Common types of computer networks may be identified by their scale…

 

Personal Area Network (PAN)

A personal area network is a computer network used for communication among computers and different information technology devices close to one person. Some examples of devices that are used in a PAN are personal computers, printers, fax machines, telephones, PDAs, scanners, and even video game consoles. A PAN may include wired and wireless devices. The reach of a PAN typically extends to 30 feet (the limit of Bluetooth radio).  A wired PAN is usually constructed with USB and Firewire connections while technologies such as Bluetooth and infrared communication typically form a wireless PAN.

 

Local Area Network (LAN)

A local area network is a network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as home, school, computer laboratory, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings. Each computer or device on the network is a node. Current wired LANs are most likely to be based on Ethernet technology, although new standards also provide a way to create a wired LAN using existing home wiring (coaxial cables, phone lines and power lines) usually with a device that will convert the traffic back to Ethernet where it connects to the computer or device.

 

The defining characteristics of LANs, in contrast to WANs (Wide Area Networks),are their higher data transfer rates, smaller geographic range, and no need for leased telecommunication lines. Current Ethernet  LAN technologies operate at speeds from 10 Mbit/s (1.25 Mega Bytes per second - 8 bits make 1 byte) up to 10 Gbit/s (1280 Mega Bytes per second). This is the data transfer rate. IEEE has projects investigating the standardization of 40 and 100 Gbit/s.

 

 Home area network (HAN)

A home area network (HAN) is a residential LAN which is used for communication between digital devices typically deployed in the home, usually a small number of personal computers and accessories, such as printers and mobile computing devices. An important function is the sharing of Internet access, often a broadband service through a CATV or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) provider. It can also be referred as Office area network (OAN) as well.

 

Wide area network (WAN)

A wide area network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a large geographic area such as a city, country, or spans even intercontinental distances, using a communications channel that combines many types of media such as telephone lines, cables, and air waves. A WAN often uses transmission facilities provided by common carriers, such as telephone companies.

 

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected governmental, academic, corporate, public, and private computer networks. It is based on the networking technologies of the Internet Protocol Suite. It is the successor of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) developed by DARPA of the United States Department of Defense. The Internet is also the communications backbone underlying the World Wide Web (WWW).

 

Intranets and Extranets

Intranets and extranets are parts or extensions of a computer network, usually a local area network.

 

An intranet is a set of networks, using the Internet Protocol and IP-based tools such as web browsers and file transfer applications that are under the control of a single administrative entity. That administrative entity closes the intranet to all but specific, authorized users. Most commonly, an intranet is the internal network of an organization. A large intranet will typically have at least one web server to provide users with organizational information.

 

An extranet is a network that is limited in scope to a single organization or entity and also has limited connections to the networks of one or more other usually, but not necessarily, trusted organizations or entities—a company's customers may be given access to some part of its intranet—while at the same time the customers may not be considered trusted from a security standpoint. Technically, an extranet may also be categorized as a CAN, MAN, WAN, or other type of network, although an extranet cannot consist of a single LAN; it must have at least one connection with an external network.

 

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network. A virtual private network can be contrasted with an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one organization. The goal of a VPN is to provide the organization with the same capabilities, but at a much lower cost. There are now many free to low cost options that can even give you a VPN to your Home Area Network.