Computer network

computer network is an interconnected group of computers.

Clasification

Computer networks may be classified according to the type of use:

Personal area network (PAN),

Local Area Network (LAN),

Wide area network (WAN):(Campus Area Network (CAN), Metropolitan area network (MAN), or

also a business area network).

Ethernet

Ethernet increasingly, is the standard interface for networks. These distinctions are more important to the network administrator than the user. Network administrators may have to tune the network, to correct delay issues and achieve the desired performance level.

Classification

Below is a list of the most common types of computer classification networks, in order of usage.

Personal Area Network (PAN)

A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network used for communication among computer devices close to one person. Some examples of devices that are used in a PAN are printers, fax machines, telephones, PDAs or scanners. The reach of a PAN is typically within about 20–30 feet (approximately 6–9 metres).

Personal area networks may be wired with computer buses such as USB[2] and FireWire. A wireless personal area network (WPAN) can also be made possible with network technologies such as IrDA and Bluetooth.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A network covering a small geographic area, like a home, office, or building. Current LANs are most likely to be based on Ethernet technology. For example, a library will have a wired or wireless LAN for users to interconnect local devices (e.g., printers and servers) and to connect to the internet.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A WAN is a data communications network that covers a relatively broad geographic area (i.e. one city to another and one country to another country) and that often uses transmission facilities provided by common carriers, such as telephone companies.