Types of Computer Networks - Essay Example

If the users want to print documents, then, it is not a must that every computer should be connected to a printer. Instead, all computers in a network can be connected to a single printer such that users can access it from their workstations. This helps to minimize costs, and time wastage as well as protect the machines from contracting computer viruses, which may be spread through the use of removable storage devices to transfer documents (Newman, 2010).

            There are various types of networks which include and are not limited to; local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), and metropolitan area networks (MAN) (Wetherall, 2010). Computers and other hardware in a LAN are connected within a short geographical distance, for example, a building, a hospital, or a school, through the use of guided media i.e. cables. If numerous LANs are interconnected within a wide geographical area such as across continents then, they form a Wide Area Network. The internet is an example of a WAN as it facilitates connectivity between users throughout the world regardless of their geographical location.  On the other hand, MAN is an interconnection of several LANs within a geographical location smaller than that of WAN. This type of connectivity can be found within an area for example a city or a town (Wetherall, 2010).