INTERNET

TECHNOLOGY:
Network Basics:
Classification of Network
By: Adibah Syahzani binti Safferi (K1S3T5)

WHAT IS COMPUTER
NETWORK?
A computer networks is a collection of computers and other hardware interconnected

by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information.

At least one process in one device is able to send/receive data to/from at least one

process residing in a remote device, then the two devices are said to be in a network.

A network is a group of devices connected to each other.

Networks may be classified into a wide variety of characteristics, such as the

medium used to transport the data, communications protocol used, scale, topology,
benefit, and organizational scope.

A computer network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to

share resources such as printers and CD-ROMs, exchange files, or allow electronic
communications. The computers on a computer network may be linked through
cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.

USES OF COMPUTER
NETWORK
Facilitating communications. Using a network, people can communicate

efficiently and easily via email, instant messaging, chat rooms, telephone,
video telephone calls, and video conferencing.
Sharing hardware. In a networked environment, each computer on a

network may access and use hardware resources on the network, such as
printing a document on a shared network printer.
Sharing files, data, and information. In a network environment,

authorized user may access data and information stored on other

computers on the network. The capability of providing access to data and
information on shared storage devices is an important feature of many
networks.
Sharing software. Users connected to a network may run application

programs on remote computers.

ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER
NETWORK
The computers, staff and information can be well managed.
A network provides the means to exchange data among the computers and

to make programs and data available to people.

It permits the sharing of the resources of the machine.
Networking also provides the function of back-up.
Networking provides a flexible networking environment. Employees can

work at home by using through networks ties through networks into the
computer at office.

CLASSIFICATION OF
COMPUTER NETWORKS
Local Area Network (LAN)

Wireless LAN (WLAN)

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Classification of Computer Network

The main difference among these classifications is the area of

coverage.

Local Area Network

Wireless LAN

Metropolitan Area Network

Wide Area Network

LOCAL AREA NETWORK

(LAN)
LAN is a network that connects a group of computers and devices in a

small area such as home, school computer lab, office building or closely
located buildings, within a distinct geographic area.

Computers and other mobile devices use a LAN connection to share

resources such as a printer or network storage.

Typically owned by a single organisation, such as school, college, university

or company.

A local area network may serve as few as two or three users (for example,

in a small-office network) or several hundred users in a larger office.

LAN networking comprises cables, switches, routers and other components

that let users connect to internal servers, websites and other LANs via
wide area networks.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK

(LAN)
Often, the nodes are connected via cables.
A network which consists of less than 500 interconnected devices across

several buildings, is still recognized as a LAN.

Ethernet and Wi-Fi are the two primary ways to enable LAN connections.

(Ethernet is a specification that enables computers to communicate with

each other.)

Wi-Fi uses radio waves to connect computers to the LAN.

The rise of virtualization has fueled the development ofvirtual LANs, which

allows network administrators to logically group network nodes and

partition their networks without the need for major infrastructure changes.

LOCAL AREA
NETWORK
(LAN)

Examples of Local Area

Network (LAN)

Users can order printing and

other services as needed
through applications run on
the LAN server.

A user can share files with

others stored on the LAN
server; read and write access
is maintained by a network
administrator.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK

(LAN)
Characteristics of LAN
Itconnectscomputersinasinglebuilding,blockorcampus,i.e.theyworki

narestrictedgeographicalarea.
LANsareprivatenetworks,notsubjecttotariffsorotherregulatorycontrol

s.
LANsoperateatrelativelyhighspeedwhencomparedtothetypicalWAN(

.2to100MB/sec).
TherearedifferenttypesofMediaAccessControlmethodsinaLAN,thepr

ominentonesareEthernet,Tokenring, Arcnet.
ThenetworkingisdonethroughBusesorRings.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK

(LAN)
Advantages of LAN
ItallowssharingofexpensiveresourcessuchasLaserprinters,softwarean

dmassstoragedevicesamonganumberofcomputers.

LANallowsforhighspeedexchangeofessentialinformation.
Itcontributestoincreasedproductivity.ALANinstallationshouldbestudied

closelyinthecontextofitsproposedcontributiontothelongrangeinteres
toftheorganization.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK

(LAN)
Disadvantages of LAN
ThefinancialcostofLANisstillhighincomparisonwithmanyotheralternativ

es.
Itrequiresmemoryspaceineachofthecomputersusedonthenetwork.This

reducesthememoryspaceavailablefortheusersprograms.
Sometypeofsecuritysystemmustbeimplementedifitisimportanttoprote

ctconfidentialdata.
Somecontrolonthepartoftheuserislost.Youmayhavetoshareaprinter

with
otherusers.Youmayfaceasituationlike,forexample,theentirenetworksu
ddenlylockingupbecauseoneuserhasmadeamistake.

WIRELESS LOCAL AREA

NETWORK (WLAN)
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is LAN that uses radio signals to connect computers

and other devices.

Computers and devices that access wireless LAN must have built-in

wireless capabilities.

All communications pass through the networks centrally located Wireless

Access Point (or WAP).

Computers and mobile devices on a wireless LAN often communicate with

a wired LAN to access its software, printer, the Internet, and other
resources.

An example of openstandards wireless radio-wave technology is IEEE.

WIRELESS LOCAL AREA

NETWORK (WLAN)

METROPOLITAN AREA
NETWORK (MAN)
MAN is a high-speed network that connects local area networks (LAN) in a metropolitan

area such as a city or town.

It isoptimizedforalargergeographicalareathanaLAN,rangingfromseveralblocksof-

buildingstoentirecities.

Usually managed by a consortium of users or by a single network provider that sells the

service to the users.

TheytypicallyusewirelessinfrastructureorOpticalfiberconnectionstolinktheirsite.
Itmightbeownedandoperatedbyasingleorganization,butitusuallywillbeusedbyma

nyindividualsandorganizations.

MANsmightalsobeownedandoperatedaspublicutilitiesorprivatelyowned.

Theywilloftenprovidemeansforinternetworkingoflocalnetworks.Metropolitanareanet
workscanspanupto50km,devicesusedaremodemandwire/cable.

METROPOLITAN AREA
NETWORK (MAN)
MANsprovideInternetconnectivityforLANsinametropolitanregion,andcon

nect themtowiderareanetworksliketheInternet.

ThenetworksizefallsintermediatebetweenLANandWAN.AMANtypicallyco

vers
anareaofbetween5and50kmdiameter.ManyMANscoveranareathesize
ofacity,
althoughinsomecasesMANsmaybeassmallasagroupofbuildingsoraslar
geastheNorthofScotland.

AMANoftenactsasahighspeednetworktoallowsharingofregionalresource

s. It
isalsofrequentlyusedtoprovideasharedconnectiontoothernetworksusing
alink toaWAN.

METROPOLITAN AREA
NETWORK (MAN)
CharacteristicsofMAN
Itgenerallycoverstownsandcities(50kms)
Itisdevelopedin1980s.
CommunicationmediumusedforMANareopticalfibers,cablesetc.
Dataratesadequatefordistributedcomputingapplications.

METROPOLITAN AREA
NETWORK (MAN)

WIDE AREA NETWORK

(WAN)
WAN is a network that covers a large area such as a country or the world.
Thelargestandmostwell-knownexampleofaWANistheInternet.
Involve many types of transmission media such as telephone lines, cables or

radio waves.

WANsareusedtoconnectLANsandothertypesofnetworkstogether,sotha

tusersandcomputersinonelocationcancommunicatewithusersandcom
putersinotherlocations.

WANsareoftenbuiltusingleasedlines.
Ateachendoftheleasedline,arouterconnectstotheLANononesideand

ahub withintheWANontheother.

WIDE AREA NETWORK

(WAN)
WAN is owned by a group of organizations including network service

providers which provides network services.

Business and government entities use WAN to relay data among

employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical

locations.

ManyWANsarebuiltforoneparticularorganizationandareprivate.
Others,builtbyInternetserviceproviders,provideconnectionsfromanorg

anization'sLANtotheInternet.

WIDE AREA NETWORK

(WAN)
Characteristics of WAN
Itgenerallycoverslargedistances(states,countries,continents).
Communicationmediumusedaresatellite,publictelephonenetworkswhic

hare connectedbyrouters.

Routersforwardpacketsfromonetoanother(Table1)aroutefromthesen

dertothereceiver.

WIDE AREA NETWORK

(WAN)

WIDE AREA NETWORK

(WAN)

SUMMARY
Differentiate among Local Area Network, Metropolitan Area Netwok and Wide
Area Network.
Area of coverage
Network ownership