Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What types of computer networks are there?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**Computer networks** are classified by several criteria: by geographic scope, by connection method, by accessibility, by topology, and by the role of devices. Interviews almost always ask about LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN, and WLAN. **Key point:** the internet is the main example of a WAN, and the star topology is the most common in modern networks.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image## Types of computer networks Computer networks are classified by several criteria: **by geographic scope**, **by connection method**, **by accessibility**, **by topology**, **by the role of devices**. Interviews almost always ask about **LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN, WLAN.** But it is worth mentioning the full classification - it shows depth of knowledge. --- ## 1. Classification by scale (the most important) #### 1.1. PAN (Personal Area Network) - personal network Range: 1-3 meters. Examples: - Bluetooth headphones - a smartwatch - smartphone ↔ headset - IoT devices around the user **Used for:** connecting personal devices. --- #### 1.2. LAN (Local Area Network) - local network Range: a room, apartment, office, school. Characteristics: - high speed (1-10 Gbit/s and above) - low latency - equipment: switches, Wi-Fi access points **Examples:** an office network, a home network. --- #### 1.3. WLAN (Wireless LAN) - wireless local network This is a subtype of LAN, but **wireless**. Example: - a Wi-Fi network at the office or at home --- #### 1.4. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) - metropolitan network Range: within a city or district. Examples: - a telecom operator's network in a city - a connection between branches over a city channel --- #### 1.5. WAN (Wide Area Network) - wide-area network Range: regions, countries, continents. Used for: - backbone communication channels - VPNs between remote offices - provider channels **The main example of a WAN is the internet.** --- ## 2. Classification by access #### 2.1. Private networks Used by organizations or people. IP addresses: private ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 192.168.0.0/16, etc.) #### 2.2. Public networks Publicly accessible networks, for example: - the internet - Wi-Fi in a cafe (partially public access) --- ## 3. Classification by connection type #### 3.1. Wired networks - Ethernet - fiber optic - copper cable #### 3.2. Wireless networks - Wi-Fi - Bluetooth - LTE/5G - radio networks --- ## 4. Classification by device role #### 4.1. Client-server networks There are servers and clients, with strict roles. Examples: - a corporate network with Active Directory - a web server → users #### 4.2. P2P (Peer-to-Peer) All participants are equal. Examples: - torrent networks - local file sharing without a server --- ## 5. Classification by topology (how devices are connected) This is also often asked in interviews. - **Bus** - **Star** - the most common in Ethernet - **Ring** - **Mesh** - **Tree** --- ## Ready answer for the interview (short and clear) > **Network types are distinguished by scale:** > > - **PAN** - personal (Bluetooth) > - **LAN** - a local network within an office/home > - **WLAN** - wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) > - **MAN** - a metropolitan network > - **WAN** - a wide-area network, including the internet > > **Networks are also classified by accessibility (private/public), by connection method (wired/wireless), by device role (client-server, P2P), and by topology (star, bus, ring, mesh).**For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.