ICT Systems and Applications
ICT Systems and Applications
This domain connects infrastructure to what runs on it. Candidates must understand applications and their demands: data networking (Ethernet speeds), wireless (Wi-Fi coverage/capacity, access point placement, PoE), voice/VoIP, video, building automation/ IoT, and security systems (CCTV, access control). Know PoE standards and power budgets, and how PoE affects cable choice and heat.
Understand network architecture basics: LAN/WAN, switching, routing, VLANs, and the difference between coverage and capacity in wireless design. Know that wireless capacity often drives AP density more than coverage. Understand convergence: one cabling infrastructure serving voice, data, video, and building systems.
Traps: designing Wi-Fi for coverage only and ignoring capacity; forgetting PoE power budgets and cable heating; assuming all devices need the same cabling category; and confusing logical (VLAN) with physical separation. Questions often give a scenario (e.g., a warehouse with high ceilings or a dense office) and ask for the most appropriate design response.
Worked example: A dense open office needs reliable Wi-Fi. Coverage-only design places few APs; capacity design places more APs to serve many clients per area and reduces cell size. The correct answer addresses client density and capacity, not just signal reach, and confirms PoE budget and cabling support the AP count.