Network Types - CompTIA A+ 220-1201 - 2.7

If you're plugging into an Ethernet connection or using a local 802.11 wireless network, then you are communicating over a local area network or a LAN. We usually refer to a LAN as a group of networks that are close to our location. So, this might be on the floor of a building or in a group of buildings

that make up this particular local area network. One of the common characteristics of a LAN is that we usually get our fastest speeds by a local area network. If we're connecting to networks that are farther away, then we're probably not on a local area network anymore, and therefore, we're not getting those same high

throughputs. If you're connecting to a location that's in another city, another state, another country, or anywhere around the world, then you're communicating over a wide area network or a WAN. Because of the challenges associated with communicating over such long distances, wide area networks tend to be a bit slower than communicating over a LAN. There also might be many

different technologies used to be able to communicate over this wide area network. For example, you might be communicating using pointto-oint serial connections or it might be an NLS network or multi-protocol label switching network. And some wide area networks may use communication facilities here on Earth. We refer to these as terrestrial networks or we

might use satellites to communicate across the WAN. Those would be non-aterrestrial networks. We've also created specialized networks for devices and components that are close to us as individuals. We refer to these as a PAN or personal area network. If you're communicating with Bluetooth, infrared, or near field communication, you're probably communicating over a PAN. We might be