Difference Between LAN, MAN, and WAN | The Key Types Of Network

LAN, MAN, & WAN are three of the most common computer networks. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Read all about these 3 networks and their differences here.

Shivani Goyal

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Difference Between LAN, MAN, and WAN | The Key Types Of Network

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Table of content:

What Is A Computer Network?
Types Of Computer Networks
Key Difference Between LAN, MAN, and WAN
What Is LAN?
What Is MAN?
What Is WAN?
Frequently Asked Questions

Are you confused about what is a computer network and its types- LAN, MAN, & WAN? Do you want to know the difference between LAN, MAN, and WAN? This article will help you gain clarity on all these accounts. We will also explore what is LAN, WAN, & MAN, discuss computer networks, and list the key differences between LAN, MAN, & WAN. So read on!

What Is A Computer Network?

Graphic representation of a computer network

A computer network is when 2 or more computers/ systems form a connection with each other to share resources etc. Think of this: every time you communicate with your friends or office colleagues over social media, you are a part of a social network. Similarly, a computer network is formed when one computer communicates with other computers irrespective of whether they reside in the same or different geographical locations. In short, we can only transfer information between different connected devices using a computer network.

Types Of Computer Networks

There are three major types of network structures classified based on the distance coverage capacity, communication, data transfer speed, and size. They are:

LAN - Local Area Network
MAN - Metropolitan Area Network
WAN - Wide Area Network

While these are the three most commonly known networks, some other types of computer networks are:

Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Enterprise Private Network (EPN)
Storage Area Network (SAN)
Personal Area Network (PAN)
WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)
Campus Area Network
Virtual Area Network

However, the focus of our discussion will be LAN, MAN, and WAN. We will elaborate on what each of these networks entails further and also differentiate between LAN, MAN & WAN.

Key Difference Between LAN, MAN, and WAN

Now you know what the different types of computer networks are let's discuss the difference between LAN, MAN, and WAN. The table below highlights the key difference between the three major types of networks.

Basis	LAN	MAN	WAN
Full-form	Local area network	Metropolitan area network	Wide area network
Area/ Geographical Coverage	LAN refers to network devices in a small geographical area form. Such as a home, a school, and a single office building.	MAN refers to a network of computer devices located in two or more cities/ states. Common examples are telephone networks, television networks, etc.	WAN refers to the connection of computers between continents and countries. One major example of this is internet services/ broadband services.
Implementation Cost	Least expensive among the three	More expensive than LAN but less expensive than WAN	The most expensive of the three
Hardware Resources	Fewer resources than MAN and WAN. They need resources like network adapters, Ethernet cables, routers, wireless access points, etc.	Require more resources than MAN.	Require the most resources among all three.
Transmission Speed	Since LAN networking devices span a limited area, it provides the fastest operational speed or transmission rate (up to 800 to 1000 mb/s )	Since MAN is a wider network than LAN, it provides moderate internet speed (up to 50 to 100 mb/s).	WAN allows the widest distance transmission but provides lesser internet speed in comparison to LAN and WAN (less than 100 mb/s).
Maintenance Cost	Maintenance of LAN is easy and it does not have a high maintenance cost.	Maintenance of MAN is more difficult than LAN.	Maintenance of WAN is very difficult and thus it has the highest maintenance cost.
Bandwidth	The LAN provides a very high bandwidth.	The MAN provides moderate bandwidth.	The WAN provides low bandwidth.
Propagation delay	The propagation delay in LAN is very low.	The MAN faces only moderate propagation delay. For example telephone company network within a country.	The WAN faces a very high propagation delay as it covers a large geographical area. For example, international telephone company network.
Fault Tolerance	The fault tolerance for LAN is very high.	It has lesser fault tolerance than LAN.	It has lesser fault tolerance in comparison to LAN and MAN.
Network Congestion	Very low network congestion.	Moderate network congestion.	High network congestion.
Coverage range	Between 100 to 1000 meters.	Between 10 to 100 kilometers.	Expandable up to 1,00,000 km.
No. of communication channel	LAN allows for single communication only, i.e. only a single pair of devices can communicate at a single point in time.	In the MAN, multiple computers can build simultaneous communication links.	In the WAN, a large group of computers can communicate at a single time.
Communication Medium	Twisted-pair cables and coaxial cables	Fibre optic cable, Coaxial Cable or Satellite	Satellite Link or PTSN (Public Switched Telephone Network)
Common Examples	The school, office, home, and the hospital are the users of the LAN.	Telephone companies that provide high-speed DSL Lines and cable TV networks.	The transfer of the internet from one continent to another via sea is an example of WAN.

Now that you know the difference between LAN, MAN, and WAN, let's examine each of the three major network types, LAN, MAN, and WAN, in detail.

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What Is LAN?

Local Area Network

LAN stands for Local Area Network, and it refers to the connection between personal computers in a single building or local areas such as schools, business offices, and office buildings.

The LAN can be a wired network (i.e. where computers, printers, etc. devices are connected via wires) or a wireless network.
The wired LAN system is also referred to as a hub that connects the whole LAN to MAN using the ethernet protocol.
LAN is a private network and is owned by any single organization, meaning LAN has private ownership. It uses the private addressing scheme to define TCP/IP protocol.
We can connect a minimum of 2, to up to thousands of computers to create a single LAN.
Though LANs are mostly private, there are a few instances where they can be public networks, such as airports or coffee shops.

What Is MAN?

MAN - Metropolitan Area Network

MAN stands for the Metropolitan Area Network, and it covers a larger geographical area in comparison to LAN.

It can be both a public or private network.
It is expandable to up to 100 km and can span an entire city.
An example of the MAN could be a network formed between all devices in a city building. Another example can be telephone lines.
Since MAN spans at least a few km, data transmission speed is comparatively low.

What Is WAN?

Wide Area Network

WAN stands for the Wide Area Network and the network size can span up to 1,00,000 km of area. Take, for example, the network connection between two countries.

In short, WAN allows us to build one of the largest networks and expand it to a few thousand kilometres.
Ownership of the WAN can also be private or public, for example, in the case of internet services.
This means that WAN is a larger network that consists of multiple MAN networks, which further consist of many LAN networks.
Note that WAN uses radio waves or telephone lines to connect LANs.

We are sure that this snapshot description of LAN vs. MAN vs. WAN must have put things into perspective for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Between LAN, MAN and WAN, which is the right network for me?

The type of network you need depends on your requirements. In order to find the right network for your needs, take into account the following factors:

The geographical area to be covered
The security requirements and budget constraints
The level of speed and reliability

Q2. How is a Personal Area Network (PAN) different from a Local Area Network (LAN)?

Personal Area Network connects devices in a short range, typically within 10 meters. It's used to connect devices such as wireless headphones, smartwatches, etc., using different technologies, like Bluetooth, ZigBee, and infrared.

Local Area Network (LAN) connects devices in a limited geographical area, such as a home, office, or school. It's used to connect devices such as computers, printers, etc., using both wired and wireless connections.

The biggest difference between the two is that PAN has limited coverage and typically uses some form of wireless technology. Moreover, while both PAN and LAN can connect to peripheral devices, PAN has a shorter range than LAN. Thus, the peripheral devices connected via PAN need to be in close range.

Q3. What are some examples of LAN, WAN and MAN?

Examples of LAN: Home, office or school networks
Examples of MAN: City-wide Wi-Fi, Cable TV networks
Examples of WAN: Cellular networks, Internet

Q4. What's the transfer rate for LAN, MAN and WAN?

The typical transfer rate for each of these networks is:

LAN: 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps
MAN: 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps
WAN: 1 Mbps to 100 Mbps

Well, this brings us to the end of our discussion on the difference between LAN, MAN, and WAN. Before you go, here are some other articles you might be interested in:

Edited by

Shivani Goyal

Manager, Content

I am an economics graduate using my qualifications and life skills to observe & absorb what life has to offer. A strong believer in 'Don't die before you are dead' philosophy, at Unstop I am producing content that resonates and enables you to be #Unstoppable. When I don't have to be presentable for the job, I'd be elbow deep in paint/ pencil residue, immersed in a good read or socializing in the flesh.

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