Methods of Computer Networking

Computer networks might be classified into three broad categories.

Local area network (LAN)

A local area network remains confined in the relatively small space. It is useful in providing services with a small number of people. Networks in small offices, and homes are a couple of examples of LAN.

Small office and Home networks will also be peer-to-peer networks where minimum resource is utilized every client shares their resources with workstations inside the network.

Another LAN is a client-server network where every client remains connected to the server and each other. Servers in client-server networks are of different capacities. There are two forms of client-server networks:

Single-service servers performing single task, say, being a file server; and

Print server performing multiple tasks, say, as file server, print server, conducting calculations and providing information to client on basis of result of the calculations.

Ethernet cables, Wireless networks, or another forms of wires such as power lines or phone lines enable you to connect computers in LAN.

Wide area network (WAN)

Wide variety of resources is deployed in WAN. These networks spans not just over large domestic area but additionally internationally. The connectivity of computers in branch offices of the corporate organization is an example of WAN. But the greatest WAN on this planet is Internet, a network of numerous smaller networks. Besides Internet, another enormous WAN is Public Switched Telephone Network that's converging fast using the Internet technologies.

Wireless networks (WLAN, WWAN)

A wireless network is based on data transmission over sets of radio transceivers. Basically it can be same like a LAN or possibly a WAN. Only difference is always that there isn't any wires between hosts (clients) and servers. These forms of networks are of help for locations where starting wired networks is either too costly or inconvenient. It uses IEEE media access protocols for LANs. For connecting nodes over larger distance either satellite communications of assorted types or cellular radio or wireless local loop are in vogue. But speed and quality of data transmission varies largely according to the method of communication used.