Networks

Networks

1. PAN

   • PAN stands for Personal Area Network
   • PANs transit data over a short distance up to 10 metres
   • Types of devices that use PAN are cell phones, tablets and laptops
   • Connections are wireless

2. LAN

   • A LAN covers a small geographical area located on a single site
   • All the hardware for a LAN is owned by the organisation that uses it
   • LANs are either wired (e.g with Ethernet cables) or wireless (using WIFI)
   • LAN is transmitting data by computing devices in one building or site
   • LAN stands for Local Area Network

3. WAN

   • WAN stands for Wide Area Network
   • WAN is a network of networks connecting LANs over a large geographical area
   • WANs may be connected using fibre or copper telephone lines, satellite links or radio links

4. Factors that effect the network

   • Bandwidth
     • Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred in a given time. Bandwidth is shared between a network so too many users or heavy use can slow the network
   • Connection used
     • Wired, Wireless , Fibre optic cables , copper cables
   • Choice of hardware
     • NIC, switches and routers