TYPE OF NETWORKS

Network	Diagram	Brief Description	Main Components	Main differences with the rest	Benefits
Local area network		Interconnect computers in a limited area such as school or home.	Network adapter and medium, cable connectors, power supply, hub/switch/router and network software.	It’s a fast network and easy to expand.	Not too expensive, high speed network and excellent to work as an organization.
Wireless Lans		Links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method	Radio NICs, access points, routers, repeaters, and antennae.	Due to ease of installation, and used for commercial wireless service.	Is the ideal solution for a Network administrator.
Personal area networks		Is a computer network used for communication among computerized devices, including telephones and personal digital assistants.	IrDA technology, wireless USB, network adapter, sharing-network capacity device.	A network for interconnecting devices centered around an individual person's workspace	It’s easy to change settings, can be always controlled and could be fast if you are the only user.
Metropolitan area networks		Is a computer network that usually spans a city or a large campus.	Antennae, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), FDDI, and SMDS	Are basically the ones used by Telephone companies, that worldwide have facilitated the transfer of data with the help of an underground optical fiber network	Increases the efficiency of handling data while at the same time saves the cost attached to establish a wide area network.
Wide area network		Is a network that covers a broad area, by using private or public network transports.	Routers, satellites, ISP mainframes, transmission media (Fiber Optics backbones, Power lines, network cables.	A dedicated circuit path is created between end points. Best example is dialup connections.	Most secure, less expensive and best for simultaneous voice and data.
Storage area network		Is a dedicated network that provides access to consolidated, block level data storage.	File servers, host bus adaptors, fibre cabling, tape library.	Interconnects different kinds of data storage devices with associated data servers	Simplifies storage administration and have certain flexibility.
Virtual private network		Extends a private network across public networks like the Internet	VPN client, server and connection. Tunnel with its specific tunnel protocols.	Provides an exact authentication.	Is confidential and gives integrity to all the information in general terms.
Virtual LAN		Create multiple distinct broadcast domains, which are mutually isolated AND can only pass between them via one or more routers.	Switch, network cables.	Scalability, security, and network management.	Provide broadcast filtering, security, address summarization, and traffic-flow management