Practice A2 Networks with authentic IB Computer Science (First Exam 2027) exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like programming concepts, algorithms, and data structures. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
A university campus network serves 25,000 students and 2,000 staff members across multiple buildings.
Design a network addressing scheme using the table below to accommodate the campus requirements:
| Building/Department | Users | Subnet | Subnet Mask | Available Addresses | Growth Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Dormitories | 15,000 | 192.168.0.0/12 | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Academic Buildings | 8,000 | Not specified | 255.255.192.0 | Not specified | Good |
| Administration | 2,000 | 192.168.32.0/20 | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Guest Network | 2,000 | Not specified | 255.255.248.0 | Not specified | Limited |
Justify why VLANs would be beneficial for segmenting different user groups on this campus network.
A financial services company requires high-availability network connectivity for real-time trading operations.
Evaluate three different network redundancy methods (dual ISP links, link aggregation, and hot standby routers) in terms of their failover time, cost, and suitability for trading applications.
Explain why Quality of Service (QoS) is essential for trading applications and describe how priority queuing and traffic shaping mechanisms would be implemented.
A financial trading firm implements ultra-low latency networking for high-frequency trading operations.
Evaluate different latency optimization techniques including kernel bypass, RDMA, hardware timestamping, dedicated fiber, and FPGA processing. Discuss their latency reduction potential, implementation costs, complexity, and typical performance gains.
Explain the business impact of microsecond latency differences in high-frequency trading.
A government agency implements advanced persistent threat (APT) detection capabilities across its classified network infrastructure.
Develop a comprehensive APT detection strategy covering network traffic analysis, endpoint behaviour monitoring, email security, DNS monitoring, and user behaviour analytics. Discuss the technologies, detection methods, time requirements, and coverage areas for each layer.
Analyse the specific challenges of detecting APTs that employ "living off the land" techniques using legitimate system tools.
A virtual reality gaming company designs a network architecture to support multiplayer VR experiences with minimal latency.
Analyse the network performance requirements for VR gaming including bandwidth, latency, jitter, and packet loss tolerances. Discuss how these requirements differ from traditional online gaming.
Evaluate edge computing strategies for VR gaming, including content pre-positioning, local rendering, and predictive content delivery.
A financial institution detects and responds to sophisticated cyber attacks using advanced network security tools.
Compare the capabilities of different security tools: IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems), IPS (Intrusion Prevention Systems), SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response), and Network Analytics. Discuss their detection methods, response capabilities, scope, and automation levels.
Evaluate the role of Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) in modern cybersecurity operations.
A smart city project implements IoT sensors throughout the urban area for traffic monitoring and environmental sensing.
Explain how the data volume requirements differ between traffic cameras, air quality sensors, and emergency alert systems in an IoT smart city deployment.
Compare LoRaWAN and 5G technologies for IoT applications, discussing their suitability for different sensor types in terms of power consumption, range, and latency.
Describe how edge computing architecture reduces network congestion in smart city IoT deployments.
A data centre implements various error detection and correction mechanisms for high-reliability storage systems.
Describe the capabilities and limitations of different error handling methods: parity bits, checksums, CRC, Hamming codes, and Reed-Solomon codes. Include their detection capabilities, correction abilities, overhead costs, and typical applications.
Explain why Reed-Solomon codes are specifically chosen for satellite communications and optical storage media.
A cloud-native application development company implements DevSecOps practices to integrate security throughout the development lifecycle.
Compare traditional network security approaches with cloud-native security models, focusing on container security, service mesh architecture, and API security.
Explain how zero-trust networking principles apply to microservices architectures deployed in Kubernetes environments.
A healthcare network implements advanced persistent threat (APT) detection using behavioural analytics and threat hunting.
Describe how user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) systems establish baseline behaviours and detect anomalies that may indicate APT activity. Include specific examples of behavioural indicators.
Explain the threat hunting process and how it complements automated detection systems in identifying sophisticated attacks.