What is a Personal Area Network (PAN)? to explain

It is no secret how advanced ICT is. Which produced different types of communication networks. It meets all needs and covers all uses. One of these types is the title of our article today, PAN. This network has a high degree of programming development.

The definition

Personal Area Networking (PAN) technology is a technology that allows mobile devices to be connected to each other without having to connect them to a large network such as the Internet. Devices that can be connected in a PAN include smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearable devices such as smart watches and smart glasses, and wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, NFC, etc. This technology is used in many applications such as transferring files between mobile devices and controlling home appliances remotely.

• It is the network that connects electronic devices within the user's immediate area. The size of the network ranges from a few centimeters to a few meters. One of the most common examples in the real world is the connection between a Bluetooth earphone and a smartphone. Laptops, tablets, printers, and keyboards can also be connected. and other computerized devices.

• PAN connections can be wired or wireless, and wired connection methods include “USB” and “FireWire,” and wireless connection methods include “Bluetooth,” “Wi-Fi,” “IrDA,” and “Zigbee,” while devices can Within a PAN, data and information are exchanged with each other. PANs typically do not include a router and therefore do not connect directly to the Internet.

Techniques used to build PAN

Personal area networks can be wireless or wired. USB and FireWire often connect wired PANs, while WPANs typically use Bluetooth (called piconets) or sometimes infrared connections.

Here's an example: A Bluetooth keyboard connects to a tablet to control which interface can access a nearby smart light bulb.

Also, a printer in a small office or small home that connects to a nearby desktop computer, laptop, or phone is considered to be under the PAN. The same applies to keyboards and other devices that use IrDA (Infrared Data Association).

In theory, a PAN may also consist of small, wearable, or embedded devices that can communicate in close contact with other wireless devices. For example, a chip could be inserted under the skin of a finger that could store your medical data and could be connected to a device to transmit your information to a doctor.

Personal area network basics

• A Personal Area Network (PAN) is a computer network that connects computers or devices within an individual's range. Because a PAN provides a network range within a person's range, usually within a range of 10 meters (33 feet), it is called a Personal Area Network.
• A personal area network also typically includes a computer, phone, tablet, printer, personal digital assistant (PDA), and other entertainment devices such as speakers, video game consoles, etc.

Types of Personal Networks PAN

Personal Area Networks can be of two types depending on their connectivity, i.e. Wireless PAN and Wired PAN. The type of network depends on the user's needs.

1. Wireless network PAN: WPAN communicates through signals such as infrared, ZigBee, Bluetooth, and high-speed bands.
2. Wired PAN: When the PAN is connected through cables. For example, Firewire or serial bus (USB).

Applications on PAN network.

• Body area network: It is a mobile phone network that moves with a personal range. For example, when someone connects his smartphone to a Bluetooth headset, it moves in the market that refers to the body area network.
• Offline Network: Offline Network: It is a network in which multiple devices are connected through “Bluetooth” or “Wi-Fi” and the devices connected to the computer including printers, mouse, speakers, and other devices are combined using a Personal Area Network “PAN”. , and does not use the Internet, so a communication network is formed between devices used in one small space, for example the home.
• Home Office: In a home office setup, a smaller, separate network is set up for work purposes, which is separate from the network used by other home devices. 

Benefits of a personal area network

PANs are for personal use, so the benefits may be easier to understand than when talking about wide area networks, for example, describing the Internet. Using a Personal Area Network, your personal devices can connect to each other for easier communication.

For example, a hospital surgery room may have its own PAN so the surgeon can communicate with other team members in the room. It is unnecessary for all their communications to be routed through a larger network only to be received by people a few meters away. PAN takes care of this through short range communications such as Bluetooth.

Another example briefly mentioned above is using a wireless keyboard or even a mouse. They don't need to power computers in other buildings or cities, so they are built instead to communicate with a nearby, usually line-of-sight device such as a computer or tablet.

Because most devices that support short-range connections can block unapproved connections in advance, a WPAN is considered a secure network. However, just as with WLANs and other types of communication networks, a personal area network is easily accessible to nearby hackers.

Disadvantages of PAN

1. Low network coverage area or range.
2. It is limited to relatively low data rates.
3. Devices are not compatible with each other.
4. Built-in WPAN devices are a bit expensive.
5. PAN can be operated in fewer areas.
6. Can only be used for personal space.
7. Slow data transfer.
8. Interfere with radio signals.
9. Infrared signals travel in a straight line only.

Uses of personal area networks

• Wireless connections between computers and peripherals can save floor space, remove unwanted cables, and free up floor plans.
• Connected Bluetooth devices can automatically synchronize data downloads and uploads and exchange information.
• Mobile employees can use Bluetooth-enabled devices to access desk-based peripherals such as printers if they support Bluetooth.
• It is possible to use Bluetooth technology to wirelessly control equipment, such as a car's engine management system that is programmed with Bluetooth technology, in order to facilitate diagnosis of malfunctions.
• PANs could have more interesting applications. For example, attendees at an exhibition could be given PAN-enabled “smart” badges, which can be read wirelessly to control access to the venue and allow attendees to pass contact information to exhibitors.