Networks are categorized based on geographic scope, purpose, and architecture. Each type serves different scales of connectivity, from personal device linking to connecting global enterprises.
Scope: A few meters — single user or small space.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Range | ~10 meters |
| Medium | Bluetooth, Infrared, USB |
| Devices | Smartphones, laptops, smartwatches |
| Use Case | File sharing, device syncing |
| Architecture | Peer-to-peer (mostly ad-hoc) |
Scope: A room, floor, or building — common in homes and offices.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Range | Up to a few hundred meters |
| Medium | Ethernet (cabled) or Wi-Fi |
| Devices | PCs, printers, access points, switches |
| Use Case | Office or home device interconnection |
| Architecture | Star or Bus topology with central switch/router |
A subset of LAN that uses wireless communication (Wi-Fi).
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Medium | IEEE 802.11 standards (a/b/g/n/ac/ax) |
| Security | WPA2/WPA3 encryption |
| Components | Wireless Access Points (APs), clients |
| Considerations | Coverage, interference, signal strength |
Scope: Covers a city or campus-wide area.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Range | Several kilometers |
| Medium | Fiber optics, leased lines |
| Use Case | City-wide Wi-Fi, university campuses |
| Architecture | Often a high-speed backbone connecting LANs |
| Managed By | ISPs, universities, corporations |
Scope: Country or global — connects LANs and MANs.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Range | Hundreds to thousands of kilometers |
| Medium | MPLS, leased lines, satellites, fiber |
| Example | The Internet |
| Architecture | Hierarchical, multi-layered routers |
| Managed By | Telecom providers, ISPs |
Purpose-built network for block-level storage access.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Medium | Fiber Channel, iSCSI |
| Use Case | Enterprise data centers, backups |
| Components | Storage arrays, switches, host bus adapters |
| Benefit | Fast, isolated storage traffic |
A virtual extension of a private LAN over a public network (like the Internet).
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Encryption | Secures communication over the internet |
| Use Case | Remote access, secure browsing |
| Protocols | IPsec, OpenVPN, L2TP, WireGuard |
| Architecture | Tunnel-based, peer-to-site or site-to-site |
| Type | Scope | Medium | Common Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAN | ~10m | Bluetooth/USB | Wearables, phone syncing |
| LAN | Building | Ethernet/Wi-Fi | Offices, homes |
| WLAN | Building | Wi-Fi | Wireless connectivity |
| MAN | City | Fiber, wireless | University, metro Wi-Fi |
| WAN | Global | ISP backbone | Internet, branch office link |
| SAN | Internal | Fiber, iSCSI | Storage networks in data centers |
| VPN | Virtual | Any + encryption | Remote work, privacy |
💡 Choosing the right network type depends on scale, purpose, speed, and security requirements. Most modern infrastructures combine multiple types for optimal performance.