A computer network can vary in size. Based on how much geographical area it covers, it can be classified into four types: LAN, CAN, MAN, and WAN.
LAN
LAN stands for Local area network. It covers a small geographical area. It plays an important role in the day-to-day functioning of small offices, homes, and businesses. It saves time, stores data in a centralized location, and lower equipment costs by sharing printers, modems, hard disks, and other devices.
Setting up and managing a LAN network is relatively simple and inexpensive. To set up a simple LAN network, you only need some switches. If you want to extend the functionality of a LAN network, you can add a router to it.
You can easily manage a LAN network on your own. If you need help, you can hire a technical support engineer for troubleshooting. You don't need a dedicated network administrator for the LAN network.
Home networks, small offices, cyber cafes, and open wi-fi networks at railway stations are some examples of LAN networks.
If a company has a multi-story building with hundreds of employees, it can configure a LAN network on each floor. To connect all LAN networks, it can use a bridge or a router.
The main characteristics of LAN networks are the following.
- They are used in a small geographical area.
- They offer the highest data transfer speed.
- They connect and provide access to many devices.
- They need only a few networking devices such as hubs, switches, and NIC cards.
- They are owned, managed, and operated by a single person or an entity.
Many people refer to LAN networks set up in homes as HANs (Home Area Networks). HANs are identical to LANs. HANs allow home users to connect computers and other electronic devices such as smart TVs, smartphones, video games, etc. They also let them share a single printer or a single internet connection.
CAN
CAN stands for Campus Area Network. It covers a small geographical area such as a building, university campus, or corporate park. It is larger than a LAN but smaller than a MAN.
Only experienced network engineers can set up and manage CAN networks. To set up a CAN network, you need many networking devices such as switches and routers.
The main characteristics of CAN networks are the following.
- They are used within a small geographical area.
- They offer slower data transfer speeds than LAN networks.
- They connect many LAN networks.
- They need many networking devices such as access switches, backbone switches, and routers.
- They are owned, managed, and operated by a single organization or a company.
MAN
MAN stands for Metropolitan Area Network. It connects LANs across a city or metropolitan area. It provides normal data transfer speed. Local government bodies use it to broadcast valuable information across the city. Companies use it to connect their offices in the city.
It is expensive to set up and manage. It uses a backbone network (BN) to connect different LANs. The company that provides the backbone network installs fiber optic cables and wireless antennas across the city. To use these cable connections or wireless antennas, you need to pay rent to the company.
MAN networks have the following characteristics: -
- It spans a city or a metropolitan area.
- It connects LAN networks.
- To connect LAN networks, it uses fiber optic connections.
- It provides a single point of connection between each LAN.
- It uses many networking devices such as routers, telephone switches, wireless access points, fiber optic cables, modems, and microwave antennas as parts of its communication infrastructure.
WAN
WAN stands for Wide Area Network. It spans a large geographical area such as a country or a continent. It connects MAN networks. It provides a slower data transfer speed than MAN, CAN, and LAN. It uses long-haul transmission lines which are designed to carry data over long distances. Thousands of telecommunications companies across the world install and manage these lines. They install these lines on both land and water. They also use satellite connectivity to extend WAN connectivity.
WAN networks have the following characteristics: -
- They span a very large geographical area such as a country and continent. They can also span the world.
- They provide slower data transmission speed compared to LAN, CAN, and MAN.
- They use sophisticated networking devices and technologies.
- They connect MAN networks.
- They provide limited access to LAN or CAN networks. A LAN or a CAN usually has one WAN link that is shared by multiple devices.
Differences between LAN, CAN, MAN, and WAN.
The following table compares LAN, CAN, MAN, and WAN and lists the main differences between them.
| LAN | CAN | MAN | WAN |
| Cover a very small geographical area such as a small office or home network | Cover a small geographical area such as a university campus or school building | Cover a large geographical area such as a city | Cover a very large geographical area such as a country or a continent |
| Mainly used for resources sharing | Used for both resources and data sharing | Mainly used for data sharing | Mainly used for data sharing |
| Owned by a single entity or a person | Owned by a single organization or company | Can be owned by a single or multiple organizations and companies | Can be owned by a single or multiple organizations and companies |
| Provide the fastest data transfer speed | Provide fast data transfer speed | Provide average data transfer speed | Provide normal data transfer speed |
| Need only a few networking equipment | need many networking equipments | need expensive and dedicated networking equipment | need sophisticated networking equipment |
| easy to set up and manage | normal to set up and manage | hard to set up and manage | very hard to set up and manage |
| Do not need a dedicated network engineer | Need a dedicated network engineer | Need a dedicated team of network engineers | Need many teams of network engineers |
| Experience very less congestion | Experience less congestion | Experience normal congestion | Experience more congestion |
That's all for this tutorial. In this tutorial, we discussed the differences between LAN, CAN, MAN, and WAN computer networks.