Campus network facts for kids

A campus network, also known as a CAN, is a special type of computer network. Think of it as a super-network that connects many smaller networks, called local area networks (LANs), all within a specific area. This area could be a school, a university, or a large company's headquarters.

The equipment used for a campus network, like switches and routers, and the cables that carry information (such as optical fiber or Cat5 cabling), are almost always owned by the campus itself. This means a university, a business, or a government organization usually owns and manages its own campus network. A CAN is bigger than a single LAN (which might connect computers in just one building) but smaller than a network that covers an entire city (a metropolitan area network or MAN) or a huge area like a country or the world (a wide area network or WAN).

What is a Campus Network?

A campus network helps different buildings on a campus talk to each other. Imagine a big school with many buildings: classrooms, libraries, dorms, and offices. A campus network connects all these buildings so that students and staff can easily share information and access the internet from anywhere on campus.

How Does a Campus Network Work?

Campus networks use special devices like switches and routers to direct data traffic. They also use fast cables, often optical fiber, which can send information as light signals. This makes the network very quick and reliable. For example, a student in a dorm can access the library's online resources, or a teacher can share files with colleagues in another building, all thanks to the campus network.

Campus Networks at Universities

Many colleges and universities use campus networks to connect their various buildings. These can include:

• Administrative buildings where staff work
• Academic buildings where classes are held
• University libraries for research and study
• Student centers and residence halls (dormitories)
• Gymnasiums and other sports facilities
• Special centers like conference centers or technology labs

Some of the earliest campus networks were developed at famous universities. For example, Stanford University Network at Stanford University, Project Athena at MIT, and the Andrew Project at Carnegie Mellon University were important early examples. These projects helped show how useful large campus networks could be.

Campus Networks for Companies

Just like universities, large companies also use campus networks. These networks connect different buildings within a company's property. For instance, big tech companies like Googleplex (Google's main campus) and Microsoft have their own campus networks. These networks allow employees in different offices or labs to work together, share files, and communicate quickly. Corporate campus networks often use very fast Ethernet connections, like gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet, which are perfect for handling lots of data.

How Far Do Campus Networks Reach?

A campus network typically covers an area from about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) to 5 kilometers (3 miles). If two buildings belong to the same organization and are connected by a network, it can be considered a campus network. Because these networks are often used by businesses and universities, they are designed to be very fast and efficient.