Types of Networks - GCSE Computer Science

The Idea

Why Do We Need Networks?

Imagine a world where every computer is completely isolated — no internet, no email, no shared files, no online gaming. If you wanted to give someone a document, you would have to copy it onto a USB drive and physically hand it over. Every printer would serve only one computer. There would be no Google, no YouTube, no streaming, and no social media.

A network is two or more devices connected together so they can communicate and share resources. Networks are the invisible foundation of modern life. Every time you send a message, stream a video, print a document at school, or connect your wireless earbuds to your phone, you are using a network.

But not all networks are the same. Some are tiny — just your phone and your earbuds. Some cover a single building. Others span entire continents, linking millions of devices across oceans. Understanding the different types of networks and their characteristics is a core part of GCSE Computer Science.

In this topic you will learn:

The three main types of network: PAN, LAN, and WAN
The key characteristics, examples, and technologies used by each type
How to compare LANs and WANs across multiple features
The benefits and drawbacks of using networks
How to identify the correct network type for a given scenario

Did You Know? The very first computer network was called ARPANET, created by the US Department of Defense in 1969. It initially connected just four computers at four American universities. Today, the internet connects over 5 billion users and tens of billions of devices worldwide — from smartphones and laptops to smart fridges, industrial sensors, and satellites.

Explore

The Three Types of Network

Networks are classified by the geographical area they cover. There are three main types you need to know for GCSE Computer Science: PAN, LAN, and WAN. Think of them as small, medium, and large.

PAN — Personal Area Network

A PAN is the smallest type of network. It covers a very small area — typically just a few metres around a single person. A PAN connects your personal devices together so they can communicate and share data.

Everyday Examples of PANs

Smartphone + wireless earbuds: When you pair your phone with Bluetooth earbuds, you create a PAN. Music data is streamed wirelessly from your phone to your earbuds over a distance of just a metre or two.
Laptop + wireless mouse + wireless keyboard: These devices form a PAN on your desk. The mouse and keyboard send input signals wirelessly to the laptop.
Smartwatch + smartphone: Your smartwatch syncs health data, notifications, and messages with your phone via Bluetooth — another PAN.
Fitness tracker + phone: A Fitbit or similar device creates a PAN to transfer step counts, heart rate data, and sleep information to an app on your phone.
Laptop + phone via USB cable: Even a wired connection between two personal devices is a PAN. If you plug your phone into your laptop to transfer photos, that is a wired PAN.

Key Characteristics of a PAN

Range: Very short — typically under 10 metres
Power consumption: Very low — designed for battery-powered devices
Number of devices: Usually just 2 to 5 personal devices
Speed: Moderate — Bluetooth 5.0 supports up to about 2 Mbps, which is fine for audio, notifications, and small data transfers
Ownership: Owned and controlled by one individual
Cost: Very low — no additional infrastructure needed

Technologies Used in PANs

Bluetooth: The most common PAN technology. Uses radio waves over short distances (up to about 10 metres). Used for earbuds, speakers, mice, keyboards, smartwatches, and file transfers between phones.
Infrared (IrDA): Uses infrared light to transmit data over very short distances. Requires a direct line of sight between devices. Largely replaced by Bluetooth, but still found in some TV remote controls.
USB (wired PAN): A wired connection between personal devices. Faster than Bluetooth but requires a physical cable. Used for charging, data transfer, and connecting peripherals.
NFC (Near Field Communication): Extremely short range (under 4 cm). Used for contactless payments (tapping your card or phone) and quick device pairing.

Most people carry a PAN with them every day without realising it. If you have a phone in your pocket connected to earbuds in your ears and a watch on your wrist, you are walking around with a personal area network.

Key Concept: PAN A PAN is a tiny network centred on one person, connecting their personal devices over a very short range (a few metres). It uses low-power technologies like Bluetooth. Think of it as your personal bubble of connected devices.

LAN — Local Area Network

A LAN covers a small geographical area, such as a single building, a floor of an office, a school campus, or a home. It connects computers, printers, servers, and other devices within that area so they can share resources and communicate.

Everyday Examples of LANs

School network: All the computers in your school — in classrooms, the library, and staff offices — are connected to a LAN. Students can log in to any computer and access their files from a central server. Printers are shared across the network so any computer can print.
Home network: Your home Wi-Fi router creates a LAN. Your laptop, phone, tablet, smart TV, games console, and smart speaker are all connected to the same network. They can share the internet connection and communicate with each other (for example, casting a video from your phone to the TV).
Office network: A small business might have 20 computers, a shared printer, and a file server all connected by Ethernet cables and a switch. Employees can access shared documents and send files to the printer from any workstation.
Internet cafe or library: Public computers connected together within a single building form a LAN, often with shared internet access and printing.

Key Characteristics of a LAN

Range: Small area — typically a single building or small group of nearby buildings (a school campus, for instance)
Speed: Fast — modern LANs operate at 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps (gigabit Ethernet) or even 10 Gbps in some cases. Wireless LANs (Wi-Fi 6) can reach several hundred Mbps.
Ownership: The hardware (cables, switches, routers, servers) is owned and maintained by the organisation or individual who operates the LAN. You do not need to pay a telecoms company to run your school network.
Cost: Relatively cheap to set up and maintain compared to a WAN. Cables, switches, and a router are the main expenses.
Connection types: Can use wired connections (Ethernet cables — Cat5e, Cat6) or wireless connections (Wi-Fi), or a combination of both.
Security: Easier to secure because the network is physically contained. The organisation controls who can access it and can implement firewalls, encryption, and access control policies.
Number of devices: Typically from a handful (home) to hundreds or thousands (large school or office).

Technologies Used in LANs

Ethernet (wired): The most common wired LAN technology. Data travels through copper or fibre-optic cables. Ethernet provides reliable, high-speed, low-latency connections. Most desktop computers and servers in schools and offices use Ethernet.
Wi-Fi (wireless): Uses radio waves to connect devices without cables. Convenient for mobile devices like laptops, tablets, and phones. Modern Wi-Fi standards (Wi-Fi 6 / 802.11ax) offer speeds comparable to wired connections in many situations.
Switches: Connect devices within the LAN and direct data to the correct destination using MAC addresses.
Routers: Connect the LAN to external networks (like the internet / WAN) and manage traffic flow.

Key Concept: LAN A LAN is a network covering a small area like a building or campus. The hardware is owned by the organisation. LANs are fast, relatively cheap, and can be wired (Ethernet), wireless (Wi-Fi), or both. Your school network and your home Wi-Fi are both LANs.

WAN — Wide Area Network

A WAN covers a large geographical area — connecting LANs across cities, countries, or even continents. WANs allow organisations to communicate and share resources over vast distances.

Everyday Examples of WANs

The internet: The largest and most well-known WAN in the world. It connects billions of devices across every continent, linking LANs together through a global infrastructure of routers, switches, and cables.
A multinational company: A company with offices in London, New York, and Tokyo needs all three offices to access the same files, databases, and communication systems. A WAN connects the LAN in each office across thousands of miles.
A bank with branches: A high-street bank with hundreds of branches across the UK needs every branch to access the central customer database. A WAN connects each branch’s LAN to the bank’s central data centre.
A supermarket chain: A chain like Tesco has thousands of stores. Their stock management, payment processing, and logistics systems rely on a WAN to connect every store to central servers.
Government networks: The NHS, HMRC, and other government bodies use WANs to connect offices, hospitals, and agencies across the country.

Key Characteristics of a WAN

Range: Large area — cities, countries, continents, or the entire globe
Speed: Generally slower than a LAN because data has to travel much further and pass through more devices. However, modern WAN connections can still be very fast (e.g. fibre-optic leased lines can deliver hundreds of Mbps or more).
Ownership: The infrastructure (cables, satellites, exchanges) is typically owned by telecommunications companies (like BT, Virgin Media, or international carriers). Organisations lease or rent access to this infrastructure rather than building it themselves.
Cost: More expensive than a LAN. Organisations must pay ongoing fees to telecoms companies for leased lines, bandwidth, and maintenance. The cost of undersea fibre-optic cables, satellite links, and international infrastructure is enormous.
Connection types: Uses a range of technologies including leased lines (dedicated, private connections), satellite links, undersea fibre-optic cables, microwave links, and public telephone networks.
Security: Harder to secure because data crosses public infrastructure (cables, exchanges, and routers owned by third parties). Encryption and VPNs are essential to protect data in transit.
Latency: Higher latency than a LAN because data may travel thousands of miles and pass through many routers. A packet sent from London to Sydney travels over 17,000 km.

Technologies Used in WANs

Leased lines: Dedicated, private connections rented from a telecoms provider. Offer guaranteed bandwidth and reliability, but are expensive. Often used by businesses for critical connections.
Fibre-optic cables (including undersea): Transmit data as pulses of light through glass fibres. Extremely fast and can carry enormous amounts of data. Undersea cables connect continents — over 95% of international data travels through undersea fibre-optic cables.
Satellite links: Used to reach remote areas where cables cannot easily be laid (e.g. ships, aircraft, rural areas). Higher latency than cable connections because the signal must travel to a satellite in orbit and back.
Microwave links: Use microwave radio signals transmitted between towers with a direct line of sight. Used for medium-distance WAN connections, especially where laying cables is impractical.

Key Concept: WAN A WAN connects LANs across large distances — cities, countries, or the world. The infrastructure is owned by telecoms companies and leased by organisations. WANs are slower and more expensive than LANs, and harder to secure. The internet is the largest WAN.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes say “the internet is a LAN.” This is incorrect. The internet is the largest WAN in the world. A LAN only covers a small area like a building. The internet connects millions of LANs across the globe, making it a Wide Area Network. Remember: if it spans cities or countries, it is a WAN.

Understand

Comparing Network Types

LAN vs WAN — Detailed Comparison

In your GCSE exam, you are very likely to be asked to compare LANs and WANs. This table covers all the key differences:

Feature	LAN (Local Area Network)	WAN (Wide Area Network)
Geographical area	Small — a single building, school, home, or campus	Large — cities, countries, continents, or worldwide
Speed	High — typically 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps or more	Lower — depends on connection type; data travels further and through more devices
Ownership	Hardware is owned by the organisation or individual	Infrastructure is owned by telecoms companies and leased by organisations
Cost	Cheaper — cables, switches, and a router are the main expenses	More expensive — ongoing fees for leased lines, bandwidth, and specialist equipment
Example	School network, home Wi-Fi, office network	The internet, a multinational company’s network, a bank’s branch network
Security	Easier to secure — physical access can be controlled; network is self-contained	Harder to secure — data crosses public infrastructure owned by third parties
Latency	Low — data travels short distances	Higher — data may travel thousands of miles through many routers
Connection types	Ethernet (wired), Wi-Fi (wireless)	Leased lines, undersea fibre optics, satellite, microwave links
Maintenance	Maintained by the organisation’s own IT staff or a local technician	Requires specialist telecoms engineers; often depends on third-party providers

PAN vs LAN vs WAN — At a Glance

Feature	PAN	LAN	WAN
Area	A few metres (around one person)	A building or campus	Cities, countries, or the world
Typical devices	Phone, earbuds, watch, mouse	Computers, printers, servers	Routers connecting distant LANs
Speed	Low to moderate	High	Variable (often lower than LAN)
Technology	Bluetooth, USB, NFC	Ethernet, Wi-Fi	Leased lines, fibre, satellite
Cost	Very low	Moderate	High
Example	Phone + earbuds	School IT room	The internet

Benefits and Drawbacks of Networks

Connecting devices together into a network brings many advantages, but also creates new problems and risks. You need to know both sides for your exam.

Benefits of Networks	Drawbacks of Networks
File and resource sharing: Users can share files, folders, and hardware (such as printers and scanners) across the network, reducing duplication and cost. A single high-quality printer can serve an entire office.	Security risks: Connecting devices together means that hackers, viruses, and other malware can spread across the network. A single infected computer can compromise the entire network if security is weak.
Central backups: Data can be backed up automatically to a central server or cloud storage. If a user’s computer fails, their files are safe because they are stored on the server, not just on the local machine.	Expensive to set up: Setting up a network requires hardware (cables, switches, routers, servers) and professional installation. For larger networks, the initial cost can be significant.
Communication: Networks enable email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and other communication tools. Staff in different offices (or even different countries) can collaborate in real time.	Server failure: In a client-server network, if the central server goes down, users may lose access to files, applications, email, and other shared resources until the server is repaired or replaced.
Central management: Software updates, security patches, and user accounts can be managed centrally by an IT administrator. This saves time compared to configuring each computer individually.	Specialist staff required: Networks need trained IT technicians or network administrators to set up, manage, and troubleshoot. Employing specialist staff adds ongoing cost.
Internet access: A network allows all connected devices to share a single internet connection, rather than each device needing its own separate connection.	Privacy concerns: Network administrators can monitor traffic, emails, and websites visited by users. In a workplace or school, user activity may be logged and reviewed.
Flexible working: Users can access files and applications from any computer on the network, or even remotely over a WAN. This supports hot-desking and remote working.	Dependence on connectivity: If the network connection goes down, users may be unable to work, access files, or communicate. The organisation becomes dependent on the network functioning correctly.

Exam Tip When writing about benefits and drawbacks of networks in an exam, always explain each point rather than just listing it. For example, do not just write “sharing files.” Instead, write: “Users can share files across the network, which reduces duplication and means everyone can access the most up-to-date version of a document.” Adding an example or explanation will earn you more marks.

Common Mistake: Students sometimes confuse the drawbacks of networks with the drawbacks of the internet. While the internet is a type of network (a WAN), questions about “drawbacks of networks” are usually asking about networking in general — things like security risks, cost, server failure, and the need for specialist staff. Stick to network-specific drawbacks unless the question specifically mentions the internet.

Interactive

Test Your Knowledge

Try these interactive exercises to check your understanding of network types. Read each scenario carefully and select the correct answer.

Exercise 1: Network Type Identifier

Read the scenario below and identify whether it describes a PAN, LAN, or WAN.

Score: 0 / 0

Exercise 2: LAN vs WAN Fact Sorter

Read the fact or characteristic below and decide whether it applies to a LAN or a WAN.

Score: 0 / 0

Practice

Practice Questions

Click on each question to reveal the answer. Try to answer in your head or on paper first before checking!

Q1: What is the difference between a LAN and a WAN? Give one example of each.

Answer: A LAN (Local Area Network) covers a small geographical area such as a single building, school, or home, and the hardware is owned by the organisation or individual. Example: a school network. A WAN (Wide Area Network) covers a large geographical area such as cities, countries, or the whole world, and the infrastructure is typically owned by telecommunications companies and leased by organisations. Example: the internet. Key differences include speed (LAN is faster), cost (WAN is more expensive), and security (LAN is easier to secure).

Q2: Define the term “PAN” and give two examples of devices that might form a PAN.

Answer: A PAN (Personal Area Network) is a very small network that connects personal devices together over a short range, typically within a few metres of one person. It usually uses low-power wireless technologies like Bluetooth. Two examples: (1) a smartphone connected to wireless earbuds via Bluetooth for listening to music, and (2) a laptop connected to a wireless mouse and keyboard. Other valid examples include a smartwatch syncing with a phone, or a fitness tracker transferring data to an app via Bluetooth.

Q3: State two benefits and two drawbacks of connecting computers in a network.

Answer: Benefits: (1) Resource sharing — users can share files and hardware such as printers, which reduces costs and means everyone can access the latest version of files. (2) Central backups — data can be automatically backed up to a central server, so if a user’s computer fails, their work is not lost. Drawbacks: (1) Security risks — if one computer on the network is infected with malware, it can spread to other computers across the network. (2) Server dependency — if the central server fails, all users may lose access to shared files, applications, and services until it is repaired.

Q4: Explain why a WAN is generally more expensive than a LAN.

Answer: A WAN is more expensive because: (1) the infrastructure (long-distance cables, satellite links, undersea fibre-optic cables, exchanges) is owned by telecommunications companies, and organisations must pay ongoing fees to lease access to this infrastructure. (2) The distances involved are much greater, requiring more complex and expensive equipment such as leased lines and satellite dishes. (3) WAN connections often require specialist telecoms engineers to install and maintain, adding to costs. In contrast, a LAN only needs relatively inexpensive local equipment (cables, switches, a router) that the organisation buys once and owns.

Q5: A company has offices in Birmingham, Glasgow, and Cardiff. They want all employees to access the same central database. What type of network would they need, and why?

Answer: The company would need a WAN (Wide Area Network). This is because the three offices are in different cities across the UK, which is a large geographical area. A LAN only covers a single building or small campus, so it cannot connect offices hundreds of miles apart. The WAN would connect the LAN in each office together, allowing all employees to access the central database regardless of which office they are in. The company would likely lease connectivity from a telecommunications provider (e.g. leased lines or a VPN over the internet) to link the three sites.

Q6: Explain why a LAN is typically faster than a WAN.

Answer: A LAN is typically faster than a WAN because: (1) data only needs to travel short distances (within a building), so there is very little delay. (2) The hardware used in a LAN (Ethernet cables, switches) supports very high speeds — modern Ethernet can deliver 1 Gbps or even 10 Gbps. (3) In a WAN, data must travel much greater distances (potentially thousands of miles) and pass through many more devices (routers, exchanges), each of which adds a small delay. (4) WAN connections are often shared with other users and organisations, which can reduce available bandwidth. The result is that LAN speeds are consistently higher and latency is consistently lower.

Q7: Name two technologies commonly used in a PAN and explain how they work.

Answer: (1) Bluetooth — uses short-range radio waves (typically up to about 10 metres) to wirelessly connect personal devices. It is low-power, making it suitable for battery-powered devices like earbuds, smartwatches, and wireless mice. Devices must be “paired” before they can communicate. (2) NFC (Near Field Communication) — uses extremely short-range radio signals (under 4 centimetres) for quick data exchange. It is used for contactless payments (tapping a bank card on a terminal) and for quickly pairing Bluetooth devices by tapping them together. NFC is designed for very brief, close-range interactions.

Q8: A school is considering whether to set up a network or keep computers standalone (not connected). Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of networking the school’s computers. [6-mark style question]

Answer: Advantages: (1) File sharing — students and staff can save work to a central server and access it from any computer on the network, which is essential in a school where students move between classrooms. (2) Shared resources — expensive hardware like printers and scanners can be shared across the network, saving money compared to buying one for each computer. (3) Central backups — student work can be automatically backed up on the server, preventing data loss if a computer fails. (4) Central management — the IT technician can install software, push updates, and manage user accounts from one place, rather than configuring each computer individually. (5) Internet access — all computers can share a single internet connection. Disadvantages: (1) Cost — setting up a network requires purchasing switches, cables, a server, and a router, plus professional installation. (2) Security risks — a virus on one computer could spread across the entire network. (3) Server dependency — if the server fails, all students lose access to their files and shared resources. (4) Specialist staff — the school would need a trained IT technician to manage and troubleshoot the network, which is an ongoing cost. (5) Privacy — network administrators can monitor student activity. On balance, the advantages of networking (especially file sharing, backups, and central management) outweigh the disadvantages for a school, which is why virtually all schools use networked computers.

Reference

Key Vocabulary

This table summarises the essential terms for this topic. Use it for revision and to check your understanding.

Term	Definition
Network	Two or more devices connected together so they can communicate and share resources
PAN	Personal Area Network — a very small network (a few metres) connecting personal devices, typically using Bluetooth
LAN	Local Area Network — a network covering a small area such as a building or school, with hardware owned by the organisation
WAN	Wide Area Network — a network covering a large area (cities, countries, the world), using infrastructure leased from telecoms companies
Bluetooth	A short-range wireless technology used for PANs, connecting devices like earbuds, mice, and smartwatches
NFC	Near Field Communication — extremely short-range wireless technology (under 4 cm) used for contactless payments and device pairing
Ethernet	A wired networking technology commonly used in LANs, offering high speed and reliability via copper or fibre-optic cables
Wi-Fi	A wireless networking technology that uses radio waves, commonly used in LANs to connect devices without cables
Leased line	A dedicated, private connection rented from a telecoms provider, commonly used in WANs for reliable high-speed links
Bandwidth	The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given time, measured in Mbps or Gbps
Latency	The time delay between sending data and it being received at the destination — higher in WANs than LANs
Infrastructure	The physical hardware and connections (cables, routers, exchanges, satellites) that make up a network
Telecommunications company	A company (e.g. BT, Virgin Media) that owns and operates large-scale network infrastructure and sells access to organisations
Router	A device that connects different networks together (e.g. a LAN to the internet/WAN) and directs data packets using IP addresses
Switch	A device that connects devices within the same LAN and directs data to the correct device using MAC addresses
Server	A powerful computer that provides services (files, applications, backups) to other devices (clients) on a network
Firewall	Hardware or software that monitors and filters network traffic to block unauthorised access and suspicious connections

Exam Tips

How to Succeed in the Exam

Exam Tip: Know Your Three Network Types You must be able to define PAN, LAN, and WAN, and give at least one example of each. A common question is: “Describe the difference between a LAN and a WAN.” Make sure you cover geographical area, ownership of hardware, speed, and cost. Remember PAN as well — it appears on many mark schemes.

Exam Tip: Use Specific Technical Language Instead of saying “a WAN goes far,” say “a WAN covers a large geographical area, such as connecting offices in different cities or countries.” Instead of saying “you do not own the wires,” say “the infrastructure is owned by telecommunications companies and leased by organisations.” Precise language earns marks.

Exam Tip: Explain, Do Not Just List If a question asks you to “describe” or “explain” benefits or drawbacks of networks, you must do more than list them. For each point, explain why it is a benefit or drawback and, ideally, give an example. “Files can be shared across the network, meaning employees can collaborate on documents without needing to use USB drives” is much stronger than “file sharing.”

Exam Tip: Scenario Questions You may be given a real-world scenario and asked to identify the network type or recommend a network setup. Read carefully: does the scenario describe devices in one room (LAN), personal devices near one person (PAN), or offices in different cities (WAN)? Look for clues about geographical area, the devices involved, and the technologies mentioned.

Exam Tip: LAN vs WAN Table Many students find it helpful to memorise the LAN vs WAN comparison table. The six key comparison points are: geographical area, speed, ownership, cost, example, and security. If you can confidently discuss all six, you can answer almost any LAN vs WAN comparison question.

Resources

Video Resources

These Craig 'n' Dave videos cover the key concepts from this topic. Watch them to reinforce your understanding.

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Craig 'n' Dave: Types of NetworksLAN, WAN and network characteristics

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Craig 'n' Dave: Wired and Wireless NetworksPerformance comparison of different connection types

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Craig 'n' Dave: Network SpeedsUnderstanding bandwidth and network performance

Past Paper Questions

Practise these exam-style questions. Click each question to reveal the mark scheme.

Explain two differences between a LAN and a WAN. 4 marks

Mark scheme:

A LAN covers a small geographical area/single site (1 mark) whereas a WAN covers a large geographical area/multiple sites (1 mark)
A LAN is owned and maintained by the organisation (1 mark) whereas a WAN uses third-party infrastructure/phone lines (1 mark)
A LAN typically has higher data transfer speeds (1 mark) than a WAN (1 mark)

Reflect

Networks in Your Life

Now that you understand the three types of networks and their characteristics, take a moment to think about how many networks you interact with every day:

Your PAN: Think about the personal devices you carry. Your phone, earbuds, smartwatch, and fitness tracker likely form a Bluetooth PAN that travels with you everywhere. You probably use NFC every time you make a contactless payment.
Your home LAN: Your home Wi-Fi connects your phone, laptop, tablet, smart TV, games console, and perhaps smart home devices like lights and speakers. This LAN gives all your devices internet access through a single broadband connection.
Your school LAN: When you log in to a school computer, you are joining the school’s LAN. Your files are stored on a central server. You share printers. The IT team manages software and security centrally.
The WAN: Every time you open a website, send a message, or stream a video, your data leaves your LAN and travels across the internet — the world’s largest WAN — potentially crossing oceans through undersea cables to reach a server on the other side of the world.

Understanding these network types is not just about passing an exam. It helps you understand why your Bluetooth earbuds have limited range, why your school’s network is faster than your phone’s mobile data, why large companies spend millions on their network infrastructure, and why the internet — a WAN connecting millions of LANs — is one of the most remarkable engineering achievements in human history.

Challenge yourself: Over the next 24 hours, try to identify every network you use or interact with. Count how many PANs, LANs, and WANs you encounter. You might be surprised by how many there are.

Exam Tip In your GCSE exam, you may be asked to apply your knowledge of network types to unfamiliar scenarios. For example, you might need to recommend what type of network a new business should use, explain why a hospital needs a particular network setup, or identify the network type from a description. Always use the correct technical vocabulary (PAN, LAN, WAN, Bluetooth, Ethernet, leased line, bandwidth, latency, etc.) and explain your reasoning clearly. Refer back to the key vocabulary table if you are unsure of any terms.