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IGCSE · Practice questions · NICs, MAC addresses, IP addresses and routers

Two addresses.

Six original Cambridge-style questions on network hardware and addressing, with mark-scheme style solutions.

Original questions All questions on this page are original work, written in the Cambridge IGCSE style. They are not from past papers. They test the same concepts and skills the syllabus rewards.
Keep these straight

Fixed or allocated.

01
Recall
[3 marks]

Describe the structure of a MAC address.

  • It is 48 bits long, usually written as 12 hexadecimal digits (6 pairs). ✓
  • The first part is the manufacturer code. ✓
  • The second part is the serial code of the device. ✓
02
Explain
[2 marks]

Explain the purpose of an IP address.

  • It identifies a device on a network. ✓
  • So that data can be sent to (and from) the correct device. ✓
03
Explain
[4 marks]

Describe two differences between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

  • IPv4 is 32 bits; IPv6 is 128 bits. ✓
  • IPv4 is written as 4 denary numbers (0 to 255) separated by full stops; IPv6 as 8 groups of 4 hex digits separated by colons. ✓
  • IPv6 provides far more addresses than IPv4 (2128 compared with 232). ✓
  • (Any two differences, each with both sides.) ✓
04
Apply
[2 marks]

A company's web server must always be found at the same address. State whether it should have a static or dynamic IP address and explain why.

  • Static. ✓
  • A static IP address does not change, so users (and DNS) can always find the server at the same address. ✓
05
Recall
[3 marks]

Describe three roles of a router in a home network.

  • It sends data to a specific destination on the network (using IP addresses). ✓
  • It assigns IP addresses to devices that connect. ✓
  • It connects the local network to the internet. ✓
06
Analysis
[3 marks]

A laptop is taken from home to school. State whether its MAC address and its IP address will change, and explain why.

  • The MAC address will not change, because it is fixed to the NIC at manufacture. ✓
  • The IP address will (probably) change. ✓
  • Because the IP address is allocated by the network it joins (a dynamic address from the school's network). ✓

Mark this once you have attempted all six and checked your working. It records a Practiced badge on the topic and adds a one-time bonus. Revealing the solutions alone does not count.