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Difference between LAN, MAN and WAN
LAN, MAN and WAN are types of network.
LAN - Local Area Network
A Local Area Network (LAN) is a private network that connects computers and devices within a limited area like a residence, an office, a building or a campus. On a small scale, LANs are used to connect personal computers to printers. However, LANs can also extend to a few kilometers when used by companies, where a large number of computers share a variety of resources like hardware (e.g. printers, scanners, audiovisual devices etc), software (e.g. application programs) and data.
MAN - Metropolitan Area Network
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a larger network than LAN. It often covers multiple cities or towns. It is quiet expensive and a single organization may not have own it.
WAN - Wide Area Network
A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a much larger network than LAN and MAN. It often covers multiple contries or contenants. It is quiet expensive and a single organization may not have own it. Satellite is used to manage WAN.
Following are the important differences between LAN, MAN and WAN.
| Sr. No. | Key | LAN | MAN | WAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Definition | LAN stands for Local Area Network. | MAN stands for Metropolitan Area Network. | WAN stands for Wide Area Network. |
| 2 | Ownership | LAN is often owned by private organizations. | MAN ownership can be private or public. | WAN ownership can be private or public. |
| 3 | Speed | LAN speed is quiet high. | MAN speed is average. | WAN speed is lower than that of LAN. |
| 4 | Delay | Network Propagation Delay is short in LAN. | Network Propagation Delay is moderate in MAN. | Network Propagation Delay is longer in WAN. |
| 5 | Congestion | LAN has low congestion as compared to WAN. | MAN has higher congestion than LAN. | WAN has higher congestion than both MAN and LAN. |
| 6 | Fault Tolerance | Fault Tolerance of LAN is higher than WAN. | Fault Tolerance of MAN is lower than LAN. | Fault Tolerance of WAN is lower than both LAN and MAN. |
| 7 | Maintenance | Designing and maintaining LAN is easy and less costly than WAN. | Designing and maintaining WAN is complex and more costly than LAN. | Designing and maintaining WAN is complex and more costly than both LAN and MAN. |
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