WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF COMPUTER NETWORKS?

What is Computer Network?

Computer Network is an interconnected group of computers normally classified based on its range or scale. And it is a set of computers connected together for the purpose of sharing resources.

                                                   
  

                                                                      What is Internet?

Internet

Internet is a collection of networks and a location for digital resources existing in a common medium with the ability to share information. The internet was created by the US Department of Defense when they started a project in 1969 to allow researchers and military personnel to communicate with each other in an emergency.

    
 What is Intranet and Extranet?

Intranet is a private network based on the standards and is similarly designed.

 

Extranet is an extension of some combination of corporate, public, and private intranet using World Wide Web technology to facilitate communication with the corporation’s suppliers, customer’s, and associates.

    
 TYPES OF COMPUTER NETWORKS

PERSONAL AREA NETWORK (PAN)

Personal Area Network

      Is a computer network used to interconnect devices centered on an individual workplace. PAN can be used for connecting personal devices, which typically involve a mobile cellphone, a cellphone, and/or a handheld computing device such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistant ).The network is used to transfer files including email, calendar appointments, digital photos, and music.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN)

A network of computers and devices in a single location designed for collaboration and sharing of files and resources. Is a type of network where two to as much as hundreds of computers are connected with each other using a network sharing device known as hub or switch to enable sharing of files, printers, and other resource. The most common type of LAN hardware is known as Ethernet It consist of a single cable with hosts attached to it through connectors, taps, or transceivers. 

Ethernet

 Is a link layer protocol in the TCP/IP stack, describing how networked devices can format data for transmission to other network devices on the same network segment, and how to put the data out on the network connection.  
Network Bridge connects different local area networks together. It is used to avoid congestion in the data network when there are too many users.  
It was popular when switches were still too expensive to use.        

           METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK (MAN)

Is a larger network than a LAN. It involves connecting several networks together that reside within a cit, town, or metropolis. On a MAN, users may be several miles apart, but resources appear on the network just as if they were located within the same building.

Metropolitan Area Network

WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN)

Is simply a network consisting of interconnected LANs. It is usually dispersed over a very wide area, and it is not uncommon to see WANs reaching across continents to link office networks with one another in several international branch offices.

Wide Area Network