Essential Guide to Computing: The Story of Information Technology, The

Chapter 12. Types of Networks

The traditional way of categorizing networks is according to the level at which they connect computers—local, campus, or wide area. In this taxonomy, local is equivalent to the computers in a department or some other small organizational subdivision. A local area network goes by the widely used handle of LAN. The next kind of network, called a campus network, is simply one that connects two or more LANs in a building or cluster of buildings. LANs and campus networks are distinct in that they use hardware, software, and wiring that is provided locally—by the business, organization, or even the family that actually uses the network. When you leave the local or campus environment, however, it's no longer possible to ...