Network Types

Network Criteria

A network provided must be able to meet a certain number of criteria, let’s discuss them one by one,

Performance

• Performance depends on the network elements.
• It can be measured in terms of transit time and response time.
• It is evaluated by two networking metrics: Throughput and Delay.

Reliability

• The failure rate of network components measures reliability.
• It is measured in terms of availability/robustness.

Security

• Data protection against corruption/loss of data due to errors and malicious users.
   

You can also read about mime protocol.

Types of Networks

Local Area Network

• Local Area network is commonly known as LAN. It is the most habitually used network among all the networks.
• The common communication path method is used to connect all the devices in LAN.
• Wi-fi and ethernet are the two most important technologies involved in LAN.
• A LAN skirts two or more devices that are connected over a server.

Personal Area Network

• Personal Area Network is commonly known as PAN.
• This type of network is bound to one person only.
• It is a type of communication between a device and one’s workspace.
• It ranges around 10 meters from that individual to the device.

Also see,  Personal Area Network

Wide Area Network

• Wide Area Network is commonly known as WAN.
• This type of network helps to connect devices at various geographical locations with the help of a shared communication path.
• It is a kind of group of local area networks.

Campus Area Network

• Campus Area Network is commonly known as CAN.
• It is a type of network which is bigger than the Local Area Network.
• It is a type of network which is smaller than the Metropolitan Area Network.
• This type of network is responsible for covering a limited geographical area.

Wireless Local Area Network

• Wireless Local Area Network is commonly known as WLAN.
• This type of network is also considered a Local area network, but it makes use of Wi-fi. Basically, it is a type of network that connects two or more devices using wireless communication.
• This type of network allows communication without cables.

Metropolitan Area Network

• Metropolitan Area Network is commonly known as MAN.
• This type of network is larger than the Local Area Network, but it is smaller than Wide Area Network.
• This type of network deals with the connections which are made across cities or large areas.
• Metropolitan names in this network are not referred to only metropolitan cities.

System Area Network

• System Area Network is also commonly referred to as SAN.
• This type of network mainly targets connecting a group of high-performance computers.
• This network is also a type of Local Area Network, but it contains a high volume of information in large requests.

Storage Area Network

• Storage Area Network is also commonly referred to as SAN.
• This type of network connects a cluster of storage devices to various servers.
• This is a type of network that doesn’t depend on a Local Area Network or Wide Area Network.
• This network provides permission to block-level data storage.

Enterprise Private Network

• Enterprise Private Network is commonly known as EPN.
• This type of network is frequently used by companies/businesses that want a private and secure network.
• We can share various computer resources in various locations.

Virtual Private Network

• Virtual Private Network is also referred to as VPN.
• This type of network helps us to enlarge our private network throughout the internet.
• It allows users to send and receive data.
• With the help of a Virtual Point-to-Point network, the user can remotely access the private network.  
• This type of network protects the devices from malicious sources.

Passive Optical Local Area Network

• Passive Optical Local Area Network is commonly known as POLAN.
• This type of network acts as an alternative to LAN.
• This type of network uses optical splitters to split all the optical signals.
• It is a kind of point to multipoint Local Area Network architecture.

Home Area Network

• Home Area Network is commonly referred to as HAN.
• It is a type of Local Area Network, but it is associated with a home only.
• This type of network connects all the computers in a home altogether.
• It is used to share resources and other data within a network.
• This type of network is fully functional with wired as well as wireless communication.

You can also read about the network models in computer network.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an optical splitter?

It is a device that can contribute to enhancing the performance of optical network circuits.

How does Optical Splitter work?

It splits the incident light beam into two or more light beams. It allows a single PON interface to be shared among many users.

What is fault tolerance in a computer network?

Fault tolerance is the capacity of a system to work well in the condition even if some of the components of the system fail to work.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed what a network is and discussed various types of networks that are possible to connect two or more devices.

Recommended Readings:

• Distance Vector Routing Algorithm
• Characteristics of Computer Networks
• Components of Computer Networks
• Addressing Modes in Computer Architecture
• Advantages and Limitations of Computer Networks
• Register in Computer
• Repeater in computer network
• Digital Subscriber Line

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