What is Campus Area Network (CAN)?

Are you aware of the type of network used in buildings that covers a significant area that a normal LAN network cannot cover? The answer is Campus Area Network (CAN).

So, what is a campus area network, and how does it work? The answer to all such queries will be given in this article. But, before we dive deeper into the article, let’s go through the list of topics listed under the table of contents (TOC) we will cover.

Table of Contents (TOC)

• What is a Campus Area Network?
• How Does Campus Area Network work?
• Advantages of Campus Area Network
• Disadvantages of CAN
• Conclusion

What is a Campus Area Network? 

Campus Area Network Definition: A campus area network (CAN) is a computer network that consists of multiple interconnected local area networks (LAN) in order to cover a limited geographic area, such as a military base, school campus, university campus, etc.

The CAN is known by various other names, such as Corporate Area Network, Residential Network, or ResNet, as only the residents of a specific area/place use this type of network. The range covered by the CAN is around 1 to 5 km, and you can implement this network using both – wires or wireless connectivity.

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In order to understand what a campus area network is, let’s go through an example.

Let’s think about a military base where multiple LAN networks interconnect various buildings, such as administrative facilities, ammunition storage facilities, commissary facilities, correctional facilities, fortifications buildings, hospitals, etc. When these LAN networks are interconnected, they form a CAN.

Here’s the image that shows the CAN network:

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How Does Campus Area Network work? 

A CAN network is made up of multiple interconnected LAN networks and thus allows you to connect multiple devices, such as computers, printers, servers, etc., within a limited geographic area.

The CAN network infrastructure is usually made up of switches and access points that link the devices together, allowing them to communicate with each other. In a CAN, the devices are connected using wired and wireless technologies, such as Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The wired connections are usually faster and more reliable, while the wireless connections offer greater flexibility and mobility.

Once the CAN network is set up, a central IT team manages it while ensuring that the network is secure, up-to-date, and able to handle the high bandwidth demands of the users. The IT team is also responsible for monitoring the network traffic, configuring the network settings, and troubleshooting any issues.

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Advantages of Campus Area Network 

Here are some of the advantages of CAN:

• High-speed connectivity: CANs provide fast and reliable connectivity for devices within the network.
• Cost-effective: Compared to Wide Area Networks (WANs), CANs are less expensive to maintain and set up.
• Scalability: CANs can easily be scaled up or down as needed, making them a flexible solution per the changing network needs.
• Enhanced security: CANs typically employ advanced security measures, such as firewalls, IDS, etc., in order to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.
• Centralized management: With a CAN, network administrators can manage all connected devices from a central location. Thus, simplifying network management and troubleshooting.

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Disadvantages of Campus Area Network 

Here are some of the disadvantages of CAN:

• Limited range: CANs are designed to cover a relatively small geographical area. Hence they are not suitable for organizations with widely dispersed locations.
• Dependency on infrastructure: CANs generally rely on physical infrastructure, such as cables or Wi-Fi access points, to connect devices. Hence, if any infrastructure disruption occurs, it will impact network performance and connectivity.
• Single point of failure: As we know, CANs are centralized networks. Hence, any failure of the central network component, such as a router or switch, can cause the entire network to go down.
• Cost: While CANs are generally less expensive than wide area networks (WANs), they can still be costly to set up and maintain, particularly for smaller organizations with limited budgets.

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Conclusion

In this article, we have explored what CAN is. We have also explored its working, advantages, disadvantages, etc. If you have any queries related to the topic, please feel free to send your queries to us in the form of a comment. We will be happy to help.

Happy Learning!!