WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF NETWORKING?

TYPES OF COMPUTER NETWORKS

• PAN (Personal Area Networks)

- Is a computer network used to interconnect devices centered on an individual workplace.

- PAN can be used for connecting personal devices, which typically involve a mobile computer, a cellphone, and/or a handheld computing devices such as PDA.

- The network is used to transfer files including email, calendar appointments, digital photos, and music. 

- Personal Area Networks can be created using USB cables, Bluetooth, Infrared, or other wireless technologies.

- It generally covers a network range of less than 10 meters and is viewed as a special type of Local Area Network. (Distance range:10 meters ; Interconnection: home network)

 

• LAN (Local Area Network) 

- is a type of network where two to as much as hundreds of computers are connected with each other using a network sharing device known as a hub or switch to enable sharing or files, printers, and other resources.

✓Application of LAN's

- The LAN's primary functions are linking mobile and desktop computers together and providing shared access to printers, file servers, internet connections, and many other services. The birth of LAN's was brought about by a simple goal. How do you share expensive resources and equipment within a group of computer users? What if your employees needed to print their work on laser printers? 

- Imagine the cost of having a purchase separate printers to connect two individual PCs. Not everyone really needs to print at the same time, yet generating hard copies is still a vital part of their works; thus, they need a printer. This doesn't mean though that the company should invest in acquiring laser printers for each individual as these printers will be idle most of the time. The same scenario applies to internet access. It would be foolish to provide each and every computer with its own dedicated internet service provider.

Why not share one subscription among several users? Even more importantly, workplaces now employ specialized computer applications that read and write to a common relational database management system. This means that a database server is set up and shared among several users to consolidate all information into one common data pool. This would be impossible if the computers are not connected through a LAN. The most common type of land hardware is known as Ethernet. in its simplest form it consists a single cable with hosts attached to it through connectors, taps, or transceivers. Simple Ethernets are relatively inexpensive to install, which together with a net transfer rate of 10, 100 or even 1,000 Megabits per second, account for much of its popularity. (Distance range: up to 100 meters ; Interconnection: Building to Building).

  •MAN ( Metropolitan Area Network)

- MAN is a larger network than a LAN. 

- It involves connecting several networks together that reside within a city, town, or metropolis.

- On a MAN, users may be several miles apart, but resources appear on the network just as if they were located within the same building.

(Distance Range: 5 to 50 kms ; Interconnection: City to City).

•WAN (Wide Area Network)

- Is a simply a network consisting of interconnected LANs. It is usually dispersed over a very wide area, and it is not uncommon to see WANs reaching across continents to link office networks with one another in several international branch offices. Setting up a WAN involves the addition of a specialized network bridge called a router to your network, and the use of a transmission medium such as a dedicated leased line from a telecommunications service provider or telco. More modern solutions use a regular internet connection and install a Virtual Private network (VPN) device to securely interconnect two networks together. A Wide Area Network assures the organization of better security since the network can be centrally managed despite the wide geographic reach. Data, voice, and even video communications can be secured with notes threat from outside breaches. The company can provide its own secured email service, servers can securely communicate with one another, and file transfers are faster since they operate on a dedicated link. The internet is considered the widest of all WANs and is the biggest computer network. (Distance Range: 50 to 100,000 kms).