [Link]

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

Practise
1 State whether the following statements are true or false:
a A website can contain only one web page.
b Websites stored on computers not connected to the internet can be viewed by everyone.
c Each computer on the internet has a unique IP address.
d A website can be accessed by typing its URL into the address bar of a browser.
e A URL usually consists of letters.
f A URL must be converted to an IP address before it can be accessed.
2 Tell your partner the names of two popular browsers.
3 Give the URL of any website you have used.
4 Tell your partner how a website is viewed when you enter the URL into the address bar of
your browser.

Go further
1 Which network device can connect all devices such as computers and printers?
2 Tell your partner two reasons why the principal of a school may want an access point to be
installed on the network.
3 What does ISP stand for?
4 Explain to your friend the similarities between sending a letter using an addressed envelope
and requesting information from a website from your computer.

Challenge yourself!
1 Tell your partner if you have internet at home, and if so, the names of the internet devices
you have at your home.
2 a If you have internet at home, find out which company provides this internet service.
b Find out which company provides internet services to your school.
3 Tell your partner how the devices at home are connected to the internet.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

4 Jack wants to find out about the different types of horses. His friend sent him the following
website: [Link]
Tell your friend how a request for information from that website gets to your computer.
Can you find a way to find the IP address of this website?

My project
The principal of your school would like to build a computer network in the school. Provide your
principal with the answers to the following questions:
What devices can be part of the school network?
How would the devices be connected together?
What device can be used to send data to
designated computers?
How would the network devices access the internet?
Give one advantage of building a network.
What would be one disadvantage of building
a network?
How can many people be given access to the
network from anywhere on the school’s grounds?
Draw a sketch of the network. Include all of the
devices that will be required and show how they
will be connected together.
Explain the steps involved if a computer on the
network tried to access the website: [Link]
Make sure you explain any technical terms you use.

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 Unit 5: Network devices and websites

What can you do?

Read and review what you can do.

 I can explain the role of switches, routers and Wi-Fi access points in a network.
 I know what an IP address is.
 I know why each device has a unique IP address.
 I can explain how websites are stored on servers and accessed over the internet.

Well done! Now you know the role of

network devices on a network and how data
is accessed from a server on the internet.

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