Campus Area

Network
CAN
First, what is LAN?

A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together in

one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. A LAN can be
small or large, ranging from a home network with one user to an
enterprise network with thousands of users and devices in an office or
school.

Regardless of size, a LAN's single defining characteristic is that it connects

devices that are in a single, limited area. In contrast, a wide area network
(WAN) or metropolitan area network (MAN) covers larger geographic
areas.
What is CAN?

A CAN network is made up of multiple interconnected LAN

networks and thus allows you to connect multiple devices,
such as computers, printers, servers, etc., within a limited
geographic area like school campus, university campus,
military bases, or organizational campuses and corporate
buildings.

A Campus Area Network is larger than Local Area Network

but smaller than Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and
Wide Area Network (WAN).
Let’s think about a university where university networks
interconnect academic building, library, hostel, Labs,
examination section, placement section etc of an institution
when connected with each other combine to form Campus Area
Network (CAN).
 How does CAN work?

The CAN network infrastructure is usually made up of switches and access points that
link the devices together, allowing them to communicate with each other. In a CAN, the
devices are connected using wired and wireless technologies, such as Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
The wired connections are usually faster and more reliable, while the wireless
connections offer greater flexibility and mobility.

Once the CAN network is set up, a central IT team manages it while ensuring that the
network is secure, up-to-date, and able to handle the high bandwidth demands of the
users. The IT team is also responsible for monitoring the network traffic, configuring the
network settings, and troubleshooting any issues.
Advantages
of using CAN High-speed connectivity: CANs provide fast and
reliable connectivity for devices within the network.
Cost-effective: Compared to Wide Area Networks
(WANs), CANs are less expensive to maintain and set
up.
Enhanced security: CANs typically employ advanced
security measures, such as firewalls, IDS, etc., in order
to protect against unauthorized access and data
breaches.
Centralized management: With a CAN, network
administrators can manage all connected devices
from a central location. Thus, simplifying network
management and troubleshooting.
 Disadvantages of using CAN

Limited range: CANs are designed to cover a relatively small

geographical area. Hence they are not suitable for
organizations with widely dispersed locations.
Single point of failure: As we know, CANs are centralized
networks. Hence, any failure of the central network
component, such as a router or switch, can cause the entire
network to go down.
Dependency on infrastructure: CANs generally rely on
physical infrastructure, such as cables or Wi-Fi access points,
to connect devices. Hence, if any infrastructure disruption
occurs, it will impact network performance and connectivity.
Conclusions
Campus Area Network is a reliable and flexible
way to connect networks in small organizations
like universities and companies.
While CANs are generally less expensive than
wide area networks (WANs), they can still be
costly to set up and maintain, particularly for
smaller organizations with limited budgets.

CAN is implemented using both wired and

wireless connectivity, providing speed, flexibility
and mobility.
Thank You for
listening