Types of Networks
Types of Networks
Types of Networks
Understanding these network types is important for Network+, Security+, and general IT support knowledge.
Type Full Name Coverage Area ExamplePAN Personal Area Network A few feet Bluetooth headset connected to a phone
LAN Local Area Network Building/Home Home Wi-Fi network
WLAN Wireless Local Area Network Building/Home Wireless office network
CAN Campus Area Network Multiple buildings University campus network
MAN Metropolitan Area Network City City government network
WAN Wide Area Network Country/Continent Corporate network connecting offices
WWAN Wireless Wide Area Network Regional/National Cellular 4G/5G network
GAN Global Area Network Worldwide The Internet
VLAN Virtual LAN Logical network Separate departments on same switch
SAN Storage Area Network Data center Enterprise storage network
1. PAN (Personal Area Network)
A network connecting devices around one person.
Range: Usually less than 10 meters (33 feet)
Examples:
Bluetooth headphones
Smartwatch connected to phone
Wireless keyboard and mouse
Plain Text
Phone ←Bluetooth→ Smartwatch
Show more lines
2. LAN (Local Area Network)
A network within a small geographic area.
Range: Home, office, school, building
Examples:
Home network
Small business network
Computer lab
Plain Text
PC → Switch → Router → Internet
Show more lines
Benefits:
High speed
Low cost
Easy management
3. WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)
A LAN that uses wireless technology (Wi-Fi).
Examples:
Home Wi-Fi
Coffee shop Wi-Fi
Office wireless network
Plain Text
Laptop )))) Access Point )))) Internet
Show more lines
Common Standards:
802.11ac
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
802.11be (Wi-Fi 7)
4. CAN (Campus Area Network)
Connects multiple LANs within a campus or organization.
Examples:
University campus
Hospital campus
Corporate campus
Plain Text
Building A LAN
│
Building B LAN
│
Building C LAN
Show more lines
5. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
Spans a city or metropolitan area.
Examples:
City-wide government network
Cable TV provider network
Municipal broadband
Plain Text
Office A ─── Office B ─── Office C
(Across a city)
Show more lines
Larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN.
6. WAN (Wide Area Network)
Connects networks over large geographic areas.
Examples:
Bank branch networks
Corporate offices nationwide
Internet service provider networks
Plain Text
Chicago Office
│
WAN
│
Dallas Office
│
New York Office
Show more lines
Technologies:
MPLS
Fiber
VPN
Leased Lines
7. WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network)
A WAN that uses wireless cellular technology.
Examples:
4G LTE
5G
Cellular hotspots
Plain Text
Laptop → Mobile Hotspot → Cellular Network
Show more lines
Common use:
Working remotely
Mobile Internet access
8. GAN (Global Area Network)
The largest network type, spanning the world.
Best Example: The Internet
Plain Text
North America
│
Europe
│
Asia
│
Africa
Show more lines
Allows global communication and connectivity.
9. VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)
A logical separation of devices on the same physical network.
Example:
One switch:
Plain Text
VLAN 10 = HR
VLAN 20 = Sales
VLAN 30 = IT
Show more lines
Benefits:
Improved security
Reduced broadcasts
Easier management
Even though users share the same switch, they behave as if they are on separate networks.
10. SAN (Storage Area Network)
A dedicated high-speed network for storage devices and servers.
Example:
Plain Text
Server ───── SAN Switch ───── Storage Array
Show more lines
Used in:
Data centers
Enterprise environments
Cloud providers
Benefits:
High performance
Centralized storage
Scalability
Data redundancy
Quick Memory Trick for Network+
Smallest → Largest
Plain Text
PAN → LAN/WLAN → CAN → MAN → WAN/WWAN → GAN
Show more lines
Special Types:
VLAN = Virtual separation of networks
SAN = Storage network
Exam Tip
Know these common examples:
Bluetooth = PAN
Home Network = LAN
Wi-Fi Network = WLAN
College Campus = CAN
City Network = MAN
Corporate Multi-State Network = WAN
Cellular Network (4G/5G) = WWAN
Internet = GAN
Department Separation on a Switch = VLAN
Enterprise Storage System = SAN
Provide your feedback on BizChat
 "image title")
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.