Computer & IT · Topic 3
How the internet works, network types, protocols and online safety.
Learn first
Learn the history of the internet, the kinds of networks, the main protocols and common threats.
Practise
Try each question, then open the answer. MCQs 1–50 of 179.
1.The forerunner of the internet was called what?
Answer: B. ARPANET
ARPANET, funded by the US Defense Department, started in 1969.
2.ARPANET began in which year?
Answer: B. 1969
The first ARPANET link was made in October 1969.
3.Who are called the fathers of the internet for designing TCP/IP?
Answer: D. Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn
Cerf and Kahn designed the TCP/IP protocols in the 1970s.
4.Who invented the World Wide Web?
Answer: A. Tim Berners-Lee
Berners-Lee proposed the Web at CERN in 1989.
5.The World Wide Web was invented at which organisation?
Answer: A. CERN
CERN is the European physics laboratory near Geneva.
6.Is the internet the same as the World Wide Web?
Answer: C. No, the Web is one service that runs on the internet
The internet is the network; the Web is pages linked by hyperlinks.
7.Who sent the first email?
Answer: D. Ray Tomlinson
Ray Tomlinson sent the first network email in 1971 and chose the @ sign.
8.What does WWW stand for?
Answer: D. World Wide Web
The Web is a system of linked documents.
9.What does HTML stand for?
Answer: D. HyperText Markup Language
HTML is the language of web pages.
10.What does HTTP stand for?
Answer: A. HyperText Transfer Protocol
HTTP carries web pages between servers and browsers.
11.What does the "S" in HTTPS stand for?
Answer: D. Secure
HTTPS encrypts the connection.
12.What does URL stand for?
Answer: C. Uniform Resource Locator
A URL is the address of a web page.
13.In the URL "https://cssnexus.com", what is "cssnexus.com"?
Answer: A. The domain name
"https" is the protocol and "cssnexus.com" is the domain name.
14.What is the top-level domain for Pakistan?
Answer: C. .pk
Pakistan's country code top-level domain is .pk.
15.The domain extension ".edu" is mainly used by what?
Answer: C. Educational institutions
.edu is used by universities in the US; Pakistan uses .edu.pk.
16.The domain extension ".gov" is used by what?
Answer: C. Government bodies
.gov is for government; Pakistan uses .gov.pk.
17.The domain extension ".org" was originally intended for what?
Answer: A. Non-profit organisations
.org was meant for organisations, though anyone can register it now.
18.What does DNS stand for?
Answer: B. Domain Name System
DNS turns domain names into IP addresses.
19.What is the main job of DNS?
Answer: C. Translating domain names into IP addresses
DNS works like the internet's phone book.
20.What does IP stand for in "IP address"?
Answer: D. Internet Protocol
An IP address identifies a device on a network.
21.How many bits are in an IPv4 address?
Answer: C. 32
IPv4 addresses such as 192.168.1.1 have 32 bits.
22.How many bits are in an IPv6 address?
Answer: A. 128
IPv6 was created because IPv4 addresses were running out.
23.What does TCP stand for?
Answer: A. Transmission Control Protocol
TCP makes sure data arrives completely and in order.
24.Which protocol is used to send email?
Answer: C. SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol sends mail.
25.Which protocols are used to receive email?
Answer: C. POP3 and IMAP
POP3 downloads mail; IMAP keeps it synced on the server.
26.Which protocol is used to transfer files between computers?
Answer: C. FTP
File Transfer Protocol moves files to and from servers.
27.What does ISP stand for?
Answer: C. Internet Service Provider
An ISP connects users to the internet.
28.Which body regulates telecommunications in Pakistan?
Answer: A. PTA
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority regulates telecoms and the internet.
29.Which body regulates electronic media (TV and radio) in Pakistan?
Answer: B. PEMRA
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority licenses channels.
30.Pakistan's law on cybercrime is called what?
Answer: C. Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA)
PECA was passed in 2016 and amended in 2025.
31.Which agency investigates cybercrime in Pakistan?
Answer: B. National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA)
In 2025 the NCCIA took over cybercrime work from the FIA's cybercrime wing.
32.What does LAN stand for?
Answer: D. Local Area Network
A LAN covers a home, office or building.
33.What does WAN stand for?
Answer: A. Wide Area Network
A WAN covers large areas; the internet is the largest WAN.
34.What does MAN stand for in networking?
Answer: A. Metropolitan Area Network
A MAN covers a city.
35.What does PAN stand for in networking?
Answer: C. Personal Area Network
A PAN links personal devices, as with Bluetooth.
36.Which is the largest WAN in the world?
Answer: B. The internet
The internet links networks worldwide.
37.In which network topology are all devices connected to a central hub or switch?
Answer: A. Star
Star is the most common topology in offices.
38.In which topology are all devices connected to a single main cable?
Answer: D. Bus
If the main cable fails, the whole bus network fails.
39.In which topology is each device connected to every other device?
Answer: A. Mesh
A full mesh is very reliable but costly.
40.In which topology is each device connected to two others in a circle?
Answer: C. Ring
Data travels around the ring.
41.Which device connects different networks and directs data between them?
Answer: A. Router
A router forwards packets between networks, such as your home and the internet.
42.Which device connects devices within a network and sends data only to the right one?
Answer: C. Switch
A switch uses MAC addresses to deliver data.
43.Which simple device sends incoming data to all connected devices?
Answer: C. Hub
Hubs broadcast to every port and are largely obsolete.
44.What does a modem do?
Answer: D. Converts digital signals to analogue and back
MODEM stands for modulator-demodulator.
45.Which device boosts a weak signal so it can travel farther?
Answer: A. Repeater
Repeaters regenerate signals over long cables or wireless distances.
46.A device that connects two networks using different protocols is called what?
Answer: B. Gateway
A gateway translates between different network protocols.
47.What does MAC stand for in "MAC address"?
Answer: B. Media Access Control
A MAC address is a unique hardware address of a network card.
48.What does NIC stand for?
Answer: C. Network Interface Card
A NIC connects a computer to a network.
49.Which cable carries data as light?
Answer: A. Fibre-optic cable
Fibre optics use total internal reflection of light.
50.Which kind of cable is commonly used in Ethernet LANs?
Answer: B. Twisted-pair cable
Cat5e and Cat6 twisted-pair cables are standard.
Test yourself
Each quiz has 50 MCQs from this topic and 50 minutes. A correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer takes off 0.25; skipped questions score nothing. No password needed.
