George FavourTYPES OF NETWORK
There are many types of network. Some of them are:
- Personal Area Network (PAN)
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Wireless Local Area Network (W-LAN)
- Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
- Wide Area Network or long haul network (WAN)
PERSONAL AREA NETWORK (PAN):
A personal area network is a small network that is used by one person or device. It connects just a few devices in a confined area. PAN most times work from one or two main devices.
For example, if you use the Bluetooth to pair your phone or laptop or tablet together or to a headset.
PAN connection can be wired or wireless.
LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN):
A Local Area Network or LAN is a network in one location, such as the corporate office.
A LAN can be server/client or peer-to-peer network. Local area network is networks of devices contained within a limited geographical area.
It is private network in which computers are locally close together, maybe within a building or close locality. E.g. University environment, companies building e.g. computers connected within a department of say a university like computer science department.
WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK (W-LAN):
It operates similarly to LAN. It doesn’t make use of wires.
It’s connections are wireless. It also transmits data within a small area.
METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK (MAN):
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a communication network all of whose components area spread throughout a metropolis or a city. MAN often uses both internal wiring schemes as based switched lines supplied by common carriers.
Example is seen in a collection of computers connected across the branches of an establishment within a city e.g., Fulham.
WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN):
A WAN or wide area network is formed by connecting two or more LANs with a router. Wide area network is a network scattered over a wide geographical area or might even span the globe connecting multiple of computers with thousands of devices in two or more continents. They utilize many types of communication media including communication satellites. These networks are usually public.
WAN grew from a need for organization to share company data for planning, control and financial reporting.
This implies connecting together mainframe and mini computers on a national world wide layer.
George Favour
