LAN - Local Area Networks

LAN connects networking devices with in short spam of area, i.e. small offices, home, internet cafes etc. LAN uses TCP/IP network protocol for communication between computers. It is often but not always implemented as a single IP subnet. Since LAN is operated in short area so It can be control and administrate by single person or organization.

WAN - Wide Area Networks

As word Wide implies, WAN, wide area network cover large distance for communication between computers. The Internet it self is the biggest example of Wide area network, WAN, which is covering the entire earth. WAN is distributed collection of geographically LANs. A network connecting device router connects LANs to WANs. WAN used network protocols like ATM, X.25, and Frame Relay for long distance connectivity.

Wireless - Local Area Network

A LAN, local area networks based on wireless network technology mostly referred as Wi-Fi. Unlike LAN, in WLAN no wires are used, but radio signals are the medium for communication. Wireless network cards are required to be installed in the systems for accessing any wireless network around. Mostly wireless cards connect to wireless routers for communication among computers or accessing WAN, internet.

MAN - Metropolitan Area Network

This kind of network is not mostly used but it has its own importance for some government bodies and organizations on larger scale. MAN, metropolitan area network falls in middle of LAN and WAN, It covers large span of physical area than LAN but smaller than WAN, such as a city.

CAN - Campus Area Network

Networking spanning with multiple LANs but smaller than a Metropolitan area network, MAN. This kind of network mostly used in relatively large universities or local business offices and buildings.

SAN - Storage Area Network

SAM technology is used for data storage and it has no use for most of the organization but data oriented organizations. Storage area network connects servers to data storage devices by using Fiber channel technology.

SAN - System Area Network

SAN, system area networks are also known as cluster area network and it connects high performance computers with high speed connections in cluster configuration.

LAN - Local Area Network

A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance. A networked office building, school, or home usually contains a single LAN, though sometimes one building will contain a few small LANs (perhaps one per room), and occasionally a LAN will span a group of nearby buildings. In TCP/IP networking, a LAN is often but not always implemented as a single IP subnet. In addition to operating in a limited space, LANs are also typically owned, controlled, and managed by a single person or organization. They also tend to use certain connectivity technologies, primarily Ethernet and Token Ring.

WAN - Wide Area Network

As the term implies, a WAN spans a large physical distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning the Earth. A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of LANs. A network device called a router connects LANs to a WAN. In IP networking, the router maintains both a LAN address and a WAN address.

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 and management. WANs tend to use technology like ATM, Frame Relay and X.25 for connectivity over the longer distances.

LAN, WAN and Home Networking

Residences typically employ one LAN and connect to the Internet WAN via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) using a broadband modem. The ISP provides a WAN IP address to the modem, and all of the computers on the home network use LAN (so-called private) IP addresses. All computers on the home LAN can communicate directly with each other but must go through a central gateway, typically a broadband router, to reach the ISP.

Other Types of Area Networks

While LAN and WAN are by far the most popular network types mentioned, you may also commonly see references to these others:

Wireless Local Area Network - a LAN based on WiFi wireless network technology Metropolitan Area Network - 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. Campus Area Network - a network spanning multiple LANs but smaller than a MAN, such as on a university or local business campus. Storage Area Network - connects servers to data storage devices through a technology like Fibre Channel. System Area Network - links high-performance computers with high-speed connections in a cluster configuration. Also known as Cluster Area Network.

The OSI Reference Model

As many networking tutorials do, this one begins with an introduction to the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model (OSI Model). The OSI model is a layered, abstract description for communication and computer network protocol design, developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection initiative. It is also called the OSI 7-layer model.

Purpose
The OSI model divides the functions of a protocol into a series of layers. Each layer has the property that it only uses the functions of the layer directly below, and only exports functionality to the layer directly above. A system that implements protocol behavior consisting of a series of these layers is known as a protocol stack or simply stack. Protocol stacks can be implemented either in hardware or software, or a mixture of both. Typically, only the lower layers are implemented in hardware, with the higher layers being implemented in software.

Application Layer The application layer provides a means for the user to access information on the network through an application. This layer is the main interface for users to interact with the application and therefore the network. Presentation Layer The presentation layer transforms data to provide a standard interface for the application layer. Encoding, data compression, data encryption and similar manipulation of the presentation is done at this layer to present the data as a service or protocol developer sees fit. Session Layer The session layer controls the connections (sessions) between computers. It establishes, manages and terminates the connections between the local and remote application. Transport Layer The transport layer provides transparent transfer of data between end users, thus relieving the upper layers from transfer concerns while providing reliable data transfer. The transport layer controls the reliability of a given link through flow control, segmentation/ desegmentation, and error control. Network Layer The network layer provides the means of transferring data sequences from a source to a destination by using one or more networks while maintaining the quality of service requested by the Transport layer. The Network layer performs network routing functions, and might also perform segmentation/desegmentation, and report delivery errors. Data Link Layer The data link layer provides the means to transfer data between network entities and to detect and possibly correct errors that may occur in the Physical layer. It arranges bits from the physical layer into logical chunks of data, known as frames. Physical Layer The physical layer defines all the electrical and physical specifications for devices. This includes the layout of pins, voltages, and cable specifications.