• LAN - Local Area Network
    • PAN - Person Area Network
    • WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network
    • CAN - Campus Area Network
    • MAN - Metropolitan Area Network
  • WAN - Wide Area Network
    • SAN - Storage Area Network
    • POLAN - Passive Optical Area Network
    • VPN - Virtual Private Network
    • EPN - Enterprise Private Network

Local Area Network

  • A network that covers a small geographical area, typically located on a single site
  • Hardware tends to be owned by the organisation using it

Connection

  • UTP cable
  • Fibre optic
  • Wi-Fi

Wide Area Network

  • A network that covers a large geographical area
  • Composed of multiple LANs physically connected

The infrastructure that connects the LANs is not owned by one organisation and often leased from owning/managing telecommunication companies.

Connection

  • Telephone lines
  • Fibre optic
  • Satellite