Follow @ASM_Educational Taking a Network+ exam? here are some network types you should know. What is a LAN ? A local area network (LAN) is a computer network within a small geographical area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, office building or group of buildings. A LAN is composed of inter-connected workstations and personal computers which are each capable of accessing and sharing data and devices, such as printers, scanners and data storage devices, anywhere on the LAN. LANs are characterized by higher communication and data transfer rates and the lack of any need for leased communication lines.

What is WLAN? A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a wireless distribution method for two or more devices that use high-frequency radio waves and often include an access point to the Internet. A WLAN allows users to move around the coverage area, often a home or small office, while maintaining a network connection. A WLAN is sometimes call a local area wireless network (LAWN) What is MAN? A metropolitan area network (MAN) is similar to a local area network (LAN) but spans an entire city or campus. MANs are formed by connecting multiple LANs. Thus, MANs are larger than LANs but smaller than wide area networks (WAN). MANs are extremely efficient and provide fast communication via high-speed carriers, such as fiber optic cables. What is WAN? A wide area network (WAN) is a network that exists over a large-scale geographical area. A WAN connects different smaller networks, including local area networks (LANs) and metro area networks (MANs). This ensures that computers and users in one location can communicate with computers and users in other locations. WAN implementation can be done either with the help of the public transmission system or a private network. What is CAN? A campus area network (CAN) is a network of multiple interconnected local area networks (LAN) in a limited geographical area. A CAN is smaller than a wide area network (WAN) or metropolitan area network (MAN). A CAN is also known as a corporate area network (CAN). What is SAN A storage area network (SAN) is a secure high-speed data transfer network that provides access to consolidated block-level storage. An SAN makes a network of storage devices accessible to multiple servers. SAN devices appear to servers as attached drives, eliminating traditional network bottlenecks. SANs are sometimes also referred to (albeit redundantly) as SAN storage, SAN network, network SAN, etc. What is PAN? A personal area network (PAN) refers to the interconnection of information technology devices or gadgets within the environment of an individual user (typically within 10 meters or 33 feed). These interconnected devices might include laptop computers, PDAs, cellphones, printers, PCs or other wearable computer devices.

References

techopedia.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from techopedia.com: https://www.techopedia.com/

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