Campus Area Network

Campus Area Network (CAN) is used to connect some Local Area Network of a single organization with a specific geographic area. It is often used to connect multiple LANs of companies, colleges or universities. CAN covers area ranging from 1 km to 3 km.

Personal Area Network

Personal Area Network (PAN) allows devices to communicate over a short range. Area covered by PAN is ranging from 1meter to 10 meters. It is mostly used to connect Computers, Laptops, PDAs Cellphones, that are connected to each other using wired (cables) or wireless (such as bluetooth or infrared) medium to communicate over a short range.

Wide Area Network

A Wide Area Network (WAN) covers large geographical area such as country. Typical area covered by WAN is ranging from 100 km to 1000 km. WAN is collection of LAN and MAN. Where number of network computer systems and networking devices connected to each other. Computer systems are connected in LAN (also called as subnet), these LANs are connected by using some intermediate switching devices. The message travels from one subnet to another subnet and reach to its intended recipient. 

WAN contain high bandwidth. It has lower data rate as compared to LAN and MAN. It also having more transmission errors. WANs can be owned by public or private authority. The implementation of WAN is done by ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

Metropolitan Area Network

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) covers geographical area upto 10 km. It covers entire city. The city wide network is called as MAN. The best known example of MAN is the cable television network, which covers city and provide television signals to television sets. The telephone network is grew from the earlier community antenna system used for the air television reception. For air television system a large antenna was used to transmit signals. the transmitting antenna is kept at high location than the receiving stations. 

The ownership of MAN can be private or public. Transmission delay and error rate in MAN is more than that of LAN and less than of WAN. Bandwidth of MAN is more than of LAN and less than WAN. 

Local Area Network

The Local Area Network (LAN) is also called as Limited Area Network. LAN covers geographical area 10 m to 1 km. It is privately owned network. LAN is widely used to connect computers and peripheral in a room, building or in campus of upto 1 km. It is widely used to connect personal computers, workstations in company offices and factories to share resources and exchange information. LANs are restricted in size.

LAN mostly uses cables as transmission technology. It also possible to use wireless media for connecting computers in LAN. Traditional LANs runs at speed of 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps, have low delay (microseconds or nanoseconds), make very few transmission errors. Newer LAN operate at speed of 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps. Speed of LAN is high as compared to other type of network. Bandwidth of LAN is less as compared to other network.

Computer Network and Types

Computer Network

          Computer Network is the collection of two or more computer systems that are interconnected to each other using transmission media for the purpose of communication.

        A computer network is a system for communication among two or more computers. Computer networks can be categorized by range (geography of network) and functional network relationship (based on component role).

Classification of Computer Network on the basis of Geographical area covered

1. LAN (Local Area Network)
2. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
3. WAN (Wide Area Network)
4. PAN (Personal Area Network)
5. CAN (Campus Area Network

NETWORK SCALE

sr. No.	Network Type	Area Covered
1	PAN	1 M to 10 M
2	LAN	10 M to 1 KM
3	CAN	1 KM to 3 KM
4	MAN	1 KM to 10 KM
5	WAN	100 KM to 1000 KM

Classification of Computer Network on the basis of Component Role

1. Client Server network relationship
2. Peer to Peer network relationship