Networks By: Nikki Small

Networks

One way to categorize the different

types of computer network designs

is by their scope or scale.

History of Networks Designs

For historical reasons the

networking industry refers to nearly

every type of design as some kind of

area network.

Common Types of Networks

◦ LAN - Local Area Network

◦ WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network

◦ WAN - Wide Area Network

◦ MAN - Metropolitan Area Network

◦ SAN - Storage Area Network, System Area

Network, Server Area Network, or

sometimes Small Area Network

Common Types of Networks

◦ CAN - Campus Area Network, Controller

Area Network, or sometimes Cluster Area

Network

◦ PAN - Personal Area Network

◦ DAN - Desk Area Network

Fact

LAN and WAN were the original

categories of area networks,

Note that these network types are a

separate concept

LAN - Local Area Network

A LAN connects network devices over a

relatively short distance.

Contin.

In addition to operating in a limited space,

LANs are also typically owned, controlled,

and managed by a single person or

organization.

They also tend to use certain connectivity

technologies, primarily Ethernet and

Token Ring.

WAN - Wide Area Network

A WAN spans a large physical distance.

The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning

the Earth.

MAN- Metropolitan Area Network

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a

network that interconnects users with

computer resources in a geographic area

Contin.

The term is applied to the

interconnection of networks in a city into

a single larger network

Examples of metropolitan area networks

of various sizes can be found in the

metropolitan areas of London, England;

Lodz, Poland; and Geneva, Switzerland.

SAN- Storage Area Network

A storage area network (SAN) is a high-

speed special-purpose network that

interconnects different kinds of data

Typically, a storage area network is part of

the overall network of computing

resources for an enterprise.

References

http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/defin

ition/metropolitan-area-network-MAN

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basicn

etworkingconcepts/a/network_types.htm

http://www.mysecurecyberspace.com/encycl

opedia/index/local-area-network-lan.html

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MAN.h

tml