network of computers

Networks can be classified based on:

• Physical size:
  They can be classified as local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), or wide area networks (WANs).

   

• Topology:
  Topologies (the manner and complexity of interconnections) include the bus topology, star topology, ring topology, and mesh topology.

   

• Security:
  Networks can be based on workgroups, in which all machines control their own security, or they can be based on servers (such as domain-based Microsoft Windows 2000 networks).

   

• Network architecture:
  For example, networks can be classified as Ethernet, Token Ring, or Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) networks.

   

• Primary protocol:
  Networks can be classified as Internet Protocol (IP) networks, Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) networks, Systems Network Architecture (SNA) networks, and so on.