Computer Science · Ch 10 — Computer Networks
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Personal Area Network (PAN)
A Personal Area Network, or PAN, is a network created by connecting a few personal devices that belong to a single person. These devices include items like computers, laptops, mobile phones, smartphones, printers, and similar gadgets. The key idea is that all these devices lie within a very short range — approximately 10 metres of each other. This is the smallest type of network you will study, designed for personal workspace rather than for an office or a city.
A PAN can be either wired or wireless. The textbook gives two clear examples to show this difference.
- Wired PAN: A mobile phone connected to a laptop through a USB cable forms a wired PAN. The connection is physical, using a cable.
- Wireless PAN (WPAN): Two smartphones communicating with each other through Bluetooth technology form a wireless PAN. No cables are involved; the connection uses radio waves. …
Drawn by us to help you understand the concept clearly, and verified to make sure it's accurate. For exams, practice from your textbook's own diagram.
A Personal Area Network (PAN) is the smallest kind of network — just the devices within reach of a single person, typically around a laptop or phone. Here, one laptop is the hub, with a cordless handset, a wireless headset, a second laptop, a mobile phone, a mouse, and a printer all connected to it. …