Difference Between LAN, WAN and MAN

LAN
: LAN is a Local Area Network. As name suggests LANs are basically used to connect a limited geographical area:  for e.g. when we want to use network at home, a school, an office, at college, etc.  Computers placed in this limited area are linked together. LANs can span over a limited range i.e. of 1 km in radius.  Communication is carried out from one computer to another, and there is no need of any central computer, and each computer has the same role. The smallest LAN can consist of 2 computers. And maximum can consist of many more computers. LANs are usually owned, controlled, and managed by a single person or any organization.  Many devices such as; routers, Ethernet switches, hubs, repeaters, and bridges are used for LAN. Full-time connectivity is provided to local service and multi-access is allowed to high-bandwidth media.  This network lets users to communicate, transfer files, etc. LAN can be connected to other LANs or WANs.

WAN: WAN is a Wide Area Network, WANs are typically used to connect comparatively large geographical area such as; a state, a country, a continent, the Internet.  WANs can span over a range of huge area of 100,000 kilometer radius (between the Earth and artificial satellites).  WANs have its ownership and management is distributed it cannot be handled at individual level.  A few common devices that are used in WANs are: routers, communication servers, and modems.  WANs provide you a full-time network and part-time network as well for connectivity and allow access over interfaces which are operating at lower speeds.  WANs are used to connect LANs and provide access to computers or file servers outside of their area.  In WAN, communication, sharing of files, etc is possible over larges distances.  Internet browsing is also possible using WAN.

Distance	Location	Network Used
10 meters	Classroom	LAN
100 meters	Building	LAN
1000 meters	Campus	LAN
100 kilometers	County	WAN
1,000 kilometers	Continent	WAN
10,000 kilometers	Planet – Internet	WAN

 

MAN: MAN is Metropolitan Area Network and is used to connect two or more LANs in a common geographic area: say a city or a group of buildings.  MANs can span in the range of 5 to 50 kilometers in diameter.  MANs usually are not owned by a single organization, they are owned by an association of users or by a single network provider who sells the service to the users. MAN can be considered as a larger version of a LAN which allows users to share resources at a greater span of distance as compared to LAN.