Types of networks:
The networks are classified into the following based upon the amount of geographical area that covers.
1. Personal Area Network(PAN):
It is used to connect devices situated in a small radius by using guided media or unguided media
2. Local Area Network (LAN):
This is used to connect computers in a single room, rooms within a building or buildings of one location by using twisted pair wire or coaxial cable. Here the computers can share Hardware and software. Data transfer rate is high and error rate is less,
eg:
The computers connected in a school lab.
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN):
A Metropolitan Area Network is a network spread over a city. For example a Cable TV network. MAN have lesser speed than LAN and the error rate is less. Here optical fiber cable is used.
4. Wide Area Network (WAN): This is used to connect computers over a large geographical area. It is a network of networks. Here the computers are connected using telephone lines or Micro Wave station or Satellites.
4. Wide Area Network (WAN):
This is used to connect computers over a large geographical area. It is a network of networks. Here the computers are connected using telephone lines or Micro Wave station or Satellites.
Internet is an example for this. LAN and MAN are owned by a single organization but WAN is owned by multiple organization. The error rate in data transmission is high. In short
|
PAN |
LAN |
MAN |
WAN |
| span of geographical area |
small geographical area |
a room or a building |
a city |
all over the world |
