2.7 Compare and contrast internet connection types, network types, and their characteristics.

Internet connection types

Type

Speed

Range

Notes

Pros / Cons

Satellite

12-100 Mbps

Global

Uses satellites orbiting Earth

  • Wide coverage (rural areas)

  • High latency, weather interference

Fiber

100 Mbps - 10 Gbps

Short / Local

Fiber-optic cables

  • Very fast, low latency

  • Expensive, limited availability

Cable

25-1000 Mbps

Local

Coaxial cable from ISP

  • Fast, widely available

  • Shared bandwidth can slow speeds

DSL

1-100 Mbps

Local / Telephone line

Uses phone lines

  • uses existing copper lines

  • Slower, distance-sensitive

Cellular

4G/5G (~50 Mbps - 10Gbps)

Wide area

Mobile networks (LTE, 5G)

  • Mobile, flexible

  • Data caps, variable coverage

Wireless internet service provider (WISP)

5-100 Mbps

Local

Fixed wireless to antenna

  • Quick deployment, rural coverage

  • Line-of-sight required, can be slow in bad weather

Network types

Network Type

Scope

Notes

Example / Use Case

LAN (Local Area Network)

Small area (home/office)

Ethernet or Wi-Fi

Home network, office network

WAN (Wide Area Network)

Large geographic area

Connects multiple LANs, often via ISP

Internet, corporate branch networks

PAN (Personal Area Network)

Very small area (~10m)

Bluetooth, USB, NFC

Phone + headphones, smartwatches

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

City-wide

Connects multiple LANs in a city

City government networks, campus networks

SAN (Storage Area Network)

Data storage only

High-speed, fiber or Ethernet

Enterprise storage clusters

WLAN (Wireless LAN)

LAN using Wi-Fi

Wireless coverage inside building

Home Wi-Fi, office Wi-Fi