Types of Network

Networks are classified based on size, capabilities and geographical distance. There are so many types of
networks which provides different services. The various types of networks are:

 LAN
 MAN
 WAN
 PAN
 SAN
 EPN
 VPN
 W LAN etc

LAN (Local Area Network)

 This is the simplest type of network.

 It is privately owned and usually covers the area upto 10 kms.
 It connects computers together over a small distance such as school, office, college, university
etc.
 It has high data transfer rate which ranges from 100 MBPs to 10 GBPs
 It uses different types of transmission media such as Twisted pair , coaxial cable, fiber optics and
wifi technologies to connect the computer.

Advantages:
 It is a cheap & easy to setup
 It is easy to trouble shoot.
 It is easy to maintain.
 It is highly reliable and secure.
Disadvantages
 It covers limited geographical area.
 As the traffic increases on a network the performance degrades.

WAN(Wide Area Network)

 It is slightly complex in nature as compared to LAN and MAN

 It connects computers over a large geographical area.
 It is a collection of multiple LANs and MANs

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  A WAN can be a public systems such as Public Switch Telephone Network(PSTN) where
various services are provided by public telephone authorities or private system like VPN(Virtual
Private Network).
 Its range beyond 100 kms.
 Data transmission rate is from 64Kbps to 150 Mbps.
 Here routers are used to transfer data quickly and securely.
 It uses high speed communication links such as satellite communication, telephone lines and
microwave links.
 The most popular example of WAN is internet.
Advantages
 It allows computer to communicate over a large distance.
 Shares softwares and resources with connecting various workstations
 Shares information and data over large area.
 Message can be sent very quickly to any one on the network.
Disadvantages
 It is expensive.
 It is too complex to implement
 It is difficult to troubleshoot
 Security is reliability is very low

MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)

 It is just like LAN but it spans the entire city or town.

 IT is designed to extend over a city to form a city wide networks.
 It is formed by connecting more than one LANs.
 It is larger than LAN and smaller than WAN.
 It uses high speed connection such as Co-axial cable, fiber optic cables and microwave links.
 It ranges upto 100 Kms.
 Example of MAN is cable TV Network in cities.

Advantages:
 It provides a good back bone for a largr network and provides greater access to WANs.
 MAN can be suitable for Large Organizations as compared to a LAN i.e. if a company has its
branches in the same city.
 It is more efficient and speed of handling and transferring the data than LAN.
 It enables the people to connect many fast LANS together.
Disadvantages:
 It is costly because more cables required for a MAN connection from one place to another.
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  It is difficult to make the system secure from hackers.
 As compared to LAN , it is quite slow.
PAN(Personal Area Network)
 It is a computer network organized around an individual person.
 It can be constructed by using wired(Cables) or wireless.
 Wired technology uses USB and fire
 Wireless technology uses Bluetooth or Infrared connections.
 It covers upto 10 meters area.
 It is typically involved in data transmission amongst devices such as computers,
telephones, tablets and personal digital assistants(PDA).

Advantages:
 WPAN devices are easily portable.
 It needs less technical skills to operate.
Disadvantages:
 Devices with inbuilt WPANs are more expensive
 It has limited range.
 Date transfer rate is very low

CAN( Campus Area Network)

A Campus Area Network (CAN) is a computer network that links the buildings and consists of two or
more local area networks (LANs) within the limited geographical area. It can be the college campus,
enterprise campus, office buildings, military base, industrial complex. CAN is one of the type of MAN
(Metropolitan Area Network) on the area smaller than MAN.

SAN (Storage Area Network)

A SAN moves storage resources off the common user network and reorganizes them into an independent,
high-performance network. This enables each server to access shared storage as if it were a drive directly
attached to the server. When a host wants to access a storage device on the SAN, it sends out a block-
based access request for the storage device.

A storage area network is typically assembled using three principle components: cabling, host bus
adapters (HBAs), and switches attached to storage arrays and servers. Each switch and storage system on
the SAN must be interconnected, and the physical interconnections must support bandwidth levels that
can adequately handle peak data activities. IT administrators manage storage area networks centrally.

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EPN(Enterprise Private Network)

An enterprise private network is a computer network that helps enterprise companies with a number of
disparate offices connect those offices to each in a secure way over a network. An enterprise private
network is mainly set up to share computer resources.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to
send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly
connected to the private network. Applications running across the VPN may therefore benefit from the
functionality, security, and management of the private network.

A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated

connections, virtual tunneling protocols, or traffic encryption. A VPN available from the public Internet
can provide some of the benefits of a wide area network (WAN). From a user perspective, the resources
available within the private network can be accessed remotely.

W LAN (Wireless LAN)

A WLAN, or wireless LAN, is a network that allows devices to connect and communicate wirelessly.

devices on a WLAN communicate via Wi-Fi.

While a WLAN may look different than a traditional LAN, it functions the same way. New devices are
typically added and configured. They can communicate with other devices on the network the same way
they would on a wired network.

As wireless devices have grown in popularity, so have WLANs. In fact, most routers sold are now
wireless routers. A wireless router serves as a base station, providing wireless connections to any Wi-Fi-
enabled devices within range of the router's wireless signal. This includes laptops, tablets, smartphones,
and other wireless devices, such as smart appliances and smart home controllers. Wireless routers often
connect to a cable modem or other Internet-connected device to provide Internet access to connected
devices.

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Difference between Internet, Intranet and Extranet

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Tree Topology

 These network is a variation form of bus and star.

 In these network the terminal computers are connected just like a
tree structure.

Advantage

 Because of, it is an extension of star and bus topology it covers

more distance than bus and star topology.
 It is the best alternative topology.
 If one computer fails, then only that branch may effect but it does not effect other branches.
 It can be easily managed and maintained.
 Error detection and correction is easy because each segment is provided with point to point
connection to central hub.

Disadvantage:

 It is complex as compared to other topologies.

 Communication is slow because it is extension of star and bus topology and covers more distance
than bus and star network.

Mesh Topology

 It is also known as point to point or completely connected

topology.
 In this network all the computers are interconnected to each
other i.e point to point connection where in it requires a
separate physical link for each node to any other node.
 These can be controlled with individual computers by
deciding its communication priority.
 If there are “N” no. of nodes then N*(N-1)/2 physical links are used.

Advantage:

 It is highly reliable because of independent terminals.

 It is highly suited for large networks.
 It provides strong and high speed communication.
 It provides more security and privacy to the user.

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Disadvantage

 It is very costly for installation.

 It is too difficult for maintenance and management.

Hybrid Topology

 In this network, two or more topologies that is ring, star, bus

are used to form a single network.
 In other words, it is a mixture of two or more topologies.
 The exact configuration of these network depends on the
need.

Advantage

 It helps in most of the companies where no topologies suit them.\

 It is more reliable.
 It has better fault tolerance.
 The most important advantage of these topologies is that the weakness of different topologies are
disregarded and strengths are taken into consideration.
 It is flexible and implemented on a variety of distinct environment.
 It is very simple to extent its size.\

Disadvantage

 It is too complex in configuration.

 It is more expensive for large organization.

Cellular Topology:

 It is one of the latest topologies used in networks.

 It is a wireless topology
 In this topology the geographical area is divided into cell or
regions.
 Each cell uses individual devices for transferring data.
 There is no physical link in the cellular topology.

Advantage

 It is easy to install with high flexibility and mobility.

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  It provides voice/data services even while roaming.
 It connects both fixed and wireless telephone users.
 It is used in areas where cables cannot be laid out due to its wireless nature.
 It is easy to maintain and upgrade their equipments.

Disadvantages

 Extra Cost for installation.

 If central point fails then entire communication fails.

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Network Device

Repeater
 It is a physical network device used to amplify a signal being transmitted on the
networks.
 It increases the power of signals, reduce the noise and errors.
 It can extend the network beyond the maximum length to form a single segment.
 It allows different connections by a multiport repeater like hub even if they use different
media.
 It overcomes (decreases) electromagnetic field caused by free space due to cable lost with
attaching series of repeaters.
 In microwave data transmission media, repeaters are used in between 25 to 30 Kms.
 It has basic three functions such as: 1. Receives the signal, 2. Re-times the signal, 3.
Transmits the signal.
 It works on Physical layer of OSI model.
Advantages:
 It can extend a network in terms of distance.
 It doesn’t increase network traffic.
 It can connect different type of media (twisted pair, fiber optic etc.)
Disadvantages:
 It extends the collision domain.
 It cannot filter data and cannot connect different network architecture.
 Limited number of repeaters can be used in the network.
Hub
 A hub is physical network device that connects multiple computers or workstations by a
dedicated cable (wires).
 A hub is a central point in the network that acts like a Repeater.
 Its main responsibility is to Send/Receive signal from Source to Destination.
 In hub the computers are connected to its port and it configures with 4, 8, 12, or 24 ports.
 It is found in Star Topology network.
 It works in physical layer of the OSI model.
 It works on half duplex mode.

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  When a hub receives the packets of data from one computer at any point of its port, it
transmits the packet to all of its computer which are connected to its other ports that
means it works in broadcast mode.
 As the packets are available with all computers, the computer receives the packet whose
address matches with the address of the packet.
 The hub is different types like Active Hub, Passive Hub, Cable Hub, Mail Hub, Managed
Hub, Switched Hub and Intelligent Hub.
 The active hub amplifies the received signal where as the passive hub does not amplify
the received signal.
Advantages:
 It is cheaper than other devices and can connect to different media types.
 It can connect different media types(twisted pair, fiber optic etc.)
Disadvantages:
 It creates collision.
 It cannot Filter the information and passes packet unnecessarily to all the ports of
network.
 Simultaneous connection is not possible.
 It is not an intelligent device.
Switch
 A switch is a physical network device that can connects multiple computer or WS each
by a dedicated cable (wires).
 A switch connects different nodes together like a hub.
 The switch provides 3 types of Switching techniques such as: Circuit switching, Packet
switching and Message switching.
 A switch is a central point in the network that acts like multiport bridge by following Star
or Ring topology and can configures with 24, 32, or 64 ports.
 Its main responsibilities are: 1. Get data packet, 2. Read destination address, 3. Determine
port number, 4. Establish a temporary connection, 5. Send data packets, 6. Terminates the
connection.
 It is an Intelligent device than hub because it maintains a bridging table and MAC (media
access control) address to keep tracks of which hardware address are located in which
network segments.
 It works at Data Link Layer of OSI model.

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  It works on Full Duplex Mode.
 It acts like hub and filters like Bridge.
Advantages:
 It limits the collision.
 It provides more privacy for sender and receiver.
 It is an intelligent device as compared to Hub.
 Switches are more hardware oriented as compared to bridge.
 The cost to number of ports ratio is best. i.e for a cheaper cost you get switches with more
number of ports available than Routers.
Disadvantages:
 It is little expensive.
 It has a complex configuration than hub.
 Not as good as a router in limiting Broadcasts.
 Handling Multicast (single sender multiple receivers) packets needs quite a bit of
configuration & proper designing
Bridge
 A Bridge is a device that can transmit data between two similar type of networks. E.g
(between two LANs)
 The efficiency of the network decreases for a big network. So the network is broken into
two or more networks and a bridge is used to join them.
 When a packet enters a bridge, it reads the address contained in the packet and compares
the address of all the nodes in both the networks.
 When the bridge finds a match in the same network then it blocks the data to pass
through the bridge.
 If the destination address is found in other network then bridge allows to pass the data
packet to the destination address.
Advantages:
 Bridges can extend a network by acting as a repeater.
 Bridges can reduce network traffic by dividing the network.
 Bridges increase the available bandwidth to individual nodes because fewer nodes share a
collision domain.
 Bridges reduce collisions.
 Some bridges connect networks using different media types and architectures.

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Disadvantages:
 It is more expensive and slower than a Repeater.
 The broadcast packets cannot be filtered.

Gateway
 A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network.
 Basically it is used to connect two different types of network.
 it works in LAN, MAN and WAN environments.
 It allows different networks to communicate by offering a translation service from one protocol
stack to another.
 They work at all levels of OSI model due to the type of translation service they are providing.
Advantages:
 It can connect backbone networking to form a larger WAN.
 It does not increase the network traffic.
 It can connect different type of media
Disadvantages:
 It cannot filter outgoing and incoming data.
 It extends the data collision.

Routers

 A router is a special purpose dedicated device that is attached to two or more networks.
 It is an intelligent and smartest device.
 It is located at any gateway to choose the best route along the network.
 It works on the Network layer of OSI model.
 It allows checking the address of incoming packets and decides the best rout towards its
destination end.
 Its two primary functions are i) to determine the ‘Best Path’ and ii) to share details of routes with
other routers.
 It uses Routing Table – a database which keeps track of the routes to networks and the associated
costs.
 It can be of 2 types such as: 1. Static Router and 2. Dynamic Router. And both these can work on
any environment like LAN, MAN, and/or WAN.
 Static Routing: Its routes are manually configured by a network administrator.

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  Dynamic Routing: Its routes are adjusted automatically to changes in network topology.

Advantages:

 It limits the collision.

 It connects different media and achitectjure.
 It can works on any environment i.e. LAN, MAN and WAN.
 It can determine the best rout with filtering each packet.

Disadvantages:
 It is more expensive and slower than a Bridge.
 Due to use of Routable Protocol it is difficult to configure.
 It must use routing protocol.
NIC

 Network Interface Card is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a

computer network.
 It provides a communication channel between computer’s motherboard and the network.
 The NIC contains the electronic circuitry required to communicate using a wired connection
(e.g., Ethernet) or a wireless connection (e.g., WiFi).
 It works on a specific Physical layer and Data Link Layer of OSI model through Ethernet or Wi-
Fi.
 It needs device drivers for network adapter and OS.
 Each NIC has unique number of address inside its network so that it can easily identify the
device.
 NIC have two ends i.e. Source end and Destination end and hence the data can be transmitted at
both ends.

Advantages:
 It acts as the expansion card to any PC by this we can connect our PC to any types of network.
 It provides a fast connection to the Internet.
 It provides a reliable connection to the Internet.
Disadvantages:

 Proper configuration is needed for the device to work correctly.

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MODEM

 It stands for Modulator and Demodulator.

 It is used to convert digital to analog signals at sender end and analog signals to digital
signals at receiver end.
 It is connected between a computer and a telephone line through which the signal is sent.
 As per the need modems can be classified into 56 Kbps Modem, Cable Modem, DSL Modems
(ADSL, HDSL, SDSL, VDSL), Wireless Modem etc.

 Difference between external and internal modem

There are two different types of modems: Internal modems and external modems.
Internal MODEM
 An internal modem is a modem that fits inside of a computer. Internal modems typically
ship with the computer and come pre-installed. 
 It is built into or plugged directly into the internal circuitry of the computer.
 It gets its power from the computer’s expansion bus.
 It is manufactured and supplied by the computer manufacture itself.
 It is freely available with PCs or can be purchased with low price and having one or two types.
External MODEM
 The external modem sits outside the computer. The external modem can be used when a
computer is unable to fit an internal modem inside of it. 
 It is a separate box in which the circuitry and logic to modulate the signals.
 It has own power supply, on/off switch, and front panel LCDs to indicate its status.
 It is manufactured and supplied by different ISP or other organizations.
 It is little costlier and having different types like DSL, ISDN, Router Modem etc.
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Difference between LAN CAN MAN and WAN in Tabular Form

LAN CAN MAN WAN

LAN stands for Local Area CAN stands for MAN stands for WAN stands for
Network Campus Area Metropolitan Area Wide Area Network
Network Network

Connects computers and Connects two or Interconnects Connects

workstations in office or more LANs within network in a town geographically
home. a campus or a city. separated LANs.

Covers a local area of 1 KM. It covers privately It covers larger Spans Large
owned campus area then LAN but geographical area
with an area of 5 to small area than more than 100 KM.
10 KM. WAN with an area
or 2 to 100 KM.

Data transmission rate Data transmission Data transmission Data transmission

10/100/1000 Mbps. rate is variable. rate is variable. rate is from 64Kbps
to 150 Mbps.

Cheaper Expensive then Expensive than Most Expensive

LAN LAN and CAN

Use s IEEE 802 – Uses IEEE 802 Uses ITU standard.

standard. standard.

Networking devices such as The networking Networking Networking

repeater, hub, and switch are devices such as devices such as a devices such as
used in LAN a hub, hub, switch, a hub, switch,
switch, Bridge, gateway, router, gateway, androuter
and gateway are and brouter are are used.
used. used.

Less Congession More congession More congession Most congession

compare LAN compare LAN and netwok compared to
MAN LAN, CAN and
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MAN.

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