Tuesday 16th January

Subject: ICT
Week: 2
Grade: LS3A & LS3B
Teacher: Mr Chandalala
Student’s Name: ____________________________________________
Topic: Computer network

Objectives Define computer network

Identify type of networks

Describe LAN, WAN, MAN, CAN

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxO4WQzdOfA

1.1 WHAT IS COMPUTER NETWORK?

A computer network is an interconnection of two or more computers that are

able to exchange information.

A simple Local Area Network is illustrated in figure 1.1

Figure 1.1 LAN computer network

Refer to figure 1.1 and note that 4 computers are connected together to form a
computer network.

In this network, any computer can communicate with any other computer. For
example, computer-1 can send message to computer-4 and computer-4 can
reply back. Similarly computer-2 and computer-4 can exchange data among
them.

In computer network, computers share their resources among them. For

example, computer-3 can print its documents on the printer attached to the
switch.

TYPES OF NETWORKS

Computer networks are broadly classified into two categories:

 Local Area Networks (LAN)

 Wide Area Networks (WAN)
Other networks are variations of these two networks. A detailed, description of
both types of networks is given below

Local area networks are the networks that spread within a short distance and
are generally confined to a building or a campus. For example, computers of
various departments of an organization that confine within the factory building
itself, if connected together, will form a Local Area Network.

Sketch of Local Area Network is illustrated in figure 1.2

Figure 1.2

Wide Area Networks (WAN)

Wide Area Networks or WAN are the networks, in which computers are spread
over long distances. WAN is illustrated in figure 1.3
Figure 1.3 WAN
An example of WAN is the internet.

VARIATIONS OF LAN AND WAN

Various variations of Local Area Network and Wide Area Network exist with
different names. Some of them are described below.

Campus Area Network (CAN)

When the computers of various departments of an organisation, such as factory,

college, university etc. are connected together. They form Campus Area
Network or CAN in short. Since computers of Campus Area Network remain
confined within the campus boundary (which is short) hence they fall into the
category of LAN.

Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)

Metropolitan Area Networks are basically Wide Area Networks, which connect
computers of larger cities. They are generally high-speed networks and work as
backbone for connecting other local area networks (say smaller cities, which
are located between two big cities of MAN).
Task

1. Define computer network

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2. Describe a Local Area Network (LAN)
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3. List two types of computer network
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