[Jessica Jagerson]

Can you explain the different classifications of networks and their purpose?

[Matthew Beaver]

Networks can be classified in several ways based on their size, scope, function, and design. Here are the main classifications of networks along with their purposes:

1. **Local Area Network (LAN)**:
– **Purpose**: Connects computers and devices in a relatively small geographic area, such as a home, school, or office building.
– **Characteristics**: High data transfer rates, low latency, and typically used for sharing resources like printers and files.

2. **Wide Area Network (WAN)**:
– **Purpose**: Covers a broad area, connecting multiple LANs that can be far apart, often across cities, countries, or even continents.
– **Characteristics**: Generally lower data transfer rates compared to LANs, and often utilizes leased telecommunication lines or satellites. The internet is the largest example of a WAN.

3. **Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)**:
– **Purpose**: Connects multiple LANs within a specific geographic area, such as a city.
– **Characteristics**: Larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN, used for connecting municipal buildings and campuses.

4. **Personal Area Network (PAN)**:
– **Purpose**: Connects personal devices over a very short range, typically within a few meters.
– **Characteristics**: Often used for connecting devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops via Bluetooth or infrared.

5. **Virtual Private Network (VPN)**:
– **Purpose**: Provides a secure connection over the internet by establishing a private network within a public one.
– **Characteristics**: Encrypted tunnels for secure data transmission, often used for remote access to corporate networks and for privacy.

6. **Peer-to-Peer Network (P2P)**:
– **Purpose**: Allows devices to connect directly to each other to share resources without a central server.
– **Characteristics**: Often used for file sharing and communication, with each device acting as both a client and a server.

7. **Storage Area Network (SAN)**:
– **Purpose**: Dedicated network designed to provide access to consolidated, block-level data storage.
– **Characteristics**: Optimizes storage devices to be shared among multiple servers, improving data accessibility and performance.

8. **Cloud Network**:
– **Purpose**: Utilizes cloud computing resources and services via the internet to connect users and devices to virtualized resources.
– **Characteristics**: Scalable and flexible, allowing for on-demand access to computing resources and services.

Each of these classifications serves unique purposes and is chosen based on the specific needs of the users or organizations involved, considering factors like size, complexity, and requirements for security and performance.

[Hannah Street]

Hi Matthew! Your discussion post covered the different types of networks as well as their purpose. I noticed in your discussion post that you wrote about a few types of networks that were not discussed in the book. I thought that it was interesting that you were able to go into more detail to further research the types of networks. This allowed for you to discuss some of the other potential networks such as peer to peer. How you laid out your post made for your reader to easily read your discussion post because of how you structured the post. Each type of network has a specific section, so that the reader can easily see which network that you are discussing and easily decipher the details specific to that particular network. You were able to go into enough detail about each type of network without over explaining the topic. Good job!

[Hannah Street]

There are a number of different types of networks, and they all have different purposes. Local network is the network that is only meant for a specific area. There are many different places that local networks can be used such as offices, houses, or at schools. While there are networks that are made for larger areas, these are called Wide Area networks. The Wide area network allows for the network to span over a larger range like across cities, this is done by having multiple different nodes. Personal Area Network is designed for the network only to be in a small area. Campus Area Network is designed to allow for multiple buildings to be connected on things like a college campus. Metropolitan Area Network allows for places all across a city to be connected. Storage Area Network is when a network connects different storage devices, if the storage devices are all connected this allows for easier access. (Mile 2).

References:
Mile 2. (n.d.). Certified Operating Systems Technician.

[Marisa Ross]

Your explanation of the different types of networks and their purposes was clear and easy to follow. The examples for each type made it simple to picture where they might be used in real life, whether in offices, schools, or across entire cities. It’s fascinating how networks can range from tiny setups like Personal Area Networks to huge systems like Wide Area Networks. The part about Storage Area Networks was also insightful; connected storage devices really do make managing data much more efficient.

[Marisa Ross]

While there are many different classifications of networks, some key components include nodes, hosts, media, data, and network devices. Each serves a specific purpose: a node is any device on the network that actively transmits and receives information; a host is a node that marks the beginning or end of communication; media refers to the physical pathway connecting the nodes; data is the information carried by the media, formatted using standardized rules called protocols; and a network device is a node that functions as part of the network’s structure rather than as a host of resources. There are also physical networks, made up of interface cords, hardware, cables, and other visible components, and logical networks, which represent the information carried and the path it follows, something the computers can “see” but we cannot physically observe.

[Eugene Estes]

Hello Ross,
Your explanation of the many parts of a network and how they all fit together to allow communication is really helpful. Constructing efficient and safe systems requires an understanding of how these parts work together, which is something you touched on before. To guarantee the integrity and correct transmission of the data they share, protocols are crucial for both hosts and nodes (Kairaldeen et al., 2021). In complicated or massive networks, when numerous devices are in operation at once, this coordination becomes very necessary. Furthermore, the difference you brought up between logical and physical networks emphasizes how contemporary systems rely on both hardware and intangible structures such as data organization, addressing schemes, and routing patterns. Hidden from view by end users, logical networks play a crucial role in controlling data flow, transit time, and security. Network performance optimization, planning, and troubleshooting are all made easier with a firm grasp of both the physical and logical aspects.
References
Kairaldeen, A. R., Abdullah, N. F., Abu-Samah, A., & Nordin, R. (2021). Data integrity time optimization of a blockchain IoT smart home network using different consensus and hash algorithms. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2021(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/4401809

[Eugene Estes]

A system that allows two or more computers or devices to exchange resources, data, and services is called a computer network. Networks are categorized according to their size, geographic reach, and function. Personal Area Networks (PAN), Local Area Networks (LAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), and Wide Area Networks (WAN) are the primary varieties.
1. Personal Area Network (PAN)
The smallest kind of network, known as a PAN, is used to link personal devices, such printers, laptops, and smartphones, within a very narrow range, often a few meters (Sharma et al., 2025. Common examples are Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Enabling rapid and confidential exchange of information among personal devices is the goal of a PAN.
2. Local area network (LAN)
Computers in a restricted space, such a home, workplace, or school, are connected by a LAN. Goni, (2021) highlights that files, printers, and internet access are among the resources that can be shared. LANs are perfect for small businesses since they are usually quick and safe.
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Compared to a LAN, a MAN covers a wider area, like a city or college. In order to share resources or internet services, it links several LANs together. Providing effective communication within a metropolitan area is the goal of a MAN.
4. Wide Area Network (WAN)
A WAN connects several cities or nations and spans large geographic areas. The best illustration of a WAN is the internet (Troia et al., 2025) . Its goal is to make it possible for consumers and businesses to communicate and share data globally.

[Rodnika Brown]

Networks can be classified in different ways, and each type has a specific purpose. The main classifications are based on size and how far the network reaches.

1. LAN (Local Area Network)
A LAN is a small network, usually inside one building like a home, school, or office. Its purpose is to let nearby devices,like computers and printers connect and share information quickly.

2. WAN (Wide Area Network)
A WAN covers a much larger area, like multiple cities or even countries. The internet is the biggest example of a WAN. Its purpose is to connect LANs together so people can communicate over long distances.

3. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
A MAN is bigger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN. It usually covers a city or a large campus. Its purpose is to connect several LANs within the same region.

4. PAN (Personal Area Network)
A PAN is the smallest network. It’s usually just around one person, like your phone connecting to your earbuds or smartwatch through Bluetooth. Its purpose is to support close range, personal device connections.

Overall, each network classification is based on how big the area is and how many devices need to communicate. They all exist to help people share data, communicate, and access resources easily.

[Eugene Estes]

A system that allows two or more computers or devices to exchange resources, data, and services is called a computer network. Networks are categorized according to their size, geographic reach, and function. Personal Area Networks (PAN), Local Area Networks (LAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), and Wide Area Networks (WAN) are the primary varieties.
1. Personal Area Network (PAN)
The smallest kind of network, known as a PAN, is used to link personal devices, such printers, laptops, and smartphones, within a very narrow range, often a few meters (Sharma et al., 2025. Common examples are Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Enabling rapid and confidential exchange of information among personal devices is the goal of a PAN.
2. Local area network (LAN)
Computers in a restricted space, such a home, workplace, or school, are connected by a LAN. Goni, (2021) highlights that files, printers, and internet access are among the resources that can be shared. LANs are perfect for small businesses since they are usually quick and safe.
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Compared to a LAN, a MAN covers a wider area, like a city or college. In order to share resources or internet services, it links several LANs together. Providing effective communication within a metropolitan area is the goal of a MAN.
4. Wide Area Network (WAN)
A WAN connects several cities or nations and spans large geographic areas. The best illustration of a WAN is the internet (Troia et al., 2025) . Its goal is to make it possible for consumers and businesses to communicate and share data globally.

References
Goni, O. (2021). Implementation of local area network (LAN) and build a secure LAN system for atomic energy research establishment (AERE). International Journal of Electronics Engineering and Applications, IX(II), 21. https://doi.org/10.30696/ijeea.ix.ii.2021.21-33
Sharma, D., Rai, H., A, M., Dubey, S., & Yadav, H. (2025). An overview on computer networking. International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering, 142-145. https://doi.org/10.59256/ijire.20250602018
Troia, S., Borgianni, L., Sguotti, G., Giordano, S., & Maier, G. (2025). A comprehensive survey on software-defined wide area network. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2025.3594678

[Eugene Estes]

A system that allows two or more computers or devices to exchange resources, data, and services is called a computer network. Networks are categorized according to their size, geographic reach, and function. Personal Area Networks (PAN), Local Area Networks (LAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), and Wide Area Networks (WAN) are the primary varieties.
1. Personal Area Network (PAN)
The smallest kind of network, known as a PAN, is used to link personal devices, such printers, laptops, and smartphones, within a very narrow range, often a few meters (Sharma et al., 2025. Common examples are Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Enabling rapid and confidential exchange of information among personal devices is the goal of a PAN.
2. Local area network (LAN)
Computers in a restricted space, such a home, workplace, or school, are connected by a LAN. Goni, (2021) highlights that files, printers, and internet access are among the resources that can be shared. LANs are perfect for small businesses since they are usually quick and safe.
3. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Compared to a LAN, a MAN covers a wider area, like a city or college. In order to share resources or internet services, it links several LANs together. Providing effective communication within a metropolitan area is the goal of a MAN.
4. Wide Area Network (WAN)
A WAN connects several cities or nations and spans large geographic areas. The best illustration of a WAN is the internet (Troia et al., 2025) . Its goal is to make it possible for consumers and businesses to communicate and share data globally.

References
Goni, O. (2021). Implementation of local area network (LAN) and build a secure LAN system for atomic energy research establishment (AERE). International Journal of Electronics Engineering and Applications, IX(II), 21. https://doi.org/10.30696/ijeea.ix.ii.2021.21-33
Sharma, D., Rai, H., A, M., Dubey, S., & Yadav, H. (2025). An overview on computer networking. International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering, 142-145. https://doi.org/10.59256/ijire.20250602018
Troia, S., Borgianni, L., Sguotti, G., Giordano, S., & Maier, G. (2025). A comprehensive survey on software-defined wide area network. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2025.3594678

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