[Year 12 IT Apps] VITTA ITA exam 2 - my ideas of errata

[Kent Beveridge]

Russell, when I was going through the exam with my pupils, I came up with the same thoughts on answers as yourself. The information about the cable modems we commonly see now in homes and business apps, is interesting to note. I think that since we often refer to the current modems in homes as 'high speed', we tend to assume that they are digital by default.
I also picked modem instead of router for the LAN/WAN question.
Question 3, I agree, is worded in a rather odd way making the 'right' answer a challenge to pick.
 
Kent Beveridge,
I.T. co-ordinator
St. Brigids Catholic Sec. College
Horsham
email.. kbeveridge at stbc.vic.edu.au
 
|<3|\|7  b3\/3r1D93 ?  ;-)

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________________________________

From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Russell Edwards
Sent: Mon 10/15/2007 2:22 PM
To: Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] VITTA ITA exam 2 - my ideas of errata



Hi Mark, I agree with most of what you have said, just a couple of 
minor points

On 15/10/2007, at 1:36 PM, Mark Kelly wrote:
> Question 1
> Which of the following enables several LANS to connect over a WAN?
> Suggested answer: D. Router.
>
> A router protects a LAN from the outside world, but its role is not 
> principally to enable communications.  I suspect the best answer 
> would be a modem.

The primary role of the router is indeed to enable communications 
between two or more networks. It may include a firewall of some sort 
(=protection from the outside world) but need not.   A modem is not 
necessary as you may have a data link that doesn't require modulation/
demodulation-- though you'd be hard pressed to find one that could 
offer distances that classify as "wide area"!

> Question 3
> Which type of backup uses two sets of backup media and backs up the 
> most recent changes on the second media?
> Suggested answer: B. Differential.
>
> This can't be right.,  The question is very odd.  Two sets of 
> backup media? From http://www.backuptool.com/incremental%
> 20backup.htm...

I suppose what they're getting at is that incremental backups might 
use more than twos set of media. But in fact, the terms are about 
_what_ you backup, _when_ -- not _where_ you put the data (i.e. media).

> A modem is, for most people today, a digital device for ADSL or 
> cable internet that has no modulation or demodulation happening!  
> The question should have referred to analogue modems if it wanted 
> this answer.

No, ADSL and cable are still analog modems. ADSL goes over copper 
line just as dialup, simply using a much higher (analog) bandwidth 
than plain dialup and avoiding the voice band. Cable modems (afaik) 
use an optic fibre data link so again this is a modem, as a carrier 
wave (in this case a light wave) is modulated to transport data.  
Even wireless, 3G or satellite internet will rely on a pair of modems 
(with an electromagnetic wave as a carrier) as part of the link, even 
though the term isn't usually used in reference to them.

cheers

Russell Edwards
Whittlesea Secondary College


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