#1 NETWORKING : WHAT IS NETWORKING ? (LAN, MAN, WAN)

NETWORKING (LAN, MAN, WAN):

A network is defined as two or more than two computers or systems are connected together.

Networks are either wired or wireless network. There are many types of computer networks main threeare LAN, MAN, WAN. Here I am giving a simple but meaningful definition of  LAN, MAN, WAN. LAN does not have any fixed size it is only a logical explanation of how big a network can be called as local.

LAN (Local Area Network): Two  or more computers or communicating devices which are in a room or a floor in a building or on a campus if connected than they are said to be connected on  LAN.

LAN can not be defined without its characteristics,

characteristics are :

• LAN should be capable of providing high speed, high bandwidth, and high capacity.
• The owner of the premises is the owner of LAN, to connect two PC we do not lease link from the service provider.
• The cost of deploying LAN should be cheap, Equipment used in a LAN should be  compact and powerful enough to provide high speed, high bandwidth, and high-capacity communication. 
• The size of your campus is a size of your LAN and biggest LAN is Campus Wide LAN.
• A service running on network defines the architecture of the network.service running on LAN defines the architecture of LAN.

LAN is made up of the ethernet technology because ethernet meets all requirements of LAN.

Type of Ethernet :

• Ethernet  - 10Mbps
• Fast Ethernet - 100Mbps
• Gigabit Ethernet - 1Gbps
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet - 10Gbps
• 100 Gigabit Ethernet - 100Gbps

It also supports star topology and even Ethernet supports all topologies.

It also IP enabled and quality of service capable it means Ethernet is capable of doing classify and prioritize.

Ethernet also has a range :

• Thick wire - 500 meters
• Twisted pair - 100 meters 
• Fiber - 500meters - 2km and 4km to 100 km+

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): Two or more computers  or communicating devices or network which is geographically separated but within the same metro-city if connected they are said to be connected on MAN.

WAN (Wide Area Network): Two or more computers  or communicating devices or network which is geographically separated but not in the same metro-city if connected they are said to be connected on MAN.

Characteristics of MAN and WAN are: 

• MAN or WAN should be capable of providing high to moderate bandwidth  communication where the limiting factor is cost.
• The owner of the premises is the owner of MAN or WAN, to connect two computers we leased linked from a service provider.
•  The cost of deploying MAN or WAN is high, for connecting 2 PC we leased link from a service provider and CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) on which these links will terminate can be leased or owned by the owner of the premises. 
• The size of a MAN or WAN : Within a campus is a LAN, beyond a campus & within a metro city is a MAN and beyond a metro city is a WAN.

There are two types of network 

        1. Private network:

• LAN, MAN, WAN are types of private network.
• We deploy LAN at our homes, in our branch offices for our private communications Similarly, we deploy MAN and WAN to connect our branch offices.

       2. Public network:

• The Internet is a type of public network that does not belong to any signal entity. It is an interconnection of service providers,where we can offer our services and take services from another.
• The internet is the largest WAN as it connects all continents and almost an entire globe.

PAN (Personal Area Network): It is an interconnection of devices within the range of a single person or within 10 meters.

Stay connected like a network :) for more networking Knowledge.

#NETWORKING