Key Characteristics
A Campus Area Network (CAN) is a network that connects local area networks (LANs) within a limited geographic area such as a university campus, corporate complex, or military base. CANs typically span multiple buildings within a contiguous area and serve a specific organization or institution. They combine the high performance of LANs with the interconnection capabilities of WANs but within a more limited geographic scope.
CANs use high-speed backbone connections to link individual LANs in different buildings. They often employ fiber optic cables for high-bandwidth connections between buildings and may use hierarchical network designs with core, distribution, and access layers. CANs support the networking needs of medium-sized organizations that require connectivity across multiple buildings.
Advantages
- Moderate Geographic Coverage: Covers multiple buildings within a campus
- High Performance: High-speed connections between buildings
- Resource Sharing: Enables sharing of resources across the campus
- Centralized Management: Allows centralized network management
- Scalability: Can grow with expanding campus infrastructure
- Cost Efficiency: More cost-effective than WAN solutions for campus
- Security: Easier to secure than wide area networks
Disadvantages
- Limited Range: Confined to a specific geographic area
- Infrastructure Costs: Requires significant infrastructure investment
- Complexity: More complex than single LANs
- Maintenance: Requires ongoing maintenance of distributed infrastructure
- Scalability Limits: May face challenges expanding beyond campus boundaries
- Single Point of Failure: Issues can affect entire campus
- Security: Internal security threats can spread across campus
Best Practices
- Network Design: Plan network architecture carefully considering traffic patterns
- Redundancy: Implement redundant connections for critical paths
- Security: Implement comprehensive security measures throughout the network
- Monitoring: Monitor network performance and security across all areas
- Documentation: Maintain detailed documentation of the entire campus network
- Regular Updates: Keep network equipment firmware updated
- Access Control: Implement proper access control mechanisms
- Performance Testing: Regularly test network performance under various conditions
Use Cases
- University Campuses: Connecting academic buildings, dormitories, and libraries
- Corporate Complexes: Connecting office buildings and facilities
- Hospital Complexes: Connecting hospital buildings and departments
- Government Facilities: Connecting administrative buildings
- Research Centers: Connecting laboratories and research facilities
- Industrial Sites: Connecting manufacturing facilities and offices
- Shopping Centers: Connecting retail spaces and management areas
- Airport Terminals: Connecting different sections of airport facilities