Types of Networks

PAN – Personal Area Network

• Definition → Definition: A small network designed for personal use, connecting devices like laptops, mobile phones, tablets, printers, or wearable devices within a range of a few meters (usually 10 m).
• Examples:
  • Bluetooth connection between phone & headphones.
  • USB cable connecting phone to PC.
  • Wi-Fi hotspot on a smartphone.
• History & Fact:
  • The term PAN was first introduced by Thomas Zimmerman (MIT Media Lab, 1990s) during his research on wireless networking.
  • Bluetooth (developed in 1994 by Ericsson) is the most common technology used in PANs.

LAN – Local Area Network

• Definition → A network that connects computers and devices within a limited area like home, office, or campus.
• Coverage → Up to a few kilometers.
• Ownership → Usually owned, controlled, and managed by a single organization or person.
• Advantages: High speed, secure, inexpensive.
• Examples: Computer labs in schools/universities. Office networks. Wi-Fi in homes.
• First practical LAN was developed in 1974 at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge Ring).
• Ethernet, invented by Robert Metcalfe at Xerox PARC in 1973, became the most widely used LAN standard.

WAN – Wide Area Network

• Definition → A network that covers a large geographical area (country, continent, or the entire world).
• Coverage → Unlimited distance.
• Ownership → Usually maintained by multiple organizations or service providers.
• Examples: The Internet (largest WAN). Banking networks (ATMs connected nationwide). Railway reservation systems.
• The first WAN was ARPANET (1969), developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, which later evolved into the Internet.
• Fact: In agriculture, WANs are crucial for e-Extension platforms like e-Choupal (ITC, India, 2000) and Digital Green (2008), which connect farmers from remote areas to global markets, government portals, and real-time weather updates.

Comparison Table

In short:

• PAN → Very small, personal (Bluetooth, hotspot).
• LAN → Local, organization-based (office, school).
• WAN → Global, covers huge areas (Internet, ATM network).

Quick Fact Recap:

• PAN → Concept by Thomas Zimmerman (1990s), Bluetooth based.
• LAN → First by Cambridge University (1974); Ethernet by Robert Metcalfe (1973).
• WAN → Started with ARPANET (1969) → Became Internet.