Levels of Networks

Levels of Networks

1. PAN

   • Stands for Personal Area Network
   • Types of PAN: Wi-Fi, Hotspot, Bluetooth
   • Devices used: PCs, laptops, smart phones, smart TVs, tablets, bluetooth mouse/keyboard/headset, printers

2. WAN

   • WANs connect LANS together even if they are in different geographical locations e.g the internet, a business with stores in different countries
   • Stands for Wide Area Network
   • Devices used: PCs, laptops, tablets
   • Connected through fibre or copper telephone lines, satellite links or radio links
   • Who owns the hardware: telecommunications companies

3. LAN

   • A LAN is a type of network that connects computers in a small geographical location e.g a school or one office building
   • Stands for Local Area Network
   • Devices that use LANs: PCs, tablets, smart TVs, printers, laptops
   • Who owns the hardware used: the organisation that uses the hardware
   • People use LANs to share files easier, share the same hardware (e.g printers), communicate with other uses on the same LAN, install updates on multiple computers at the same time (e.g in schools)

4. Factors Affecting Networks

   • Bandwidth
   • Choice of hardware e.g NIC, switches, routers
   • Connection used e.g wired, wireless, fibre optic cables, copper cables