Lesson T4.1.2

T4.1.2 How computer systems communicate Quiz: KS3 Computing, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson T4.1.2, How computer systems communicate: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Computing (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Computer systems, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What is a protocol in computer networking?

    • A set of agreed rules that devices follow when they send and receive data
    • A password that a user enters to gain access to a shared network drive
    • A program that removes viruses from a computer that is connected to the internet
    • A physical cable that joins two computers so they can exchange files together

  2. What is the main job of a router in a home network?

    • To store all the files that every device on the home network needs to share
    • To send data packets between the home network and other networks such as the internet
    • To print documents for every device connected to the same wireless network
    • To display the internet pages that the user chooses to view on a screen

  3. What does a switch do on a local area network?

    • It converts a wireless signal into a wired signal for use by a separate network
    • It stores a backup of every file that is sent between computers on the network
    • It protects the network from viruses by blocking all files sent from outside it
    • It connects devices in the same network and sends each data packet to its destination

  4. When data is sent across the internet, what is it split into?

    • Bytes of colour information that are sent one after another to the screen
    • Protocols, which carry the data as a single block of information to the user
    • Packets, which are sent separately and reassembled at the destination
    • Pixels, which are joined together to make a picture on the destination device

  5. What is an IP address?

    • A unique code printed on a network card by the manufacturer for each device
    • A program that checks the speed of the internet connection on a home network
    • A list of websites that a user has visited on a particular device recently
    • A numerical label that identifies a device on a network so data can be routed to it

  6. Which statement about wireless and wired connections is correct?

    • Bluetooth connects devices across the internet from one country to another easily
    • Wi-Fi uses radio waves to send data between devices without a cable
    • Wi-Fi sends data only through copper cables that are fixed to the wall of a room
    • A wired connection is always slower than any wireless connection in a building

  7. What is Bluetooth best suited for?

    • Connecting a whole school to the internet through a single fixed cable
    • Sending large files between two computers in different countries over long distances
    • Connecting nearby devices over a short range, such as a keyboard to a tablet
    • Storing a copy of a user's files in a remote data centre for safe keeping

  8. In a client-server arrangement, what is the role of the server?

    • It requests files from every other device on the network and stores a copy of each
    • It carries out the calculations needed to route packets across the wide area network
    • It provides resources or services, such as web pages or files, to client devices that request them
    • It is always the device that the user sits in front of to type and read the data

  9. A pupil sends an email that arrives at the correct inbox. Which identifier was most important in delivering it?

    • The colour of the screen on which the pupil typed the message in the browser
    • The size of the attachment, which decides the order in which the email is read
    • The font style used in the message, which tells the mail system how to display it
    • The destination address, which tells the network where to route the message

  10. Why do systems use standard formats and protocols when they communicate?

    • So that every device must be made by the same manufacturer and share one brand
    • So that the data is always encrypted and cannot be read by the receiving device
    • So that different devices and software can understand the data they exchange
    • So that the data can be sent without any need for a connection to the network

  11. A LAN is best described as:

    • A type of software that controls how the operating system manages memory
    • A network that spans many countries and is operated by a single large company
    • A single cable that links one computer to one printer in an office
    • A network that covers a small area, such as one school building or one home

  12. What is a WAN?

    • A network that covers a large geographical area, such as a link between cities or countries
    • A storage device that holds copies of files for a network of computers
    • A program that protects a computer from unauthorised access by people outside
    • A network that connects only the devices in one room of a house or office

  13. A MAC address is:

    • A hardware address assigned to a network interface that identifies it on a local network
    • A temporary address that changes every time a device connects to the internet
    • A web address for a site that is accessed through a secure connection
    • The name a user gives to a computer when it is set up on a shared network

  14. Which of these is an example of a system communicating with another system rather than with a person?

    • A pupil using a keyboard to enter answers into an online quiz on a laptop
    • A weather app on a phone requesting data from a weather service through an API
    • A student typing a message into a chat window to send to a friend in class
    • A teacher projecting a slide onto a screen for the whole class to read together

  15. Why does a router use a routing table?

    • To count how many pages have been printed by each device in the network
    • To change the colour of the signal so it can pass through walls more easily
    • To store the passwords of all the devices that are connected to the router
    • To decide the best route for each packet to take towards its destination

  16. Which is a benefit of a network compared with standalone computers?

    • Users can share files, printers and other resources across the network
    • The computers no longer need any power supply because the network supplies it
    • Each computer can run more programs at once than it could on its own
    • The network removes the need for users to log in before they access files

  17. What is the main risk of an open public Wi-Fi network with no password?

    • The network will delete all the files stored on the devices that connect to it
    • The router will print every web page that a user visits on a connected printer
    • The connection will become a wired one, which is slower than before for users
    • Other people nearby may be able to intercept data sent over the network

  18. A pupil uses a USB cable to connect a phone to a laptop to copy photos. What does this show?

    • The laptop automatically sends every photo on the phone to the internet for backup
    • USB cables can only carry text and cannot send image files between two devices
    • Phones can only communicate with laptops through a wireless network at all times
    • Devices can communicate through a wired connection that follows a standard interface

  19. Which best describes data sent as packets being reassembled at the destination?

    • Each packet carries addressing and order information so the full message can be rebuilt
    • Each packet is sent to every device on the network so that one of them can reply
    • Packets are compressed into a single file that is stored on the sending device only
    • Packets are printed out in order so that the receiver can read the message by hand

  20. What is the main purpose of a firewall on a network?

    • To give each device on the network its own unique physical hardware address
    • To convert wireless signals into wired signals for the devices in the building
    • To speed up every connection by storing a copy of each web page for later use
    • To block unauthorised traffic while allowing approved connections to pass through

All KS3 Computing quizzes