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Top 10 Computer Networks: A Modern Guide to Connectivity 08.15.2024
Global Network Management Hosted Services By: Mile Square Technology Group
We interact with networks every day, whether it’s on our own network or through someone else’s. Whether visiting your favorite website, downloading a file, or printing a document, each action requires a network to make it happen. With so many variations, it can get confusing. This guide breaks down the ten most popular types of networks, how they’re used, and introduces some new concepts in network theory.
1. Campus Area Network (CAN)
The network for education.
- Found in: Universities, large K-12 school districts.
- Used for: Sharing information and resources across several buildings in close proximity.
- Consists of: A number of interconnected Local Area Networks (LANs) to increase geographical reach.
2. Enterprise Private Network (EPN)
A company’s personal network.
- Found in: Various organizations.
- Used for: Securely connecting shared computer resources across disparate offices.
- Consists of: Infrastructure built and owned by the business using it.
3. Local Area Network (LAN)
The most common type of network.
- Found in: Homes, small offices, medium, and large organizations.
- Used for: Sharing information and resources within a building or between nearby buildings.
- Consists of: A group of connected computers and low-voltage devices.
4. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A citywide network.
- Found in: Towns and cities.
- Used for: Sharing information and resources across a metropolitan area.
- Consists of: A group of connected computers usually owned and operated by a single organization.
5. Passive Optical LAN (POLAN)
Next-gen LAN design for cost-efficiency.
- Found in: Indoor network architectures, small campus networks, and multi-story buildings.
- Used for: Upgrading legacy, copper-laden architecture, reducing complexity, and increasing performance.
- Consists of: Rack-mount patch panels and cassette-style splitters that integrate with an Ethernet network.
6. Personal Area Network (PAN)
Your daily-use network.
- Found in: Homes or small offices.
- Used for: Connecting devices used by a single person.
- Consists of: A wireless modem, personal devices (computers, mobile phones), printers, etc.
7. Storage Area Network (SAN)
High-speed network for storage.
- Found in: Mostly large organizations (due to expense and management complexity).
- Used for: Providing fast local network performance.
- Consists of: Interconnected hosts, switches, and storage devices.
8. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Secure your data in transit.
- Found in: PCs, laptops, smartphones, and other mobile devices.
- Used for: Encrypting traffic and protecting privacy online.
- Consists of: Software applications that create secure tunnels for data transmission.
9. Wide Area Network (WAN)
The network that connects the world.
- Found in: A wide variety of locations globally.
- Used for: Connecting computers across long distances, such as different cities, countries, or continents.
- Consists of: Connections using the internet, leased lines, or satellite links.
10. Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
A modern approach to WANs.
- Found in: Enterprises with multiple branch locations.
- Used for: Improving the performance of applications over the WAN, especially for cloud services.
- Consists of: A software layer that manages WAN traffic to ensure reliable connectivity and performance.
The wireless alternative to LAN.
- Found in: Homes, businesses, public places like restaurants, hotels, and airports.
- Used for: Sharing information and resources within a building or nearby buildings without physical cables.
- Consists of: Wireless technology using Wi-Fi standards.
11. Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN)
12. Blockchain Network
A decentralized network for secure transactions.
- Found in: Cryptocurrency platforms, supply chain management, and finance.
- Used for: Ensuring secure, transparent, and tamper-proof transactions across distributed systems.
- Consists of: Decentralized nodes that validate and record transactions on a shared ledger.
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