Network Geography

• Personal Area Network(PAN):

  • Smallest type of wired or wireless network (around less than 10 meters)

  • Covers the least amount of area (few meters)

  • Examples:

    • Bluetooth cellphone to car

    • USB hard drive to laptop

    • Firewire video camera to computer

• Local Area Network(LAN):

  • Connects components in a limited distance

  • Each segment is limited to short distances such as 100 meters with CAT 5 cabling

  • Consists of Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) or WiFi networks (IEEE 802.11)

  • Examples:

    • Internal wired or wireless networks

• Campus Area Network(CAN):

  • Connects building-centric LANs across a university, industrial park, or business parky

  • Covers many square miles and buildings

  • Examples:

    • College campus

    • Business Parks

    • Military bases

• Metropolitan Area Network(MAN):

  • Connects scattered locations across a city

  • Larger than a CAN, but smaller than a WAN

  • Covers up to a 25 mile radius in larger cities

  • Examples:

    • City departments like the police department

    • Community college with campuses spread across a county

• Wide Area Network(WAN):

  • Connects geographically disparate internal networks

  • Consists of leased lines or Virtual Private Networks tunneled over the internet

  • Cover distances around the country or around the world

  • Examples:

    • The internet(the largest WAN)

    • Connecting two private corporate networks from New York to Seattle