Networks Types

05 Sep 2022 . network .

Type Description
PAN (Personal Area Network) Let devices connect and communicate over the range of a person. E.g. connecting Bluetooth devices.
LAN (Local Area Network) It is a privately owned network that operates within and nearby a single building like a home, office, or factory.
MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) It connects and covers the whole city. E.g. TV Cable connection over the city
WAN (Wide Area Network) It spans a large geographical area, often a country or continent. The Internet is the largest WAN.
GAN (Global Area Network) It is also known as the Internet which connects the globe using satellites. The Internet is also called the Network of WANs.

Topology

Bus Topology

  • All the nodes are connected using the central link known as the bus.
  • If the main cable gets damaged, it will damage the whole network.
  • It is useful to connect a smaller number of devices.

Star Topology

  • All the nodes are connected to one single node known as the central node.
  • If the central node fails the complete network is damaged.
  • It is more robust and easy to troubleshoot.
  • Mainly used in home and office networks.

Ring Topology

  • Each node is connected to exactly two nodes forming a ring structure
  • If one of the nodes are damaged, it will damage the whole network
  • It is used very rarely as it is expensive and hard to install and manage

Mesh Topology

  • Each node is connected to one or many nodes.
  • It is robust as failure in one link only disconnects that node.
  • It is rarely used and installation and management are difficult.

Tree Topology

  • A combination of star and bus topology also know as an extended bus topology.
  • All the smaller star networks are connected to a single bus.
  • If the main bus fails, the whole network is damaged.

Hybrid

  • It is a combination of different topologies to form a new topology.
  • It helps to ignore the drawback of a particular topology and helps to pick