NETWORK AND ITS TYPE

A network is a group of two or more computers or other electronic devices that are interconnected for the purpose of exchanging data and sharing resources.

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TYPES OF NETWORK

Network has the following types:

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network that is used to connect computers in a single building or group of buildings. A computer in LAN may be a PC, laptop, embedded computer or mobile computer like smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch.
An experiment of connecting computers over LAN had started in the 1970s. In older days printers and other storage devices were very expensive. So these devices were shared among different users in the local area network. From 1983, all computers in the LAN network started sharing their resources.

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Wide Area Network (WAN)

Computer network that covers a geographically large area is called a wide area network (WAN). WAN comprises two or more local area networks (LAN) or metro area networks (MAN) and is simply a dispersed communication network for transmission of data, voice, image, video etc. The computers in a wide area network are generally connected through public networks like the phone system, satellite systems, and leased lines or with the help of other service providers like cable companies etc. WANs are also built using cheaper packet switching or circuit switching methods. It can also be privately owned or rented.

Importance of WAN

Wide Area Networks can be compared to a banking system wherein hundreds of branches of a bank in different cities are connected to each other and share information. The functioning of a WAN is similar to a LAN but on a larger scale. It uses much more costly networking equipments than a LAN. A TCP/IP protocol is used in combination with switches, firewalls, routers and modems.
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Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A Metropolitan Area Network is a computer network based in a metropolitan or city area, through a connection of multiple LAN. It can access by point to point connections. By combining smaller LAN networks, MANs have the ability to extend to a geographical area of 5 to 50 km. It is sufficient for the network requirements of a city. This interconnection of networks across the city may also end up facilitating connections to WAN.

Use of MAN technology

MANs are particularly useful for the purpose of sharing resources specific to regions, assisting in the quicker and segmented flow of data and information. Furthermore, MANs can connect multiple computers and networks to serve as an Internet Service Provider. This is because of which the internet service provided by a telephone company falls under the category of a MAN connection. A Metropolitan Area Network is smaller than the area covered through WANs. It is much bigger than the connectivity capabilities of a LAN.
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