KEY TYPES OF NETWORKS
From the personal to the global, here are the key types of networks around today:

Local Area Network (LAN):
A group of computers, printers or faxes that are linked for sharing purposes. LANs are usually owned by one organisation, and are located on one site. LANs are restricted in that they cannot be larger than about a kilometre in size. LANs are much faster than Wide Area Networks.

Wide Area Network (WAN):
To connect computers that are far apart, perhaps across an entire country, or even across continents, then a Wide Area Network is used. Often WANs link Local Area Networks together, rather than individual computers. WANs often utilise third party networks.

Internetwork:
WANs and LANs can be connected together to make a ‘network of networks’, or Internetwork. Although it is the most well known, the Internet is essentially just another (very large) Internetwork.