Computer Networks · TEE · mocks
Q3A · Network classifications and topologies
TEE mock A · full paper
TEE · 100 attempted marks · solutions for every choice · current syllabus 702AI0C023
TEE practice mock · Q3A. Define a computer network. Explain LAN, MAN, PAN, WAN and ARPANET with examples. [5 mock marks]
Answer
A computer network is a set of interconnected devices that exchange data and share resources using communication protocols. A link carries signals; a protocol defines message format, meaning and timing. Hosts run applications, switches forward local frames and routers connect IP networks.
| Type | Meaning and scope | Example |
|---|---|---|
| PAN | Personal Area Network: a person’s nearby devices | Phone linked to earbuds |
| LAN | Local Area Network: a building or local campus network under local administration | Laboratory Ethernet/Wi-Fi |
| MAN | Metropolitan Area Network: interconnects sites across a town/city | City-wide institutional network |
| WAN | Wide Area Network: connects geographically separated networks over regional/global links | Branches in different cities |
| ARPANET | Historical packet-switched research network; a major predecessor of the Internet | Early interconnected research institutions; not a modern geographic size category |
Classification by geographical scope is descriptive: a fixed kilometre boundary or a guaranteed speed is not part of every definition. Networks can also be classified by wired/wireless medium or by client-server/peer-to-peer organization.