Types of Network

Networks

What are the different types of networks?

A network is two of more devices connected together with the purpose of sharing resources
There are three main types of network

Local Area Network (LAN)
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Personal Area Network (PAN)

For the exam it is important to know the advantage and disadvantages of each type of network as well as the advantages and disadvantages of networks as a whole

What are the advantages of having a network?

Users can share resources such as printers and connection to the internet
Users can access their files from any computer on the network
Communication can be made easier via email and social networks
Users can share files and folders easily such as central databases and spreadsheets
Servers can be used to provide centralised backups, updates and security

What are the disadvantages of having a network?

There is an increased security risk to data
Malicious software can infiltrate the network and render it unusable
Servers and switches can provide a central point of failure, resulting in users not being able to complete tasks using their computer
Factors can impact the performance of the network such as the number of users and data on the network at one time

What is a LAN?

A local area network (LAN) is a network which has a small geographical area (under 1 mile)
All of the hardware is owned by the company/organisation/household using it
LANs will use unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable, fibre optic cable or wireless connections (Wi-Fi)

What is a WAN?

A wide area network (WAN) is a network which has a large geographical area (over 1 mile)
They are a collection of LANs joined together
The computers on a WAN are connected via routers
The hardware used to connect the networks together is not all owned by the company/organisation/household using it.
Telephone lines owned by telecommunication companies are an example
WANs will use fibre optic cable, telephone lines and satellite to connect the LANs together

wan

What is a PAN?

A personal area network (PAN) is a network that is used for transmission of data between devices in close proximity
A PAN has a very short range (10 metres)
Bluetooth is the most widely used PAN
Typical examples of devices which make use of a PAN are:
- Wireless headphones
- Mobile phones
- Tablet
- Laptop etc.

bluetooth

Worked example

(a) State one wireless method used to connect devices on a Personal Area Network (PAN) [1]

(b) A travel agent has offices in two sites that are 10 miles apart. Describe two differences between a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN) [2]

Answers

(a) Bluetooth
(b) Max two marks from

- LANs cover relatively small geographical areas // WANs usually cover a wide geographic area
- LANs often owned and controlled/managed by a single person/organisation // WANs often under collective/distributed ownership
- WANs are (usually) several LANs connected together
- WANs (usually) have a much larger number of devices/users than LANs
- LAN has a lower latency // WAN has higher latency
- WANs are (usually) slower than LANs
- The cost-per-byte for transmission is much higher on a WAN
- LANs and WANs use different protocols

Types of Network (AQA GCSE Computer Science)

Revision Note

Networks

What are the different types of networks?

What are the advantages of having a network?

What are the disadvantages of having a network?

Types of Network

What is a LAN?

What is a WAN?

What is a PAN?

Worked example

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Author: Robert Hampton