TYPE OF NETWORK

INDEX

Sr. No Title Page No.

1. Introduction 2
2. Type of Network 3

3. Local Area Network 4

Metropolitan Area
4. 6
Network
5. Wide Area Network 9
6. Personal Area Network 11

7. Conclusion 13
8. Reference 14

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TYPE OF NETWORK

INTRODUCTION
Computer Network is a group of computers connected with each other
through wires, optical fibres or optical links so that various devices can interact
with each other through a network. The aim of the computer network is the
sharing of resources among various devices.
In the case of computer network technology, there are several types of
networks that vary from simple to complex level.

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TYPE OF NETWORK

Types Of Network
Computer networks can be classified by a number of different properties
such as capacity, authorization, structure, technology, organizational purpose,
etc. However, the most common network classification method is the physical
or geographical extent. No.
Types Of Networks:
1 Local Area Network (LAN)
2 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
3 Wide Area Network (WAN)
4 Personal Area Network (PAN)

Computer Network is a group of computers connected with each other through

wires, optical fibres or optical links so that various devices can interact with
each other through a network.
The aim of the computer network is the sharing of resources among various
devices.
In the case of computer network technology, there are several types of networks
that vary from simple to complex level.

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TYPE OF NETWORK

 Local Area Network (LAN)

LAN stands for local area network and is the most common and popular
network design found in most businesses and homes. It is a network that
interconnects devices in a limited geographical area. The single defining
characteristic of a LAN is that it connects devices located within a single,
limited area such as a building or a house. However, the scale or number of
devices doesn’t limit a LAN. It can be large such as an enterprise network with
thousands of connected devices or small such as a home network with only a
couple of devices.

A simple office LAN consists of cables, access points, switches, routers,

etc. which connect the devices such as computers and laptops with internal
servers, printers but more importantly allows the connected devices to access a
shared internet connection. More robust LANs include firewalls, load balancers,
network intrusion detection, redundant links, and traffic segregation among
other features.

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TYPE OF NETWORK

 Number/Length Of Components With Their Specifications In Local

Area Network (LAN)
A local area network(LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices
that share a common communications line or wireless link. Typically, connected
devices share the resources of a single processor or server within a small
geographic area. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers,
games or other applications. A LAN in turn often connects to other LAN’s, and
to the Internet or other WAN.
 Components of LAN:
A LAN is made up of three basic elements:
• A. The hardware which is connected to form the LAN.
• B. The software (or programs) which is accessed through the LAN.
• C. The users, who create, work with and manage the various files.
Each of these elements can be divided into a number of components.

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

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MAN or Metropolitan area Network covers a larger area than that of a

LAN and smaller area as compared to WAN. It connects two or more computers
that are apart but resides in the same or different cities. It covers a large
geographical area and may serve as an ISP (Internet Service Provider). MAN is
designed for customers who need a high-speed connectivity. Speeds of MAN
ranges in terms of Mbps. It’s hard to design and maintain a Metropolitan Area
Network.

The fault tolerance of a MAN is less and also there is more congestion in
the network. I t is costly and may or may not be owned by a single organization.
The data transfer rate and the propagation delay of MAN is moderate. Devices
used for transmission of data through MAN are: Modem and Wire/Cable.
Examples of a MAN are the part of the telephone company network that can
provide a high-speed DSL line to the customer or the cable TV network in a city

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 Number/Length Of Components With Their Specifications In

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
 Bridges:
The industry definition of a bridge is a device that connects two networks that
might use the same or a different data-link layer protocol (Layer 2 of the OSI
reference model).

 Basic Ethernet-to-Wireless Bridges:

An Ethernet-to-wireless bridge (see Figure 1-2) connects directly to a single
computing device through an Ethernet port and then provides a wireless
connection to an access point. This makes it useful when the device, such as a
printer, PC, or video game console, has an Ethernet port and no wireless NIC. In
some cases, you might have no way of adding a wireless NIC, which makes a
basic bridge the only way to go wireless. Printers and video game machines are
common examples of this scenario.

Workgroup Bridges Workgroup bridges are the answer for connecting wireless
networks to larger, wired Ethernet networks. A workgroup bridge acts as a
wireless client on the wireless network, and then interfaces to a wired network.
The wired side

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connects to an Ethernet switch that connects multiple devices. A workgroup

bridge offers more robust and higher-end management and security utilities?
with higher prices?as compared to a basic bridge.

Directional Antennae The antenna is an important element of a wireless MAN.

Unlike other types of wireless networks, most antennae for wireless MANs use
directional antennae, mainly because they operate over wider areas. Figure 1-4
illustrates the propagation of radio waves from a directional antenna. This
contrasts with an omnidirectional antenna, which transmits radio waves in all
directions.

 Wide Area Network (MAN)

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WAN stands for Wide Area Network. It is a computer network that

covers a large geographical area consisting of two or more LANs or MANs.
These networks are established with leased telecommunication circuits, in
which two sides which are connected have routers that connect the LAN of both
sides together in a network to facilitate communication.

The roots of WAN are connected to the U.S Department of defense

which developed ARPANET to let researchers communicate and share
computer resources remotely. The connection can be circuit-switched telephone
lines, radio wave transmission or optical fiber transmission. It is used to
exchange data with users all over the world, they can be client, employee,
buyer, seller, student, etc. WAN has the ability to transmit data, image, audio
data, video data over large distances.
 Number/Length Of Components With Their Specifications In Wide Area
Network (WAN)
Wide area network (WAN) is a type of computer network that spreads
over a large physical area connecting one or more local area networks (LAN)
together. The geographical area covered by a wide area network is significantly
larger than the areas covered by a typical LAN or MAN. Internet is the largest
wide area network. WAN consists of different components that combine
together to form a wide area network. 1. Routers, Switches and Modems (Edge
Device)
2. Connecting Media (Fiber, Wireless, Microwave or Satellite)
3. Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
WAN usually connects more than one local area networks together, a router or
layer-3 switch or modem is used to connect the local area network to the WAN.
The edge device advertises the details of the LAN that is connected to it so that

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the other edge devices know which network is behind a particular router.
Similarly, the edge devices also receive the information from other edge devices
regarding the networks connected to them.
The medium used for connecting the LANs to the WAN can be fiber
optic cable or other wireless medium such as radio waves, microwaves or
satellite connections. UTP cabling cannot be used as the size of WAN is
significantly larger than the supported maximum by the UTP cables. WAN links
can also use the ordinary copper PSTN networks for connectivity.
A customer premises equipment is installed at the end-customer’s home
or office to provide the last-mile interface for WAN connection. For home and
small offices, a CPE may be a low cost device which is usually provided by the
service provider on easy installments or free of cost. Large enterprises and
corporate offices use enterprise-grade routers or layer-3 switches as CPEs.
Many large enterprises use their private WAN to connect between their different
offices situated in several countries around the world.
A large public WAN may consist of hundreds and thousands of LANs,
the data from origin to destination is guided by the help of routers installed on
the edge of each LAN. These routers use the routing algorithms to guide the
data packet correctly from its origin to its destination. Commonly used routing
algorithms are RIP, OSPF and EIGRP etc.

 Personal Area Network (PAN)

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A personal area network (PAN) connects electronic devices within a

user's immediate area. The size of a PAN ranges from a few centimeters to a few
meters. One of the most common real-world examples of a PAN is the
connection between a Bluetooth earpiece and a smartphone. PANs can also
connect laptops, tablets, printers, keyboards, and other computerized devices.

connections can either be wired or wireless. Wired connection methods

include USB and FireWire; wireless connection methods include Bluetooth (the
most common), WiFi, IrDA, and Zigbee.
While devices within a PAN can exchange data with each other, PANs
typically do not include a router and thus do not connect to the Internet directly.
A device within a PAN, however, can be connected to a local area network
(LAN) that then connects to the Internet. For instance, a desktop computer, a
wireless mouse, and wireless headphones can all be connected to each other, but
only the computer can connect directly to the Internet.

 Number/Length Of Components With Their Specifications In Personal

Area Network (PAN)

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Wireless PANs feature battery-operated devices that draw very little

current. Sleep modes commonly are used to further extend battery life. Network
protocols tend be simpler than Wi-Fi or WiMAX (to reduce required processor
power), and the transmit power is typically less than 1 milliwatt. In the United
States, PANs for the most part operate in two unlicensed bands: 902-928 MHz
and 2.4-2.4835 GHz. Ultrawideband devices also can operate in the 3.1-10.6
GHz band, coexisting with other radio services by employing low overall power
and ultra-low power densities (watts/Hz). Let’s examine three of the most
popular PAN technologies: ZigBee, Bluetooth and ultrawideband.
ZigBee is a short-range, low-power computer networking protocol that
complies with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. In the U.S., ZigBee devices operate
in the 902-928 MHz and 2.4 GHz unlicensed bands. The technology is intended
to be less complex and less expensive than other WPANs such as Bluetooth.
Although ZigBee is a WPAN protocol, it also is used for telemetry applications
such as automatic meter reading and building automation.
ZigBee employs direct-sequence spread spectrum modulation with a
gross data rate of 40 kb/s in the 900 MHz band and 250 kb/s in the 2.4 GHz
band. Advertised transmission range is from 10 to 75 meters, but like any radio
system, the actual range depends on the environment.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is a privately held, nonprofit trade
association organized to promote Bluetooth in the marketplace and to develop
Bluetooth standards.

CONCLUSION

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In conclusion, computer networking is an essential aspect of modern

computing, enabling users to access the internet, share files, and collaborate on
projects. It has a rich history dating back to the 1960s when the US Department
of Defense initiated the development of ARPANET. A computer network
consists of several components, including network interface cards, switches,
routers, and cables. There are several types of computer networks, including
local area networks, wide area networks, and wireless networks. Network
protocols, such as TCP/IP, UDP, and HTTP, govern the way data is transmitted
between devices on a network.

REFERENCE

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 https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer-network
 https://byjus.com/govt-exams/computer-networks/
 https://www.javatpoint.com/computer-network-introduction

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