types of networks

TYPES OF COMPUTER
NETWORKS

Maninder Kaur [e-mail] 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 (LAN)
• A LAN is a 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 LAN
• Speed
• Cost
• Security
• E-mail

• Resource Sharing

Disadvantages of LAN
• Expensive To Install

• Requires Administrative Time

• File Server May Fail

• Cables May Break

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• A 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