📅 Day 2 – Understanding the Types of Computer Networks

🏷️ Topic: Types of Networks – LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN

🔍 Key Concept: Classification based on geographical coverage and purpose.

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🧠 Introduction

In the vast digital world, networks act like invisible highways that connect our devices, enabling communication and data sharing. But not all networks are created equal. Depending on how far they stretch and how they function, we categorize them into four main types: LAN, WAN, MAN, and PAN.

Let’s explore them one by one — with simple, real-life comparisons.

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🏠 1. LAN – Local Area Network

📍 Range: Covers a small area — like a single building or a home.
🎯 Purpose: Connects devices like computers, printers, and routers in close proximity.
📡 Technology Used: Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi.

💡 Real Life Example:
Think of a LAN as the Wi-Fi network in your house or office. All your phones, laptops, and smart TVs connect to the same router — that’s a LAN.

🛠️ Key Features:
• High-speed connections.
• Cost-effective and easy to maintain.
• Ideal for home networks, schools, and small offices.

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🏙️ 2. MAN – Metropolitan Area Network

📍 Range: Spans across a city or a large campus (5 to 50 kilometers).
🎯 Purpose: Connects multiple LANs within a metropolitan area.
📡 Technology Used: Fiber optics, leased lines, wireless radio links.

💡 Real Life Example:
A university with multiple campuses in a city uses a MAN to link all its departments and libraries together.

🛠️ Key Features:
• Larger than LAN but smaller than WAN.
• Can be owned by a single organization or managed by ISPs.
• Used by municipalities, educational institutions, and large organizations.

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🌍 3. WAN – Wide Area Network

📍 Range: Covers a very large geographical area — across cities, countries, even continents.
🎯 Purpose: Connects multiple LANs and MANs globally.
📡 Technology Used: Satellite links, undersea cables, public networks like the internet.

💡 Real Life Example:
The Internet itself is the most common and largest WAN. It connects billions of devices around the world.

🛠️ Key Features:
• Slower compared to LANs (due to distance).
• Expensive to maintain and requires complex infrastructure.
• Used by multinational companies, governments, and telecoms.

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🤝 4. PAN – Personal Area Network

📍 Range: Very small — just a few meters (around 10 meters).
🎯 Purpose: Connects personal devices within a person’s immediate space.
📡 Technology Used: Bluetooth, USB, Infrared.

💡 Real Life Example:
When you pair your smartwatch with your phone via Bluetooth, you’re creating a PAN.

🛠️ Key Features:
• Extremely limited range.
• Ideal for connecting wearable devices and peripherals.
• Low power consumption.

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📊 Summary Table

Network Type Full Form Range Used In Example
LAN Local Area Network Room to Building Homes, Offices, Schools Home Wi-Fi
MAN Metropolitan Area Network City-Wide University Campuses, Cities City Library Network
WAN Wide Area Network Worldwide Global Businesses, Internet The Internet
PAN Personal Area Network Few Meters Personal Gadgets Bluetooth Headphones to Phone

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✍️ Final Thought

“Your home is a LAN. Your city has a MAN. The internet is a WAN. Bluetooth is a PAN.”
This simple line summarizes how networks surround us every day — from your living room to the other side of the globe.