Computer Networks

How computers connect and communicate — network types by geographic scope and common topologies.

📖 ~4 min read 💻 RRB NTPC / Group D — Computer Awareness

Network	Full Form	Coverage
LAN	Local Area Network	Small area — office, building
MAN	Metropolitan Area Network	City-wide
WAN	Wide Area Network	Large geographic area — country/globe (the Internet is the largest WAN)
PAN	Personal Area Network	Very short range — Bluetooth devices around a person

Topology	Structure
Bus	All devices connected to a single central cable
Star	All devices connected to a central hub/switch
Ring	Devices connected in a closed loop
Mesh	Every device connected to every other device

💡 Star topology is the most commonly used in modern LANs due to easy fault isolation — if one cable fails, only that device is affected.

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