Computer Network Types
What is a computer network? Generically, a network is a collection of computers interconnected by a common method. Because this definition is rather abstract and provides little insight about how the interconnection is achieved, further definition is required. There are currently three classes of computer networks:
Wide area networks (WANs)
Local area networks (LANs)
Metropolitan area networks (MANs)
LANs are limited to a single geographical area (usually a building or collection of buildings, such as a college or company campus complex). Most LANs utilize high-speed networking technologies and are limited by the network size constraints associated with those particular technologies.
A WAN is a collection of LANs in different ...
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