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s you begin the process of
setting up a network, you will likely first need to figure out how to best
connect the devices on the network so that communications are optimal. You
might have to do a little research, planning, and organizing to make sure everything
is positioned to maximize performance on that network. One good place to start
is with the devices you will need to deploy. You can ask a few key questions to
help point you in the right direction, such as the following:
- How many devices will be on the network?
- Are the devices all in the same room? House? Office building?
- Are the devices spread throughout a city? State? Country?
- What type of redundancy should the network have?
Two keys to any network design
are the network type and the network topology. A network is the infrastructure
that allows for communication between connected devices. The topology describes
how the devices are connected to each other.
A network is an essential part of
any multi-computer setup where the sharing of data and hardware resources is
required; it facilitates communications between the computers or devices,
either to each other or to devices outside their sphere. There are various
network types, and the devices within these networks can be organized into
various physical or logical topologies. These are the four main network types:
- Personal area networks (PANs)
- Local area networks (LANs)
- Metropolitan area networks (MANs)
- Wide area networks (WANs)
Personal
Area Network (PAN)
A PAN can be used to connect and
share data among devices that are located within a very close proximity of each
other. For example, a personal computer (PC), a telephone, a printer, and a
wireless headset might all be part of a home office setup using a PAN.
Bluetooth and ZigBee are two technologies commonly used in a PAN setting.
Local
Area Network (LAN)
A LAN is typically used for
communications within a single group or organization and typically within a
single building or site where buildings are within close proximity of each
other. Two common types of LANs include Ethernet networks and Token Ring
networks.
Metropolitan
Area Network (MAN)
A MAN can be used to connect
networks that reside within a single metropolitan area. For example, if a
company has multiple locations within the same city, the company could
configure a MAN to connect the LANs in each office together.
A WAN is a network that covers a
large geographical area. Often, a WAN is spread across multiple cities and even
multiple countries. Computers connected to a WAN are typically connected
through public networks, leased lines, or satellites. The largest example of a
WAN is the Internet.
Computers in a network
are connected in some logical manner, referred to as network topology or
network architecture.
