TYPES OF
COMPUTER
NETWORKS
What is
• Network?
A network consists of two or more computers
that are linked in order to share resources
(such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or
allow electronic communications.
• The computers on a network may be linked
through cables, telephone lines, radio
waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.
Different Types of
• Networks
Depending upon the geographical area
covered by a network, it is classified as:
– Local Area Network (LAN)
– Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
– Wide Area Network (WAN)
– Personal Area Network (PAN)
Local Area Network
• A LAN is a(LAN)
network that is used for communicating among
computer devices, usually within an office building or home.
• LAN’s enable the sharing of resources such as files or
hardware devices that may be needed by multiple users
•
• Is limited in size, typically spanning a few hundred meters,
and no more than a mile
• Is fast, with speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps
• Requires little wiring, typically a single cable connecting
to
each device
• Has lower cost compared to MAN’s or WAN’s
Local Area Network
• (LAN)
LAN’s can be either wired or wireless. Twisted
pair, coax or fibre optic cable can be used in
wired LAN’s.
• Every LAN uses a protocol – a set of rules that
governs how packets are configured and
transmitted.
• Nodes in a LAN are linked together with a certain
topology. These topologies include:
– Bus
– Ring
– Star
• LANs are capable of very high transmission rates
(100s Mb/s to G b/s).
Local Area Network
(LAN)
Advantages of
• Speed LAN
• Cost
• Security
• E-mail
• Resource
Sharing
Disadvantages of
• ExpensiveLAN
To Install
• Requires Administrative
Time
• File Server May Fail
• Cables May Break
Metropolitan Area Network
• A (MAN)
metropolitan area network (MAN) is a
large computer network that usually spans a
city or a large campus.
• A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical
area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks
of buildings to entire cities.
• A MAN might be owned and operated by a
single organization, but it usually will be
used by many individuals and
organizations.
Metropolitan Area Network
• A (MAN)
MAN often acts as a high speed network
to allow sharing of regional resources.
• A MAN typically covers an area of
between 5 and 50 km diameter.
• Examples of MAN: Telephone company
network that provides a high speed DSL
to customers and cable TV network.
Metropolitan Area Network
(MAN)
Wide Area Network
• (WAN)
WAN covers a large geographic area such as
country, continent or even whole of the
world.
• A WAN is two or more LANs connected
together. The LANs can be many miles
apart.
• To cover great distances, WANs may
transmit data over leased high-speed phone
lines or wireless links such as satellites.
Wide Area Network
• (WAN)
Multiple LANs can be connected together
using devices such as bridges, routers, or
gateways, which enable them to share
data.
• The world's most popular WAN is the
Internet.
Wide Area Network
(WAN)
Personal Area Network
• (PAN)
A PAN is a network that is used for
communicating among computers and computer
devices (including telephones) in close
proximity of around a few meters within a room
• It can be used for communicating between the
devices themselves, or for connecting to a larger
network such as the internet.
• PAN’s can be wired or wireless
Personal Area Network
• (PAN)area network (PAN) is a
A personal
computer network used for communication
among computer devices, including
telephones and personal digital assistants, in
proximity to an individual's body.
• The devices may or may not belong
to the person in question. The reach of a
PAN is typically a few meters.
Personal Area Network
(PAN)
