Computer Network - An Introduction

The computer network is a system of interconnected computers, servers or peripherals for sharing and accessing the resources and the communication. The computers in a network may be linked through cables or Wi-Fi etc.

TYPES OF COMPUTER NETWORK

LAN(Local Area Network)

PAN(Personal Area Network)

MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)

WAN(Wide Area Network)
Hardware’s required to set up a computer network.

Network Cables - Cables are used two connect computers as wired.

Router - Router is an intelligent device which enables routing to a different network.

Switch - Switch used to connect network segments.

NIC – It provides the computer with a dedicated, full-time connection to switch/router.

COMMON TYPES OF NETWORKS USED IN WORKPLACE

Local Area Network (LAN)

LAN is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a school/college lab, university or office buildings and has its network equipment and interconnects locally managed.

LANs are designed to:

Operate within a limited geographical area

Allow multi-access to high-bandwidth media

Control under local administration
Provide full-time connectivity for internal use or local services

Advantages of LAN
Less expensive
Data transfer is very fast
High data security from outside attacks

Wide Area Network (WAN)

A WAN is a data communications network that operates beyond the geographical scope of a LAN.

Why WAN?

WAN provides both speed and cost efficiency for the transmission of data in organizations over small areas. However, some business or organization needs to require communication among remote sites.

WANs are designed to:

Operate over a large geographical area

Provide full time and part-time connectivity

Connect devices separated over wide, even global areas

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A Virtual Private Network is a service that allows users to send and receive data through a private tunnel. The VPN helps us to add extra privacy and security in corporate communications so that the employees can access their company’s network/system securely while located outside the office.

Advantages of VPN connectivity

Enhanced security with privacy

Remote Connectivity through secure tunnels

IP address hiding for online anonymity
Storage-Area Network (SAN)

SAN’s are the most common network storage type in the current market. The SAN is designed with a high-speed network for data centralization. It provides the block-level storage that can be accessed by the applications and data running on networked servers.

Topic Conclusion

The above are some examples of networks that are commonly used in corporate companies for enhancing their communications and data transfer with clients, users, and partners, etc.