CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER NETWORK

Computer Networks are classified by four factors which are as follow:

 1)BY SIZE:

2) BY CONNECTIVITY:

3) BY MEDIUM:

4) BY MOBILITY:

´  Personal area network, or PAN

´    Local area network, or LAN

´    Metropolitan area network, or MAN

´    Wide area network, or WAN

Personal Area Network

´  A personal area network, or PAN, is a computer network organized around an individual person within a single building.

´  This could be inside a small office or home.

´  A typical PAN would include one or more computers, telephones, peripheral devices, video game consoles and other personal entertainment devices.

Local Area Network

´  A local area network, or LAN, consists of a computer network at a single site, typically an individual office building.

´  A LAN is very useful for sharing resources, such as data storage and printers.

´  LANs can be built with relatively inexpensive hardware, such as hubs, switch, network adapters and Ethernet cables.

´  The smallest LAN may only use two computers, while larger LANs can accommodate hundred of computers.

´  A LAN typically relies mostly on wired connections for increased speed and security, but wireless connections can also be part of a LAN.

´  High speed and relatively low cost are the defining characteristics of LANs.

Metropolitan Area Network

´  A metropolitan area network, or MAN, consists of a computer network across an entire city, college campus or small region.

´   A MAN is larger than a LAN, which is typically limited to a single building or site.

´   Depending on the configuration, this type of network can cover an area from several miles to tens of miles.

´  A MAN is often used to connect several LANs together to form a bigger network.

´   When this type of network is specifically designed for a college campus, it is sometimes referred to as a campus area network, or CAN.

Wide Area Network

´  A wide area network, or WAN, occupies a very large area, such as an entire country or the entire world.

´   A WAN can contain multiple smaller networks, such as LANs or MANs.

´  The Internet is the best-known example of a public WAN.