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LESSON 9. SETTING-UP COMPUTER NETWORKS (SUCN)

LO 1 Install network cables (PART I)

Networks are collections of computers, software, and hardware that

are all connected to help their users work together. A network connects
computers by means of cabling systems, specialized software, and devices
that manage data traffic. A network enables users to share files and
resources, such as printers, as well as send messages electronically (e-mail) to
each other. The most common networks are Local Area Networks or LANs for
short. A LAN connects computers within a single geographical location, such
as one office building, office suite, or home. By contrast, Wide Area Networks
(WANs) span different cities or even countries, using phone lines or satellite
links.

OHS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) refers to the legislation, policies,
procedures and activities that aim to protect the health, safety and welfare
of all people at the workplace.
Every worker has the right to a healthy and safe work and to a work
environment that enables them to live a socially and economically
productive life. Safety practices should be learned early and must be
followed when working with any electrical device including personal
computers and peripherals.

Personal safety while working with PC’s

The following are some safety precautions to take before working with any
computer devices:
● Before doing anything, listen to your teacher’s instruction to prevent
accidents or any unwanted events that may occur in your workplace.
● Do not work on a computer when you are wet because you might get
electrocuted.
● Do not remove internal devices of the computer when it is turned on.

● Avoid playing or running while inside the room.

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● Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like coverall, shoes

with rubber sole, anti-static wrist strap, etc.
● Ask for assistance from your teacher when it comes dealing with
computer devices.
● Applying safety measures when handling tools and equipment are
necessary to avoid certain damages

The student is further expected to maintain good health, to be neat in

personal appearance and to practice safe working procedures at all times
with appropriate equipment.

Safety Precautions Related to Networks

Installing network cables, whether copper or fiber-optic, can be
dangerous. Often, cables must be pulled through ceilings and walls where
there are obstacles or toxic materials. You should wear clothing such as long
pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes that cover your feet, and gloves to
protect you from those toxic materials. Most importantly, wear safety glasses.
If possible, ask building management, or someone responsible for the
building, if there are any dangerous materials or obstacles that you need to
be aware of before entering the ceiling area.

Safety precautions when using a ladder:

● Read the labels on the ladder, and follow any safety instructions written
on it.
● Never stand on the top rung of the ladder. You could easily lose your
balance and fall.
● Make sure that people in the area know you will be working there.

● Cordon off the area with caution tape or safety cones.

● When you are using a ladder that leans up against a wall, follow the
instructions written on the ladder, and have someone hold the ladder
to help keep it steady.

Safety rules when working with cables:

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The tools required to install copper and fiber-optic cable may cause
danger through improper use. When working with cables, strictly follow these
safety rules
● Make sure that the tools you are using are in good working condition.

● Watch what you are doing, and take your time. Make sure that you do
not cut yourself or place anyone in danger.
● Always wear safety glasses when cutting, stripping, or splicing cables of
any kind. Tiny fragments can injure your eyes.
● Wear gloves whenever possible, and dispose of any waste properly.

● Use common sense when installing cables and fixing network problems.
Call for assistance for tasks that you cannot do on your own.

Fiber-Optic Safety
Fiber-optic cables are useful for communications, but they have certain
hazards:
● Dangerous chemicals

● Tools with sharp edges

● Light which you cannot see that can burn your eyes

● Glass shards produced by cutting fiber-optic cable that can cause

bodily harm
Specific types of tools and chemicals are used when working with fiber-
optic cable. These materials must be handled with care.

Chemicals
are used when working with fiber-optic cable. These materials must be
handled with care. Chemicals The solvents and glues used with fiber optics
are dangerous. You should handle them with extreme care. Read the
instructions on the label, and follow them carefully. Also, read the material
safety data sheet (MSDS) that accompanies the chemicals to know how to
treat someone in case of emergency.

Tools
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When working with any tool, safety should always be your first priority.
Any compromise in safety could result in serious injury or even death. The
tools used for working with fiber optics have sharp cutting surfaces that are
used to scribe glass. Other tools pinch cables with high pressure to fasten
connectors to them. These tools can produce shards of glass that can
splinter and fly into the air. You must avoid getting them on your skin and in
your mouth or eyes.

Glass Shards
The process of cutting and trimming the strands of fiber-optic cables
can produce tiny fragments of glass or plastic that can penetrate your eyes
or skin and cause severe irritation. The fibers can be extremely difficult to see
on your skin because they are clear and small. When you work with fiber-
optic cabling, the working surface should be a dark mat so that you can see
the tiny glass or plastic fragments. The mat should also be resistant to
chemical spills. You should keep the work area clean and neat. Never pick
up fiber optic fragments with your fingers. Use tape to pick up small
fragments, and dispose of them off properly. Use a disposable container,
such as a plastic bottle with a screw-on lid, to store fiber fragments. Close the
lid tightly before disposing of the container.

Harmful Light
Protect your eyes from the harmful light that may be in the fiber-optic
strands. The light is a color that humans cannot see. It can damage your
eyes before you can feel it. When you use a magnifier to inspect fiber-optic
cable and connectors, the light emitted from the fiber could be directed
into your eyes. When working with fiber, be sure to disconnect the light
source. Use special detectors to help you tell if a fiber is energized.

Caution:
Obtain proper training before you attempt to cut, strip, or splice fiber-
optic cable. An experienced technician should supervise you until you
become adequately skilled.

References: Computer Hardware Servicing –Grade 9 Learner’s Material First

Edition, 2013, pages 180-181
Computer Hardware Servicing –Grade 10 Learner’s Material First
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Edition, 2014, pages 83-85

Types of Computer Network: What is LAN,

MAN and WAN

ByLawrence WilliamsUpdatedFebruary 26, 2022

What is a Computer Network?

A Computer Network is a group of two or more interconnected computer systems that
use common connection protocols for sharing various resources and files. You can
establish a computer network connection using either cable or wireless media. Every
network involves hardware and software that connects computers and tools.
In this Computer networking tutorial, you will learn:
● What is a Computer Network?
● Different Types of Computer Networks
● What is PAN (Personal Area Network)?
● What is a LAN (Local Area Network)?
● What is WAN (Wide Area Network)?
● What is MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)?
● Other Types of Computer Networks

Different Types of Computer Networks

There are various types of Computer Networking options available. The classification of
network in computers can be done according to their size as well as their purpose.
The size of a network should be expressed by the geographic area and number of
computers, which are a part of their networks. It includes devices housed in a single
room to millions of devices spread across the world. Following are the popular types of
Computer Network:
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Types of Computer Networks

Some of the most popular computer network types are:

● PAN (Personal Area Network)

● LAN (Local Area Network)
● MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)
● WAN (Wide Area Network)
Let’s study all of these types of networking in detail.

What is PAN (Personal Area Network)?

PAN (Personal Area Network) is a computer network formed around a person. It
generally consists of a computer, mobile, or personal digital assistant. PAN can be
used for establishing communication among these personal devices for connecting to a
digital network and the internet.
Characteristics of PAN
Below are the main characteristics of PAN:

● It is mostly personal devices network equipped within a limited area.

● Allows you to handle the interconnection of IT devices at the surrounding of a
single user.
● PAN includes mobile devices, tablet, and laptop.
● It can be wirelessly connected to the internet called WPAN.
● Appliances use for PAN: cordless mice, keyboards, and Bluetooth systems.
Advantages of PAN
Here are the important pros/benefits of PAN network:

● PAN networks are relatively secure and safe

● It offers only short-range solution up to ten meters
● Strictly restricted to a small area
Disadvantages of PAN
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Here are the cons/drawbacks of using PAN network:

● It may establish a bad connection to other networks at the same radio bands.
● Distance limits.

What is a LAN (Local Area Network)?

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of computer and peripheral devices which are
connected in a limited area such as school, laboratory, home, and office building. It is a
widely useful network for sharing resources like files, printers, games, and other
application. The simplest type of LAN network is to connect computers and a printer in
someone’s home or office. In general, LAN will be used as one type of transmission
medium. It is a network which consists of less than 5000 interconnected devices across
several buildings.

Local Area Network (LAN)

Characteristics of LAN
Here are the important characteristics of a LAN network:

● It is a private network, so an outside regulatory body never controls it.

● LAN operates at a relatively higher speed compared to other WAN systems.
● There are various kinds of media access control methods like token ring and
ethernet.
Advantages of LAN
Here are the pros/benefits of LAN:

● Computer resources like hard-disks, DVD-ROM, and printers can share local
area networks. This significantly reduces the cost of hardware purchases.
● You can use the same software over the network instead of purchasing the
licensed software for each client in the network.
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● Data of all network users can be stored on a single hard disk of the server
computer.
● You can easily transfer data and messages over networked computers.
● It will be easy to manage data at only one place, which makes data more secure.
● Local Area Network offers the facility to share a single internet connection among
all the LAN users.
Disadvantages of LAN
Here are the cons/drawbacks of LAN:

● LAN will indeed save cost because of shared computer resources, but the initial
cost of installing Local Area Networks is quite high.
● The LAN admin can check personal data files of every LAN user, so it does not
offer good privacy.
● Unauthorized users can access critical data of an organization in case LAN
admin is not able to secure centralized data repository.
● Local Area Network requires a constant LAN administration as there are issues
related to software setup and hardware failures

What is WAN (Wide Area Network)?

WAN (Wide Area Network) is another important computer network that which is spread
across a large geographical area. WAN network system could be a connection of a
LAN which connects with other LAN’s using telephone lines and radio waves. It is
mostly limited to an enterprise or an organization.
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Wide Area Network (WAN)

Characteristics of WAN
Below are the characteristics of WAN:

● The software files will be shared among all the users; therefore, all can access to
the latest files.
● Any organization can form its global integrated network using WAN.
Advantages of WAN
Here are the benefits/pros of WAN:

● WAN helps you to cover a larger geographical area. Therefore business offices
situated at longer distances can easily communicate.
● Contains devices like mobile phones, laptop, tablet, computers, gaming consoles,
etc.
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● WLAN connections work using radio transmitters and receivers built into client
devices.
Disadvantages of WAN
Here are the drawbacks/cons of WAN network:
● The initial setup cost of investment is very high.
● It is difficult to maintain the WAN network. You need skilled technicians and
network administrators.
● There are more errors and issues because of the wide coverage and the use of
different technologies.
● It requires more time to resolve issues because of the involvement of multiple
wired and wireless technologies.
● Offers lower security compared to other types of network in computer.
Also Check: LAN vs WAN: What’s the Difference?

What is MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)?

A Metropolitan Area Network or MAN is consisting of a computer network across an
entire city, college campus, or a small region. This type of network is large than a LAN,
which is mostly limited to a single building or site. Depending upon the type of
configuration, this type of network allows you to cover an area from several miles to
tens of miles.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

Characteristics of MAN
Here are important characteristics of the MAN network:

● It mostly covers towns and cities in a maximum 50 km range

● Mostly used medium is optical fibers, cables
● Data rates adequate for distributed computing applications.
Advantages of MAN
Here are the pros/benefits of MAN network:

● It offers fast communication using high-speed carriers, like fiber optic cables.
● It provides excellent support for an extensive size network and greater access to
WANs.
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● The dual bus in MAN network provides support to transmit data in both directions
concurrently.
● A MAN network mostly includes some areas of a city or an entire city.
Disadvantages of MAN
Here are drawbacks/cons of using the MAN network:
● You need more cable to establish MAN connection from one place to another.
● In MAN network it is tough to make the system secure from hackers

Other Types of Computer Networks

Apart from above mentioned computer networks, here are some other important types
of networks:
● WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)
● Storage Area Network
● System Area Network
● Home Area Network
● POLAN- Passive Optical LAN
● Enterprise private network
● Campus Area Network
● Virtual Area Network
Let’s see all these different types of networks in detail:
1) WLAN
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) helps you to link single or multiple devices using
wireless communication within a limited area like home, school, or office building. It
gives users an ability to move around within a local coverage area which may be
connected to the network. Today most modern day’s WLAN systems are based on
IEEE 802.11 standards.

2) Storage-Area Network (SAN)

A Storage Area Network is a type of network which allows consolidated, block-level
data storage. It is mainly used to make storage devices, like disk arrays, optical
jukeboxes, and tape libraries.
3) System-Area Network
System Area Network is used for a local network. It offers high-speed connection in
server-to-server and processor-to-processor applications. The computers connected on
a SAN network operate as a single system at quite high speed.
4) Passive Optical Local Area Network
POLAN is a networking technology which helps you to integrate into structured cabling.
It allows you to resolve the issues of supporting Ethernet protocols and network apps.
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POLAN allows you to use optical splitter which helps you to separate an optical signal
from a single-mode optical fiber. It converts this single signal into multiple signals.
5) Home Area Network (HAN):
A Home Area Network is always built using two or more interconnected computers to
form a local area network (LAN) within the home. For example, in the United States,
about 15 million homes have more than one computer.
These types of network connections help computer owners to interconnect with multiple
computers. This network allows sharing files, programs, printers, and other peripherals.
6) Enterprise Private Network :
Enterprise private network (EPN) networks are build and owned by businesses that
want to securely connect numerous locations in order to share various computer
resources.
7) Campus Area Network (CAN):
A Campus Area Network is made up of an interconnection of LANs within a specific
geographical area. For example, a university campus can be linked with a variety of
campus buildings to connect all the academic departments.
8) Virtual Private Network:
A VPN is a private network which uses a public network to connect remote sites or
users together. The VPN network uses “virtual” connections routed through the internet
from the enterprise’s private network or a third-party VPN service to the remote site.
It is a free or paid service that keeps your web browsing secure and private over public
WiFi hotspots.

Summary
● Types of connections in computer networks can be categorized according to their
size as well as their purpose
● PAN is a computer network which generally consists of a computer, mobile, or
personal digital assistant
● LAN (Local Area Network) is a group of computer and peripheral devices which
are connected in a limited area
● WAN (Wide Area Network) is another important computer network that which is
spread across a large geographical area
● A metropolitan area network or MAN is consisting of a computer network across
an entire city, college campus, or a small region
● WLAN is a wireless local area network that helps you to link single or multiple
devices using. It uses wireless communication within a limited area like home,
school, or office building.
● SAN is a storage area network is a type of network which allows consolidated,
block-level data storage
● System area network offers high-speed connection in server-to-server
applications, storage area networks, and processor-to-processor applications
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● POLAN is a networking technology which helps you to integrate into structured

cabling
● Home network (HAN) is a always built using two or more interconnected
computers to form a local area network (LAN) within the home
● Enterprise private network (EPN) networks are build and owned by businesses
that want to securely connect various locations
● Campus area network (CAN) is made up of an interconnection of LANs in a
specific geographical area
● A VPN is a private network which uses a public network to connect remote sites
or users together
● What does LAN stand for? – LAN stands for Local Area Network.
● What is the difference between LAN and WAN? – LAN is a computer network
that covers a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings,
while WAN is a computer network that covers a broader area.