Types Of Computer Network

re different types of Computer Networking that• WAN - Wide Area Network
you may need for your home or office. To begin• WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network - a
with you have the option of a wired or wirelessLAN based on WiFi wireless network technology
computer network. These types of networks• MAN - Metropolitan Area Network - a
differ. A wired computer network will havenetwork spanning a physical area larger than a
copper or fiber optic cabling running betweenLAN but smaller than a WAN, such as a city. A
computers while a wireless network uses radioMAN is typically owned an operated by a single
waves and/or microwaves to maintainentity such as a government body or large
communication channels.corporation.
A client/server network works by using client• CAN - Campus Area Network - a network
devices, typically PCs with network softwarespanning multiple LANs but smaller than a MAN,
applications installed that request and receivesuch as on a university or local business campus.
information over the network. The server device• Storage Area Network - connects servers to
will usually store files and databases and includesdata storage devices through a technology like
more complex applications like Web sites. TheseFibre Channel.
devices often feature high-powered central• System Area Network - links
processors, more memory and larger disk driveshigh-performance computers with high-speed
than the client devices. Two examples ofconnections in a cluster configuration. Also known
client-server systems include Web browsers andas Cluster Area Network.
servers.These are just a few of the various types of
In addition to these types of networks there arearea networks. LAN and WAN were the original
also types of area networks. These arecategories of area networks but through the
categorized by their scope or scale. Some areaevolution of technology we have been forced to
network types include:keep adding more and more types due to the
• LAN - Local Area Networkever-changing field.