P1/M1 - Connectivity

Centre Number: 61101Candidate Number: 1726

Wired (Via Ethernet Cable)

Wired connection is probably the simplest way to connect. The most common form of wired connectivity is probably via Ethernet Cable. It simply allows you to connect to the internet or any other electronic device that is internet enabled (by either using another Ethernet cable or is connected via Wi-Fi). Generally, they used to be made out of coaxial cable however nowadays are more commonly made out of a twisted pair (two conductors tied together) or fibre-optic. An Ethernet cable is normally connected to a computer from a router or server.

Wireless (Wi-Fi)

Wireless (Wi-Fi) works in exactly the same premise as Wired (Ethernet) but it is connected wirelessly, hence the name. It is only enabled if there is a wireless router in the vicinity.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is another type of wireless connectivity that is commonly used. It is generally only used over short distances and mainly used to transfer data from a small handheld device to another handheld device or a Laptop/Desktop Computer. It uses short-wave radio waves to connect. Due to this short-distance connectivity, it effectively creates a PAN (Personal Area Network) and enables a very secure network

FireWire

Fire wire (IEEE 1394) is a type of wired connectivity that was developed by Apple Inc. in 1980-1990. It provides high speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer (real-time data transfer performed at regular intervals. It is comparable with USB but USB is far more well-known and therefore sells more and much more successful.

USB (1.0,2.0,3.0)

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that defines aspects associated with connectivity (Cables, connectors and communication protocols). It is the one of the most common connection types, and the USB connectors (portable electronic connectors that use the USB standard) are normally colloqualised just as ‘USB’, which is technically incorrect. There are many types of USB and these normally refer to an improvement in speed (e.g. USB 1.0 is slower than USB 2.0)

New - 4G LTE

4G LTE is a very recent connectivity technology used by Apple Inc. in their latest product, the ipad HD. It uses the old analogue T.V signals to transfer and receive data at high speeds.