Our culture is crazy about acronyms. From KFC to SEO to RFID, we’re surrounded by abbreviations. This is especially true for information technology and computer networking. If you’re not an IT (another one!) specialist, these abbreviations can be downright confusing.
Let’s talk about WLAN, WPAN and WWAN.
In each case, the “W” stands for wireless, but these connections can be wired, as well. The difference is in the range or size of the network. There are other network types, but PAN, LAN and WAN are the most common.
PAN = Personal area network
“PAN” refers to any network with a range of about 5 miles, such as Bluetooth.
LAN = Local area network
A LAN is any network infrastructure belonging to the same segment of a network. A home network is one example of a LAN.
WAN = Wide area network
Generally, any network used to transmit data over long distances, or between localized networks such as LANS, is considered a WAN. A great example of a WAN is an Internet service provider (ISP), which connects many home networks to the Internet.
Did we clear up the differences between these network types? I hope so! Remember, you can always come to AbeTech with your networking questions.
Any other computer terms have you puzzled? Please let us know in the comments.
