A Wide Area Network is also known as a LAN or campus network. As have already mentioned above it’s smaller than the traditional broader area network and several Local Area Networks (LAN) join in on a single organization or zones to create a Campus Area Network (CAN). So, when someone says of the corporate networks within the particular geographical location, you could easily guess that it’s campus network. The term itself implies a physical location of a corporation within a specific location. The CAN have various features and services, that may include but are not limited to, the following: communication features, including voice, data, and unified communications features, access to the Internet, secure key distribution, management of secured networks and devices, including firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, and more. However, the feature that makes the CAN stand out from other networks is its versatility and the fact that any given machine within the LAN can connect to the other machines even outside the local area network.
The term topology pertains to the logical arrangement of components in a given structure. There are different types of topology including logical topology and physical topology. Based on the physical topology, there are different CANs namely physical layer, logical layer, and virtual network topology. Based on the logical topology, there are different types of switches such as circuit switching fabric switches, packet switch fabric switches, managed switch fabric switches, networkable fabric switches, and many more. The switches allow enterprises to manage their campus networks effectively with minimal effort from the administrator’s side.
There are many advantages for an enterprise if it chooses to implement a campus-area network. The main advantage is that the enterprise can get its applications and resources from anywhere within a limited geographical area. With this facility, companies or organizations can be able to maintain their critical applications and data centers even if they are located in different parts of the world. Another advantage of installing a campus area network is that it helps in reducing the cost of hardware and software. For instance, when an organization installs Ethernet switches, it does not need to buy and deploy expensive switches for each work station.
The installation process of a campus area network (CAN) is easier and less costly compared to the installation process of an ordinary network. This is because it does not require any type of server or router. Another advantage is that the administrator does not need to deploy and maintain expensive devices such as routers or access servers. This helps them save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on such equipment. Many universities and colleges are now making use of a campus area network (can) to reduce costs for their students and faculty members.
One of the reasons why a campus area network (CAN) is preferred over a national or international high-speed Internet connection is the cost factor involved in it. It is because it requires less investment for an organization to set up than the high-speed Internet connection does. Most universities and colleges do not have large numbers of employees who regularly download or upload large files. Therefore, for them, it makes sense to install a local network that allows them to make local telephone calls without using the Internet.
Installing a campus network (can) involves some steps. An organization should first of all contact an IT expert to help them design and install the campus area network (can). Then it needs to contact an IP networking consultant or an electrical engineer to install the necessary equipment. These professionals need to do the installation using the proper tools. After the installation is done, it should be tested to check if the equipment is functioning properly. Finally, an IP address is assigned to the system so that the systems can make local telephone calls at a much cheaper price compared to international call rates.
