2 Types of Computer Network

2 Types of Computer Network

LAN and WAN were the original categories of area networks, while the others have gradually emerged over many years of technology evolution. 

LAN - Local Area Network

A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance. A networked office building, school, or home usually contains a single LAN, though sometimes one building will contain a few small LANs (perhaps one per room), and occasionally a LAN will span a group of nearby buildings. In TCP/IP networking, a LAN is often but not always implemented as a single IP subnet. 

WAN - Wide Area Network

  As the term implies, a WAN spans a large physical distance. The Internet is the largest WAN, spanning the Earth.

 A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of LANs. A network device called a router connects LANs to a WAN. In IP networking, the router maintains both a LAN address and a WAN address. 

A WAN differs from a LAN in several important ways. Most WANs (like the Internet) are not owned by any one organization but rather exist under collective or distributed ownership and management. WANs tend to use technology like ATM, Frame Relay and X.25 for connectivity over the longer distances.

ILLUSTRATION of WAN and LAN :