Computer
Networks
Computer Network
• consists of two or more computing devices that are
connected in order to share the components of your
network (its resources) and the information you store
there
Introducing Basic Network Concepts
Common Types Of Networks
• LAN - Local Area Network
• WAN - Wide Area Network
• WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network
• MAN - Metropolitan Area Network
• SAN - Storage Area Network, System Area Network,
Server Area Network, or sometimes Small Area
Network
LAN: Local Area Network
• A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short
distance.
• A networked office building, school, or home usually contains a
single LAN, though sometimes one building will contain a few
small LANs (perhaps one per room), and occasionally a LAN will
span a group of nearby buildings. In TCP/IP networking, a LAN is
often but not always implemented as a single IP subnet.
• In addition to operating in a limited space, LANs are also
typically owned, controlled, and managed by a single person or
organization.
WAN: Wide Area Network
• As the term implies, a WAN spans a large physical
distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning
the Earth.
• A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of
LANs. A network device called a router connects LANs
to a WAN.
Other Types of Area Networks
• Wireless Local Area Network - A LAN based on Wi-
Fi wireless network technology
• Metropolitan Area Network - A network spanning a
physical area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN,
such as a city. A MAN is typically owned and operated by a
single entity such as a government body or large
corporation.
• Campus Area Network - A network spanning multiple LANs
but smaller than a MAN, such as on a university or local
business campus.
Other Types of Area Networks
• Storage Area Network - Connects servers to data
storage devices through a technology like Fibre
Channel.
• System Area Network (also known as Cluster Area
Network) - Links high-performance computers with
high-speed connections in a cluster configuration.
[Link]
networks-817376
Quiz
On your notebook
Identify What is Asked
1. It consists of two or more computing devices that are
connected in order to share the components.
2. A type of network that operates in a limited space.
3. A network spanning the Earth
4. A network based on Wi-Fi wireless network
technology.
5. A network spanning multiple LANs but smaller than a
MAN.