Computer networks are telecommunications networks that are used by computers to exchange data among them. There are roughly five kinds of computer networks as follows and the table shows some characteristics of the networks:
| Network | Range | Exemplary Standards |
|---|---|---|
| Local Area Network (LAN) | A building | Ethernet |
| Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) | A city and surrounding area | ATM |
| Wide Area Network (WAN) | A state or country | The Internet |
| Wireless Network | Depending on the availability of adjacent radio towers | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
| Mobile/Cellular Network | Depending on the availability of adjacent radio towers | GSM, CDMA, and WiMAX |
Local Area Network (LAN): Ethernet
| It is designed to carry data within a geographically confined area, typically within a single building. For example, Ethernet can be up to a kilometer long and transfer at up to 10 gigabits per second. A hub is common connection point for devices in a network and a router is a device that forwards data packets along networks. |
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Metropolitan Area Network (MAN): ATM
It is designed to carry data over an area larger than LAN, but smaller than WAN, such as an entire city and its surrounding area. It can be used to connect computers and other networks like LANs.