A computer network or networking is a group of two or more networking devices linked together by means of common shared medium.

The main purpose of this network is to share information that is data and resources among multiple nodes.

Types of network:

There are four important types of network:

• LAN : Local area network
• WAN : Wide area network
• MAN : Metropolitan area network
• P2P : Peer to peer network

LAN: This stand for local area network and here few computer and other networking device are connected over a common communication line. They are basically used at small premises such as house, college lab.

One of the biggest advantage of having a LAN network is that such network are secure as no packets from other network can be received or forwarded.

Example: Ethernet, token ring.

Again this WAN network is of two types:

• Wired LAN
• Wireless LAN : WiFi

MAN: This stands for metropolitan network and this spans within a metropolitan area, which could be single large city, multiple cities or towns or any given large area with multiple buildings.

It is made up of interconnected LAN.

Common example:

ISP provider in our town like ACTS.

TV cable network.

WAN:

This stands for wide area network and it spans large geographical network which can be entire country and entire world.

Example : Internet.

P2P: It stands for for point to point network and are created when two or more computers are connected and share resources without any server common between them.

Here each system has same privilege and can act as client and server. Primary use of such network is file transfer between PC’s.

Example: Downloading games between users and creating as-hoc network between two computers is nothing but peer to peer network between them.

Categories: Networking