LAN:
A LAN connects
network devices over a relatively short distance.
It
interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, or a computer
laboratory.
LANs
are capable of transmitting data at very fast rates, much faster than data can
be transmitted over a telephone line; but the distances are limited, and there
is also a limit on the number of computers that can be attached to a single
LAN.
However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any
distance via telephone lines and radio waves.
Printers, hard disks, programs and others computers can be
shared with the help of LAN.
WAN:
A wide area network (WAN) is
a large telecommunications network that consists of a collection of LANs and
other networks.
A WAN spans
a large geographic area, such as a state, province or country. WANs often
connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks (LANs)
The
world's most popular WAN is the Internet.
A
network device called a router connects LANs to a WAN
A
WAN differs from a LAN in several important ways. Most WANs (like the Internet)
are not owned by any one organization but rather exist under collective or
distributed ownership.
MAN:
a
network spanning a physical area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN, such
as a city. A MAN is typically owned an operated by a single entity such as a
government body or large corporation.
A MAN often acts as a high speed network to allow sharing of
regional resources (similar to a large LAN). It is
also frequently used to provide a shared connection to other networks using a
link to a WAN.
Examples
of metropolitan area networks of various sizes can be found in the metropolitan
areas of London, England; Lodz, Poland; and Geneva, Switzerland. Large
universities also sometimes use the term to describe their networks. A recent
trend is the installation of wireless MANs.
