Technology · Unit 8
Networks and the Internet
How devices connect and talk to each other
A network is machines agreeing on how to talk, and the internet is the largest such agreement ever built - which is why it works between devices from manufacturers who never coordinated.
The unit covers what a network is, wifi and connections, IP addresses and routers, clients and servers, and the web against the internet.
This unit breaks down into 23 short steps and 120 questions, starting at difficulty 1 and building to 5. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.
- Steps
- 23
- Questions
- 120
- Difficulty
- 1-5
What this unit covers
- Clients and Servers
- The Web vs the Internet
- Wifi and Connections
- What a Network Is
- IP Addresses and Routers
Where this fits
Needs The Internet and Computer Hardware.
Where people slip
An IP address identifies a device on a network, not a person. Addresses are reassigned, shared behind routers, and change - which limits what they can prove.
How the unit is structured
Networks and the Internet runs as 23 short steps that unlock in order. 17 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 1 and climb to 5 as you progress.
Challenge rounds
Example questions
30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 120 in the unit altogether.
Clients and Servers
- True or falseLevel 1
1. A server gives out information when clients ask for it.
Answer: True
That is exactly a server's job: it responds to requests from clients.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
2. Which of these are true about clients and servers? Choose all that apply.
- A client requests thingscorrect
- A server provides thingscorrect
- A phone can be a clientcorrect
- A server always asks the client for help
- Clients store all the world's websites
Clients request, servers provide, and everyday devices like phones act as clients.
- Match the pairsLevel 2
3. Match each part of a client-server exchange to its job.
Answer: Client = Requests data; Server = Provides data; Web page = Sent to the client
The client requests, the server provides, and the web page is delivered to the client.
- Multiple choiceLevel 2
4. When you open a website on your phone, your phone is acting as the...
- Clientcorrect
- Server
- Router
- Printer
Your phone requests the page, so it is the client in that exchange.
- Odd one outLevel 2
5. Three of these act as a client. Which one is the odd one out?
- A computer that stores and sends websitescorrect
- Your phone loading a web page
- A laptop opening an email
- A tablet loading an app
A phone loading a page is the client; the others describe a server that provides a service.
- Type the answerLevel 2
6. What do we call a computer that stores websites and sends them when asked? (one word)
Answer: server
A server stores content and sends it to clients that request it.
IP Addresses and Routers
- Fill the blankLevel 1
7. A ____ directs data between devices so it reaches the right place.
- routercorrect
- printer
- monitor
- speaker
A router routes data to the correct device.
- Multiple choiceLevel 1
8. What does an IP address do?
- Identifies a device on a networkcorrect
- Charges the device's battery
- Cleans the computer screen
- Makes the internet louder
An IP address is a number that identifies a device on a network so data reaches the right place.
- Put in orderLevel 2
9. Put these in order for data leaving your laptop to reach the internet.
Answer: Your laptop -> Your home router -> Your internet provider -> The internet
Data leaves your laptop, goes to your router, then to your internet provider, and out to the internet.
- True or falseLevel 2
10. An IP address works a bit like a home address, but for a device.
Answer: True
Just as a home address tells the postman where to go, an IP address tells data which device to reach.
- Match the pairsLevel 3
11. Match each networking part to its role.
Answer: IP address = Identifies a device; Router = Connects networks together; Home network = Devices in one house; Internet provider = Gives you your connection
Each part has a job: identifying, connecting, grouping and providing the link.
- Guess the numberLevel 5
12. How many bits long is a standard IPv4 address?
Answer: 32 bits
An IPv4 address is 32 bits long, which gives about 4.3 billion possible addresses.
The Web vs the Internet
- Multiple choiceLevel 1
13. What is the internet?
- A giant network connecting computers around the worldcorrect
- A single website
- One big computer in one room
- A type of phone charger
The internet is a huge global network that connects computers all over the world.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
14. Which of these are services that use the internet? Choose all that apply.
- The World Wide Webcorrect
- Emailcorrect
- Video callscorrect
- A paper map
- A wall clock
The web, email and video calls all run on the internet; paper maps and clocks do not.
- Fill the blankLevel 2
15. Websites run ____ the internet, which is the worldwide network underneath them.
- oncorrect
- instead of
- without
- against
The web runs on top of the internet.
- True or falseLevel 2
16. The World Wide Web and the internet are exactly the same thing.
Answer: False
They are different: the internet is the network, and the web is one service that runs on it.
- Fill the blankLevel 3
17. The World Wide Web is one ____ that runs on the internet.
- servicecorrect
- cable
- battery
- planet
The web is a service that runs on top of the internet.
- Choose all that applyLevel 4
18. Which of these are services or protocols that run on the internet? Choose all that apply.
- The World Wide Web (HTTP)correct
- Email (SMTP)correct
- File transfer (FTP)correct
- A printed newspaper
- A handwritten letter
The web, email and file transfer all run on the internet, but printed papers and letters do not.
What a Network Is
- Fill the blankLevel 1
19. A network is a group of connected devices that can ____ data with each other.
- sharecorrect
- delete
- hide
- weigh
The whole point of a network is to let devices share data.
- True or falseLevel 1
20. A network is made of two or more devices connected together.
Answer: True
Yes, a network needs at least two connected devices so they can share data.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
21. Which of these can a network let devices share? Choose all that apply.
- Filescorrect
- A printercorrect
- An internet connectioncorrect
- Their weight
- Their smell
Networks let devices share files, hardware like printers, and an internet connection.
- Multiple choiceLevel 2
22. Which of these is an example of a network?
- Several computers connected together to share a printercorrect
- One phone sitting alone on a table
- A calculator doing sums
- A book on a shelf
Several devices connected so they can share things like a printer is a simple network.
- Odd one outLevel 2
23. Which one does NOT belong with the others as a device that joins a network?
- A wooden chaircorrect
- A laptop
- A phone
- A printer
A wooden chair is not a device that joins a network, unlike a laptop, phone or printer.
- Sort into groupsLevel 2
24. Sort each of these into whether it is a network or not.
Answer: Two laptops sharing files = Network; A phone connected to a printer = Network; One calculator on its own = Not a network; A single unplugged toaster = Not a network
A network needs connected devices; a single device on its own is not a network.
Wifi and Connections
- True or falseLevel 1
25. Wifi lets devices connect to a network without any cables.
Answer: True
Wifi is wireless, so devices connect through the air with no cables needed.
- Type the answerLevel 1
26. What do we call a wireless way to connect devices to a network? (one word)
Answer: wifi
Wifi is the common wireless way to connect devices to a network.
- Choose all that applyLevel 2
27. Which of these usually connect using wifi? Choose all that apply.
- A smartphonecorrect
- A laptopcorrect
- A smart TVcorrect
- A wooden spoon
- A pencil
Phones, laptops and smart TVs commonly join a network over wifi; everyday objects like spoons do not.
- Fill the blankLevel 2
28. Wifi connects devices ____, using radio waves instead of cables.
- wirelesslycorrect
- loudly
- slowly
- secretly
Wifi is a wireless connection, so it links devices wirelessly.
- Odd one outLevel 2
29. Which one is NOT a wireless connection?
- Ethernet cablecorrect
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- Mobile data
An Ethernet cable is wired; wifi, Bluetooth and mobile data are all wireless.
- Multiple choiceLevel 3
30. What is the name of a wifi network that you choose from a list called?
- The network name (SSID)correct
- The battery level
- The screen brightness
- The device weight
Each wifi network has a name, called its SSID, that you pick from the list to connect.
Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.
How you practise
This unit mixes 10 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.
- Choose all that apply
- Fill the blank
- Guess the number
- Match the pairs
- Multiple choice
- Odd one out
- Put in order
- Sort into groups
- True or false
- Type the answer
Practise Networks and the Internet
120 questions across 23 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.
Play this unitRead about Networks and the Internet
Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.
- How Does the Internet Work? A Simple GuideLearn how does the internet work, from devices and routers to servers, packets, and addresses, with a simple guide to what happens when you go online.August 13, 2026 · 5 min read
- How Does WiFi Work? From Radio Waves to Internet DataLearn how devices use radio signals, routers, data packets, and shared wireless channels to connect to a local network and the internet.August 14, 2026 · 6 min read
- What Is a Firewall? How Network Traffic Gets FilteredLearn how firewalls inspect and filter network traffic, use security rules, and help protect devices and networks from unwanted connections.August 17, 2026 · 5 min read
- What Is a VPN? How a Virtual Private Network Protects TrafficLearn what a VPN is, how a virtual private network creates an encrypted tunnel, what it can protect, and what it cannot hide about your online activity.August 17, 2026 · 5 min read
More units in Technology
- What is Technology?What technology is, and the tools and machines around us
- Everyday TechnologyThe gadgets we use at home and on the go
- Meet the ComputerWhat a computer is and its main parts
- The InternetWebsites, email, searching and going online
- Staying Safe OnlinePasswords, privacy and being kind and careful online
- Computer HardwareThe physical parts that make a computer work
- SoftwareOperating systems, apps, files and updates
- Coding BasicsWhat code is, and the ideas behind it