DIFFERENCES OF LAN,WAN AND MAN (Classification networks)

 There are different types of area networks, and all of them are used to execute different needs. Some of the key features that differentiate these networks are size of the network, area covered and the technology that is used. The three types of computer networks are Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). This article will cover some important information about these networks, their differences, advantages, and disadvantages.

 

 

What is LAN (Local Area Network)?

Local Area Network is an interconnection of computers and its related devices within a small geographical area where the distance between the computers is small. Some of the LANs include office network, school, and home. Most of the LANs are built for the purpose of sharing vital resources such as printers and exchanging files.

LAN is also used in providing other services such as sharing computer applications, gaming and accessing the internet. This type of network is under the control of one administrator who is in charge of the configurations and settings and other computers are linked through Ethernet cables and wireless routers.

What is WAN (Wide Area Network)?

WAN (Wide Area Network) is a connection between computers over a large geographical area. The connection can be between different cities or even countries. A WAN network can be a collection of small networks that have been combined, or it can be as a result of various private business entities. One known best example of WAN is the internet, since it connects computers from different corners of the world.

WANs are too complex to be managed by private administrators, and for that reason, they usually have a public ownership. Computers in this network can be connected either by cables or through a wireless connection.
  

What is MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)?

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) comes in between LAN and WAN. Just as the name suggests, MAN is a type of network that connects computers within a specific geographical area. The area that is covered by this network is larger than that in LAN but smaller than that in WAN. MANs are mostly used to provide fast connections to cities and large institutions.

MANs vary in sizes depending on the area to be covered, and some of the examples include; an interconnection within the city of London or New York. Campus Area Network (CAN) such as those that are within universities are also MAN.

     Difference Between LAN,WAN AND MAN

• The size of the area or distance that the network covers.
• The speed of the network.
• Type of technology that is used by the network.
• Application areas or uses of the network.

 

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LAN,WAN AND MAN

Advantages of LAN

• Easy to manage since all the computers can be controlled from a central point. The administrator of the network can easily monitor all the activities that are taking place in other computers with much ease.
• LANs allow people in an organization to share peripheral devices such as printers and scanners. This cuts down on the cost of buying new devices for each computer.
• Because of the high speed, sharing of the resources in a LAN can take place easily without any bottlenecks. Files and data can be transferred from one computer in the network to another in the shortest time possible.

Disadvantages of LAN

• The main disadvantage of LAN is limited coverage. The network covers a small geographical area.
• A problem in the server computer will render all the other computers useless.

Advantages of WAN

• WAN is not limited by geographical factors. It can cover all the corners of the world.
• WAN network exposes your computer to a larger network. You will be connected to millions of other computers and even more networks.

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Disadvantage of WAN

• The speeds of WAN can be very slow and this can be a major source of frustration.
• The cost of setting up WAN especially in remote areas can be extremely high.

We believe you now know in details what these types of area networks are, their similarities and differences.

 

Advantages of MAN

• MAN experiences comparatively high speeds and this facilitates faster sharing of resources such as files within a city.
• Covers a comparatively larger area more than LAN.

Disadvantages of MAN

• One main disadvantage of the MAN is the high cost. The cost of technology that should be deployed for this network is extremely high.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  hopefully this information will help u ;-)... Thank you 4 visiting my blog...