A computer network is a system of interconnected devices, represented as network nodes, that share information, data, and resources with each other.

Depending on the type of network, a device can connect to the network as simply as a computer or smartphone. Larger networks use devices such as routers and switches to create the underlying network infrastructure.

Not all networks are the same. There are mainly several types of networks, each of which supports the equipment, size and location of the system. These networks also have different access levels and forms of connectivity.

Here are seven common types of networks, along with their benefits and use cases.

1. Personal Area Network

A Personal Area Network (PAN) is the smallest and simplest type of network. PANs connect devices within personal range, no more than about 10 meters (m). Because PANs operate in such a limited space area, most are wireless and provide short-range connectivity via infrared technology.

An example of a wireless PAN is when a user connects a Bluetooth device, such as a wireless headset, to a smartphone or laptop. While most PANs are wireless, wired PAN options also exist, including USB.

(1) Advantages of PAN

• Portability. Most devices connected in a PAN are small and portable.
• Affordability. Two devices can be connected in a PAN without additional wiring, which is generally less expensive than a wired network.
• reliability. PAN guarantees a stable connection between devices, provided that the devices remain within 10 meters.
• safety. PANs are not directly connected to the larger network, but are connected to other devices in the larger network. The security of devices in a PAN depends on the security of intermediary devices in the larger overall network.

(2) PAN use case

The configuration of the PAN enables individual users to connect their devices in their vicinity. An example of this is a body area network, where the user actually wears the connected device. Small home networks with computers, printers, and other wireless devices are also considered PANs.

Going forward, PAN can be a key network type in the field of futurology. Some networking experts predict that PANs may be able to optimize and enable IoT systems in offices and homes.

2. LAN

A local area network (LAN) refers to an area where computers and other devices are connected to each other. While PANs connect devices around an individual, LANs can range from a few meters in a home to hundreds of meters in a large corporate office. Network topology determines how devices in a LAN are interconnected.

LAN uses wired and wireless connection options. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have surpassed traditional wired LANs in popularity, but wired LANs remain a more secure and reliable option. Wired LANs use physical cables such as Ethernet and switches; WLANs use devices such as wireless routers and access points to interconnect network devices via radio frequency waves.

Network administrators can implement security protocols and encryption standards to protect wireless networks. Wired LANs are generally more secure because they require physical cables to form the connection and are less susceptible to damage.

(1) LAN advantages

LAN supports home office and corporate network environments, etc. Users in personal home offices can connect their devices and transfer data between each device with little or no error. Employees in corporate offices can quickly communicate, share and access the same data and services provided by their organization.

The most common WLAN use case is Wi-Fi. A wireless network can use Wi-Fi radio signals to connect multiple devices in one location. But it's important to note that WLAN and Wi-Fi are different. Wi-Fi networks are WLANs, but not all WLANs use Wi-Fi.

(2) Virtual LAN

A virtual LAN (VLAN) is a LAN configuration that virtually groups network components into segments. Network administrators create VLANs to operate segments as separate systems, separate from the rest of the LAN. VLANs prevent the network from isolating LAN traffic for each network segment, thereby improving network performance and efficiency, simplifying network management, and improving security.

3. Metropolitan Area Network

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is the interconnection of multiple LANs throughout a city, town or municipality. Like LANs, MANs can use a variety of wired or wireless connectivity options, including fiber optics, Ethernet cables, Wi-Fi, or cellular networks.

(1) MAN advantage

• Municipal coverage. MANs can span entire cities or towns, extending networks for tens of miles.
• Efficient web standards. MAN configurations typically use the IEEE 802.11 network standard to increase bandwidth capacity and frequency levels, thereby improving network performance.
• High-speed connection. Fiber optic cables are the most popular form of MAN connection because they provide secure and fast connection data rates.

(2) MAN use case

The main purpose of MAN is to provide the same network in multiple locations. In a LAN, the network can be accessed in one location. In MAN, organizations with LANs in the same city (eg different office buildings) can extend their network connections to these different locations.

Government entities can also configure the MAN to provide users with public network connectivity. For example, municipalities use wireless metropolitan area network technology to provide free public Wi-Fi to city residents.

4. Campus Network

A campus network (sometimes also referred to as a campus area network or CAN) is an interconnected, distributed LAN network. Like the MAN, the campus network extends coverage to nearby buildings. The difference between the two configurations is that the campus network connects the LANs within a limited geographic area, while the MAN connects the LANs within the larger metro area. The geographic extent of the campus network varies from 1 km to 5 km, while the metropolitan area network can extend up to 50 km.

(1) Advantages of campus network

• Affordability. A campus network covers a smaller geographic area than a MAN, so the infrastructure is less expensive to maintain.
• Easy to configure. Compared to a metro network, a campus network is easier to set up and manage because it has a smaller coverage area and supports fewer devices.
• Wi-Fi hotspot creation. Universities and other organizations with campus networks can set up free Wi-Fi hotspots in high-traffic areas for easy access to the network.

(2) Campus network use case

Network administrators typically set up campus networks to create a network large enough to cover a school or university. The term campus network may imply that these networks are suitable only for university environments, but businesses also build campus networks to distribute standardized networks among buildings in a localized area.

5. WAN

A wide area network (WAN) is the most widespread type of computer network configuration. Like a MAN, a WAN is a connection of multiple LANs that belong to the same network. Unlike MANs, however, WANs are not limited to city limits. A WAN can be extended to any region in the world. For example, an organization with a corporate office in New York can connect a branch in London within the same WAN. Users in both locations can access the same data, files, and applications, and can communicate with each other.

(1) WAN advantages

• Wide area coverage. WAN provides wider connectivity as the network can be connected from anywhere in the world.
• Improved performance. WANs connect LANs together using links with dedicated bandwidth. These links increase network speed and provide faster data transfer rates than LANs.
• Improve security. Private links also increase the security of the entire network because the network is only connected to itself, reducing the chances of an attacker hijacking the system.

(2) WAN use cases

The main attraction of WAN is that it improves long-distance network connections. Businesses use WANs to connect branch offices away from headquarters. But businesses aren't the only organizations that can use WANs. Today, an estimated two-thirds of the world's population uses the Internet, the world's most popular and largest wide area network.

6. Content Delivery Networks

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of globally distributed servers used to deliver dynamic multimedia content (such as interactive advertising or video content) to Web-based Internet users. CDNs use dedicated servers to deliver bandwidth-intensive rich media content through caching and faster delivery times. CDN providers deploy these digital servers at the edge of the global network, creating geographically distributed points of presence.

When a user requests data on the network, the proxy server forwards the data to the nearest CDN server, which encrypts it into smaller, more manageable files for network processing before passing it on to the origin server. Origin servers serve content to users.

Configuring a CDN is fairly straightforward, and there are currently many CDN providers to choose from, from which services can be purchased.

(1) Advantages of CDN

• Fast content delivery. The main goal of a CDN is to quickly load rich media content on a website and reduce latency between requests.
• Improve security. When traffic goes through the CDN server, potential viruses attached to the data are also rerouted to the server. CDN services mitigate these threats by sending unaffected data over the network.
• Improve site performance. CDN-managed websites experience less latency and bandwidth throttling issues. In networks using CDNs, network downtime caused by traffic spikes is also rare.

(2) CDN use case

CDN supports the delivery of rich media (ie dynamic). Most websites and applications contain some form of dynamic content, from embedded social media posts to video streaming players. CDNs are more important than ever for the massive amounts of complex data that are shared among millions of internet users every day.

7. Virtual Private Network

A virtual private network (VPN) creates a private network overlay over an existing public network. A VPN uses a tunneling protocol to create an encrypted connection between the network and the client device. Network traffic travels through the VPN service's secure, encrypted tunnel, rather than over the public network, effectively hiding users' IP addresses and data from ISPs and cybersecurity hackers. The user's location appears to be anywhere the VPN server is located.

(1) Advantages of VPN

• Privacy and anonymity. Users can browse the web without the need for an ISP to monitor their activities.
• Improve security. Users must authenticate before accessing the VPN. Businesses can protect corporate data by preventing unauthenticated users from accessing sensitive information.
• Geo-spoofing. Users connecting to the VPN appear to be in the same location as the server, whether in an office building or in another country entirely. Users can retrieve company data or access geo-blocked content outside their country.

(2) VPN use cases

Research shows that VPNs have grown in popularity in recent years as internet users seek to browse the web without being monitored by their ISPs. ISPs can monitor users' web activity, including the sites visited and the type of content downloaded. A VPN hides this information from the ISP while still providing users with access to network services.

VPNs also facilitate remote work for individuals working outside of their office location. User devices with VPN client software can connect to their organization's VPN server and gain access to their office data center. Using this connection, they can access the same files and resources as employees physically located in the building. According to the Pew Research Center, this feature has made VPNs an important tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, when more than a third of the U.S. workforce is working from home.

Which network type is best?

In addition to the seven listed in this article, there are many network types, associated topologies, and connection methods. Network professionals learning to design networks may be wondering which design is best for them. Simple answer: no. Choosing the type of network to configure depends largely on the purpose of the system.

Before network professionals decide which type of network to configure, they should first ask a series of questions about the system. Determining the use cases for the network, the types of users and devices the network will serve, and the location of the network will aid in the process of choosing the type of network and connectivity to deploy.