There are four major types of computer networks:

LAN or Local Area Network which is a network of computers within a very small area, say one building. Its most distinguishing characteristics are high data exchange rates, very small geographic area coverage and no requirement for leased telecommunication lines.
MAN or Metropolitan Area Network which is a network covering a larger area than LAN, say a network of all computers within a city. A MAN may be owned and operated by a single organization but is used by a larger number of individuals and organizations. MAN may also be used in cable television.
WAN or Wide Area Network which covers a larger geographic area than either LAN or MAN. WAN offers four connection options – leased lines, circuit switching, packet switching and cell relay.
Wireless LAN/WAN is the wireless variant of the LAN or WAN and is related to telecommunications network where the nodes are interconnected without the use of wires or cables. Wireless networking is usually implemented using remote information transmission systems which use electromagnetic frequency for the network carrier and such an implementation generally occurs at the layer of the network. Read the rest of this entry »