A network connects computers and other devices through cables, wireless connections, or other means. It allows for sharing of resources and communication between devices. There are different types of networks including personal area networks (PANs) connecting devices within 10 meters, local area networks (LANs) within a building or campus, metropolitan area networks (MANs) within a city, and wide area networks (WANs) spanning countries or continents like the Internet. Network topology refers to the geometric layout, including linear bus, ring, and star configurations.

1. A brief explanation about
networks

2. Network is a collection of
computer and other devices
like printers, scanners and so
on. The computers in a
network may be linked to other
devices through
cables, telephone lines, radio
waves, satellites etc.

3.  To share computer files.
 To share resources.
 To enable people to communicate.
 To reduce speed and cost of transfer.

4.  Personal Area Networks(PANs)
 Local Area Networks(LANs)
 Campus Area Networks(CANs)
 Metropolitan Area Networks(MANs)
 Wide Area Networks(WANs)

5. Pans
 Personal Area Network is an interconnection of
devices around an individual device within 5 to 10
meters.
 The devices that may be used in PANs are
computers, printers, fax machines, PDAs etc.

6. What are LANs?
 The terminals or workstations in a LAN are confined
to small areas such as a building or a group of
buildings.
 It may be up to a kilometer.
 For example, department of an office.

7. A CAN covers a group of buildings like college
campus or office campus.
 It is basically a collection of LANs in various
buildings.

8. What are MANs?
 The MANs lies between LANs and WANs.
 MANs connect two or more local area networks or
campus area networks together and is spread over a
town or city.
 It does not exceed 10 kilometers.
 For example, MAN connects the local bank with all
the branches in the city.

9. What are WANs?
 WANs spans a large area-a country or
many countries or a continent.
 A WAN may connect a number of
LANs, CANs, or MANs located in any
part of world.
 Example, WAN is the internet which is
the most popular and the largest WAN.

10. WIDE AREA NETWORK

11.  It is the geometric layout of computers and
other devices. The types of topologies are:-
 Linear bus topology
 Ring topology
 Star topology.

12. What is Linear Bus Topology?
 It has a common backbone cable to
which all the nodes and peripheral
devices are attached.
 All the devices are attached to this
backbone cable.
 The disadvantage of the linear bus
topology is that if the backbone cable
fails, then the network becomes
useless.

13. Linear Bus Topology

14.  It connects the nodes of the network in a
circular chain.
 The final node in the chain connects to
the first to complete the ring.
 A computer has two adjacent
neighbors.
 The main disadvantage is that if one
cable is broken, the whole network
becomes useless.

16.  There is a central switch to which all the
nodes are directly connected.
 Every node is indirectly connected to
another node through the central hub.
 The failure of any node does not cause
the breakdown of the network.
 The disadvantage is that if the central hub
will cause a breakdown, the network is
broken.
Star topology

17. Star topology