← Years 5–6 Digital Systems

Tracing data across a network

The route data takes across a network, passing through devices like a router and ISP from the sender to the receiver (a server), then the reply travels back along the route.

Part of: 5-6 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Digital Systems & Security — Module 37, 7-8 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Digital Systems and Security — Module 41, 9-10 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Digital Systems and Security — Module 12, IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 3.4 Network Hardware — Module 29, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Networks and Sharing Data — Module 16, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Wired and Wireless Networks — Module 11, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Networked Systems and Access Control — Module 47

Understanding Tracing data across a network in Years 5–6 Digital Systems

What it does: The laptop sends data to the router first, and the router forwards it to the ISP, so the router comes right after the sender in the path. Each arrow joins one device to the next, so the diagram traces the whole route a message takes from the sender (tablet) to the receiver (server). Data leaves your device, goes through your router, then your ISP, and finally reaches the server. The reply is sent back along the route through the ISP and router to the original sender. A full trace includes both the request going out and the reply travelling back.

Common mistakes: The third hop on the data path is the ISP, not a printer. A printer is not part of the route from the laptop to the server. It should be hop3 = "ISP". The reply travels back along the route in reverse order (server, ISP, router, PC). Setting reply = path keeps the forward order. It should be reply = path[::-1].

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Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 31–40) and word search (Modules 21–52).

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Learning
Duo
Which is the correct order for a message going from your device to a website?
Device, router, ISP, serverDevice, server, router, ISP
Matches
device -> server -> router -> ISP
↓
The devices are in the wrong order. Data from a device goes to the router, then the ISP, and only then reaches the server. The server is the last stop, not the second.
Applying
Meanings
Term
data path
Meaning
The route data takes across a network, passing through devices like a router and ISP from the sender to the receiver (a server), then the reply travels back along the route.
Practice
START at my device
Testing
Gaps
path = ["device", "", "ISP", "server"]
Check Answer
Spots
2hop2 = "router"
3hop3 = "printer"

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Quick Questions

1. Which is the correct order for a message going from your device to a website?
A. Device, router, ISP, server ✓
B. Device, server, router, ISP
Data leaves your device, goes through your router, then your ISP, and finally reaches the server.
2. What does the router do at the start of the data path?
A. It passes data from your device on to the ISP ✓
B. It stores the website for your device
The router connects your local network to the ISP so data can travel onward. It does not store websites.
3. When a server answers your request, where does the reply go?
A. It stays on the server until you ask again
B. It travels back along the route to your device ✓
The reply is sent back along the route through the ISP and router to the original sender.
4. True or false: Data jumps straight from your device to a server without passing through other devices.
A. True
B. False ✓
Data passes through devices such as a router and an ISP on its way to the server.
5. In a diagram of the data path, what do the arrows show?
A. The direction the data travels ✓
B. How fast each device is
Arrows in a path diagram show which way the message moves, and a second arrow can show the reply coming back.

Match the Pairs

device -> router -> ISP -> server → The path a request takes from the sender's device across the network to the server that will receive it
server -> ISP -> router -> device → The reply travelling back along the route to the device that sent the request
The first stop for data leaving a device on a home network is the router, which passes it on towards the ISP → laptop -> router -> ISP
A path diagram for a message uses arrows to show each device the data passes through, in order, from sender to receiver → tablet -> router -> ISP -> server
device -> server -> router -> ISP → The devices are in the wrong order. Data from a device goes to the router, then the ISP, and only then reaches the server. The server is the last stop, not the second.
device -> router -> ISP -> server (no reply) → The path only shows the data going one way. The server sends a reply that travels back along the route (server -> ISP -> router -> device), so the diagram is incomplete.

Key Term

data path
The route data takes across a network, passing through devices like a router and ISP from the sender to the receiver (a server), then the reply travels back along the route.

Fill in the Blanks

1. path = ["device", "router", "ISP", "server"]
Hint: Type the network device that a message reaches right after leaving the sender's device.
2. device -> router -> ISP -> server
Hint: Type the short name for the company that links the router to the wider internet.
3. request = "device > router > ISP > server" reply = "server > ISP > router > device"
Hint: Type the place where the reply finishes, which is the same device that sent the request.
4. Step 1: device sends to router Step 2: router sends to ISP Step 3: ISP sends to server
Hint: Type the receiving computer at the end of the path that answers the request.
5. Step 4: server sends reply to ISP Step 5: ISP sends reply to router Step 6: router sends reply to device
Hint: Type the word for the data that travels back along the route to the sender.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A hop1 = "laptop"
B hop2 = "router"
C hop3 = "printer"
D hop4 = "server"
Line C — The third hop on the data path is the ISP, not a printer. A printer is not part of the route from the laptop to the server. It should be hop3 = "ISP".
Question 2
A path = ["PC", "router", "ISP"]
B path.append("server")
C reply = path
D print(reply)
Line C — The reply travels back along the route in reverse order (server, ISP, router, PC). Setting reply = path keeps the forward order. It should be reply = path[::-1].
Question 3
A print("tablet to router")
B print("router to ISP")
C print("ISP to server")
D print("server to tablet")
E print("ISP to router")
F print("router to tablet")
Line D — The reply goes back through the same devices, so the server sends it to the ISP first, not straight to the tablet. It should be print("server to ISP").
Question 4
A message = "hello"
B path = ["PC", "ISP", "router"]
C path.append("server")
D print(message, path)
Line B — Data leaves the PC and goes to the router before it reaches the ISP. The order is wrong. It should be ["PC", "router", "ISP"].
Question 5
A hops = 0
B hops += 1 # PC to router
C hops += 1 # router to ISP
D hops -= 1 # ISP to server
E print(hops)
Line D — Each step along the path adds one hop, so the count should go up. Using -= takes a hop away. It should be hops += 1.

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