Networks are classified by geographic scale and physical layout. Scale determines speed, cost, and latency. Topology determines reliability and manageability.
Types of Networks by Scale
| Type | Area | Speed | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAN | Personal (few meters) | High | Bluetooth, USB |
| LAN | Building/Office | Very high (1-10 Gbps) | Office Ethernet |
| MAN | City | Moderate | Cable TV network |
| WAN | Country/Global | Lower (depends on distance) | The Internet |
The Internet is the world’s largest WAN — a network of networks.
Network Topologies
| Topology | Description | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | Single backbone cable, all nodes tap in | Cheap, simple | Cable break kills whole network |
| Star | All nodes connect to a central hub/switch | Easy to troubleshoot, one cable failure doesn’t affect others | Central point is single point of failure |
| Ring | Nodes form a closed loop, data travels one direction | Ordered, predictable | One node failure can break the ring |
| Mesh | Every node connects to every other node | Most reliable, no single point of failure | Extremely expensive (cabling cost O(n²)) |
| Tree | Hierarchical star topology | Scalable, good for campus networks | More complex to manage |
Star is the most common topology in modern networks because it’s easy to manage (all cables terminate at a switch), easy to expand, and a single cable failure only affects one device.
Q: Compare LAN and WAN.
A: LAN covers a small area (office/home) with high speed (1-10 Gbps) and low cost. WAN covers large areas (country/global) with lower speed and higher cost. LAN uses Ethernet/WiFi; WAN uses fiber, satellite, or leased lines.
Q: Why is Star topology the most popular?
A: Easy to install, expand, and troubleshoot. One cable failure only affects one device. Centralized management at the switch. Most office networks use star wiring.
Q: Which topology is most reliable?
A: Mesh topology — every node has multiple paths to every other node. No single point of failure. Used in critical infrastructure (military, data centers) where uptime is non-negotiable. The cost trade-off is cabling O(n²).
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