Topic: Computer Networks

A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices that
are linked together through communication channels to facilitate communication and resource-
sharing among a wide range of users. Networks are commonly categorized based on their
characteristics.

Networks are used to:

Facilitate communication via email, video conferencing, instant messaging, etc.

Enable multiple users to share a single hardware device like a printer or scanner

Enable file sharing across the network

Allow for the sharing of software or operating programs on remote systems

Make information easier to access and maintain among network users

Types of Network

There are many types of networks, including:

Local Area Networks (LAN)

Personal Area Networks (PAN)

Home Area Networks (HAN)

Wide Area Networks (WAN)

Campus Networks

Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)

Enterprise Private Networks

Internetworks

Backbone Networks (BBN)

Global Area Networks (GAN)

The Internet
Retrieved from: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25597/computer-network (2/2/2017

Local Area Network

A local area network (LAN) is a computer network within a small geographical area such as a
home, school, computer laboratory, office building or group of buildings.

A LAN is composed of inter-connected workstations and personal computers which are each
capable of accessing and sharing data and devices, such as printers, scanners and data storage
devices, anywhere on the LAN. LANs are characterized by higher communication and data
transfer rates and the lack of any need for leased communication lines

Wide area Network

A wide area network (WAN) is a network that exists over a large-scale geographical area. A
WAN connects different smaller networks, including local area networks (LAN) and metro area
networks (MAN). This ensures that computers and users in one location can communicate with
computers and users in other locations. WAN implementation can be done either with the help of
the public transmission system or a private network.

A WAN connects more than one LAN and is used for larger geographical areas. WANs are
similar to a banking system, where hundreds of branches in different cities are connected with
each other in order to share their official data.

A WAN works in a similar fashion to a LAN, just on a larger scale. Typically, TCP/IP is the
protocol used for a WAN in combination with devices such as routers, switches, firewalls and
modems.

Metropolitan Area Network

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is similar to a local area network (LAN) but
spans an entire city or campus. MANs are formed by connecting multiple LANs.
Thus, MANs are larger than LANs but smaller than wide area networks (WAN).

MANs are extremely efficient and provide fast communication via high-speed
carriers, such as fiber optic cables.

A MAN is ideal for many kinds of network users because it is a medium-size

network. MANs are used to build networks with high data connection speeds for
cities and towns.

The working mechanism of a MAN is similar to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), but
a MAN is not owned by a single organization. Like a WAN, a MAN provides shared
network connections to its users. A MAN mostly works on the data link layer, which
is Layer 2 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.