Because of their partitioned nature, SANs offer the benefit of avoiding high-traffic backups that LANs sometimes experience. They include multiple switches, servers, and disk arrays. Storage Area Network – SANs refer to dedicated, high-speed networks used for data storage. Thus, city resources are easily shareable within different departmental facilities. Connectivity stems from a high-speed connection, such as fiber-optic cables. Metropolitan Area Network – MANs span the distances between city government buildings. These may be present at college campuses or a company campus/complex. PANs are suitable for small file-sharing, such as music.Ĭampus Area Network – CANs join two or more LANs together in a limited area that then forms a larger network. PANs can connect to other devices through Bluetooth, infrared, Near Field Communication (NFC), or a wired connection. Personal Area Network – PANs cover very small distances, even less than local networks, and, as the name indicates, are personal to a user. It’s important to cover the basic network terminology because many company networks are complex and include a variety of different network types. However, WANs are not independent of LANs rather, WANs build off of LANs and metropolitan networks.īeyond these common types, others include Personal Area Networks (PANs), Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), Storage Area Networks (SANs), and Campus Area Networks (CANs). The equipment infrastructure necessary for WANs is more complex and utilizes many multiplexers, bridges, and routers. Generally, WANs rely on transoceanic cabling or satellite uplinks. Wide area networks extend between larger geographical swaths, like counties, states, and countries. Servers, workstations/desktops, and laptops will be connected via cables or use Wireless Access Points (WAPs). Local area networks cover small geographical areas, such as rooms or buildings. Below is a quick guide to each type of network. The two most well-known types of networks are a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN), but more network options have emerged as technology has improved. For example, infiltrating a minor network may lead to larger network access. Understanding different network types and what they share or store will help assess what potential targets and how a threat actor might conduct an attack. Networks enable shared storage across multiple devices. For example, a wireless printer (a resource) may receive a command from a computer over a network, either with a direct connection or wirelessly. A typical example would be two computers sending emails over the network, but networks go beyond exchanging communicative messages to more command-like functions. Two or more computers that communicate to share resources, messages, or exchange files are considered a network. Learn about the different components of network architecture with our informative guide. From remote workstations to personal devices, the multifaceted nature of a network means the threats are ever-evolving. However, if that “glue” isn’t strong, it weakens a company’s infrastructure, endangering critical assets. It enables communication, collaboration, and data storage. In today’s business environment, a network serves as the operational glue holding the company together.

Backbone network architectures