AQA 7517 4.9.2.3: Wireless networking
The free BugBot lesson that teach this point, a robot to try it on, and the past-paper questions that test it.
What it covers
At GCSE (F10.4) a topology was the shape of a network: star, bus, ring or mesh. At A level you need to separate two ideas. The physical topology is how the devices are actually cabled together. The logical topology is how data actually flows between them. The two need not match, and the most common example of a mismatch is the network you are probably using now: Wi-Fi.
- Bus and star, physically
- Physical star, logical bus
- Wireless networking
- CSMA/CA
Or do it in the simulator, with tasks that mark themselves
Lessons that teach it
- A12.2 Topologies and wireless networks Networks and the web
Physical and logical bus and star; Wi-Fi, SSIDs, WPA2 and CSMA/CA with RTS/CTS.
Try it on a robot
The task from A12.2 Topologies and wireless networks, running here. Change the program and press Run.
The specification is AQA's own document; this page says which of our lessons teach point 4.9.2.3 and is not endorsed by the board.