Classification of network

Networks typically are classified as: 

LAN

•A LAN is a network that connects computers and devices in a                              

 limited geographical area.

•

•Examples:

qA home

qSchool computer laboratory

qOffice building or closely positioned group of buildings.

•The simplest form of LAN is to connect two computers together or connection of the computers and devices in the office or home.

•A network which consists of less than 500 interconnected devices across several buildings, is still recognized as a LAN.

Advantages:

•Easy to share devices (printers, scanners, external drives)

•Easy to share data (homework, pictures)

•Cost of LAN Setup is low.

•Sharing of resources such as printers hence cost effective.

Disadvantages:

•Power - a good LAN is required to be on all the times.

•Security - each computer and device become another point of entry for undesirables.

•If all computers running at once, can reduce speed for each.

•Area covered is limited

                                               

                                                                     mAN

•MAN is a high-speed network that connects local area networks (LAN) in a metropolitan area such as a city or town

•Handles the bulk of communications activity across that region.

•A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks of buildings to entire cities.

Advantages:

•Efficiency and shared access.

•All the computer-owning residents of the area have equal ability to go on line.

Disadvantages:

•It can be costly (hardware, software, support, etc.)

•

•Security problems

•

•As the network consists of many computers over the span of a city, the connection can lag or become quite slow.

                                                WAn

A WAN is a network that covers a large geographic area (such as a city, country, or the world) using a communications channel that combines many types of media such as telephone lines, cables, and radio waves.

The Internet is the world’s largest WAN

§Cover a very large geographical area : states,countries, continents.

§  They usually communicate at slower speeds (compared to LANs).

Advantages:

•Messages can be sent very quickly to anyone else on the network.

•Everyone on the network can use the same data. This avoids problems where some users may have older information than others.

•

Share information/files over a larger area

 Disadvantages:

•Setting up a network can be an expensive and complicated experience.

•Security problems because exposed to viruses and hackers.

 Maintenance problems. Large enterprises will dedicate personnel to    maintaining their WAN

  

Comparisons: lan, man & wan