lan wan man – Difference Between LAN, MAN and WAN Types of area networks

In today’s lan wan man post, we will learn the Difference Between LAN, MAN and WAN, what is the difference between LAN, MAN and WAN?

Network allows many computers to connect and communicate with each other. LAN, MAN and WAN are three types of networks in computer networks that are designed to operate in the area they cover.

There are some similarities and dissimilarities between them.

wan lan man

If we talk about the main difference between LAN MAN and WAN, then it is their network area, that is, the LAN network covers the smallest area. MAN network is larger than LAN and WAN network is the largest network which is also called Internet.

LAN, MAN, and WAN are three types of computer networks that differ in their size, coverage, and functionality.

Difference Between lan wan man

in lan wan man, Before knowing what is the difference between LAN MAN and WAN network, we try to understand LAN MAN and WAN network one by one, after that we will know what is the difference between them in details.

lan wan man
lan wan man

What is LAN – What are LAN Networks?

LAN whose full name is Local Area Network. Connects network devices in a local area network in such a way that personal computers and workstations can share data, tools, and programs among themselves.

Transmission of data is very fast in a LAN network because it has a limited number of linked computers and is a local network.

LAN network covers a very small geographical area over which it has all its own control, that is why it is also called private network.

Local Area Network is used to network office buildings, homes, hospitals, schools, etc. It is quite easy to design and maintain a LAN network.

Twisted pair cables and coaxial cables are mainly used for communication in LAN networks and LAN networks can be configured in ring, bus and star topologies.

LAN (Local Area Network):

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a type of computer network that covers a small geographic area, usually a single building or campus. LANs are typically used in homes, schools, and businesses to connect devices such as computers, printers, and servers. LANs are characterized by their high data transfer rates and low latency, which makes them ideal for sharing files, resources, and applications within a limited area.

What is MAN – What is MAN Network?

MAN whose full name is Metropolitan Area Network. MAN network covers more area than LAN network or rather it is bigger network than LAN but smaller than WAN. In this, computers from two or more cities are connected and share data with each other.

MAN network covers a large geographical area, for example, we can call the network of ISP (Internet Service Provider) as MAN network. It is very difficult to design and maintain a Metropolitan Area Network.

MAN network is very expensive and that is why most of this network is maintained by many organizations, the rate of data transmission in MAN network is medium.

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network):

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a larger network that covers a geographic area that is larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN. Typically, a MAN connects multiple LANs within a city or a large campus. MANs are usually owned and operated by telecommunication companies or Internet service providers (ISPs).

What is WAN – What are LAN Networks?

The full name of WAN is Wide Area Network. This computer network is spread over a very large geographical area. This network is made by connecting many LAN and MAN networks together.

There is no control of any one organization on Wide Area Network. The medium of communication used for wide area networks is PSTN or Satellite Link. Because of the long-distance transmission in the WAN network, the noise and error in the WAN is high. The delay in propagation is one of the biggest problems encountered here.

Unlike LAN, WAN uses switching which allows multiple computers to be connected to multiple switches instead of connecting to each other.

It also uses the store-and-forward concept to transmit packets, where packets are stored in a buffer on a temporary basis and then sent to the destination following a predefined path.

WAN (Wide Area Network):

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a type of computer network that covers a large geographic area, typically spanning cities, countries, or even continents. WANs are used to connect multiple LANs and MANs across long distances. WANs are characterized by their lower data transfer rates and higher latency compared to LANs and MANs. They are commonly used for sharing resources, such as databases, email, and video conferencing, across multiple locations.

Difference Between LAN, MAN and WAN

BASIS OF COMPARISON LAN MAN WAN
Full Name Local Area Network Metropolitan Area Network Wide Area Network
Meaning LAN network that connects a group of computers in a small geographic area. This cities, towns like  Covers large area networks. It connects the network of one country to another country such as the Internet.
Ownership Private Private or Public Private or Public
Design and maintenance Easy Difficult Difficult
Propagation Delay Short Moderate Long
Speed High Moderate Low
Fault Tolerance More Tolerant Less Tolerant Less Tolerant
Congestion Less More More
Used for College, School, Hospital. Small towns, City. Country/Continent.
Allows Single pair of devices to communicate. Multiple computers can simultaneously interact. A huge group of computers communicate at the same time.

Key Differences Between LAN, MAN and WAN

LAN network covers only a very small area and hence it is called local area network, whereas, MAN is relatively larger than LAN and WAN network is the largest network.

LAN network is limited to schools, hospitals or offices, whereas, MAN connects the network of cities to cities and on the other hand, WAN connects the network of one country to the network of another country.

Devices used for transmission of data are-

  1. LAN: WiFi, Ethernet Cables.
  2. MAN: Modem and Wire/Cable
  3. WAN: Optic wires, Microwaves, Satellites.

Data transmission in LAN networks is much faster than in MAN and WAN networks.

If we talk about the maintenance of LAN network, then it is much easier to maintain local area network than MAN and WAN network.

Conclusion – wan lan man

In today’s post lan wan man, we learned about the Difference Between LAN, MAN and WAN, what is the difference between LAN, MAN and WAN?

LAN, MAN and WAN networks have their own advantages, such as if we talk about LAN networks, then it gets high data transmission rate with excellent reliability and it is also very easy to maintain.

A local area network cannot cover a large geographic area network, meaning cities or towns, and requires a metropolitan area network, which connects computer networks in one city to computer networks in another city.

Apart from this, in order to connect the computer networks of one country to the computer networks of other countries, a wide area network is required which we all know by the name of Internet.

In summary, the primary differences between LAN, MAN, and WAN networks are their coverage area, data transfer rates, and latency. LANs are small, fast networks that operate within a single building or campus. MANs are larger, slower networks that cover a metropolitan area. WANs are the largest and slowest networks that connect multiple LANs and MANs across long distances.

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