800  Network Classification: PAN, LAN, and WAN for IoT

NoteLearning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Map IoT protocols to network classifications (PAN, LAN, WAN)
• Understand bandwidth and coverage trade-offs for different protocols
• Design IoT network topologies using appropriate protocol combinations
• Select the right network type based on deployment requirements
• Understand common terminology used in IoT networking

800.1 Prerequisites

Before diving into this chapter, you should be familiar with:

• Network Access and Physical Layer Overview: Understanding physical and network access layers
• Low-Power Networks: 802.15.4, LPWAN, and Cellular: Understanding available protocol options

TipFor Beginners: Network Size Classifications

Networks are classified by how far they reach - like how we describe distances:

• Walking distance = PAN (Personal Area Network) - devices within arm’s reach (1-100 meters)
• Driving distance = LAN (Local Area Network) - devices in a building or campus (100m-1km)
• Flying distance = WAN (Wide Area Network) - devices across a city or country (1km to global)

Network Type	Range	Example
PAN	1-100m	Smartwatch connecting to phone
LAN	100m-1km	Office Wi-Fi network
WAN	>1km	City-wide sensor network

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800.2 Bandwidth and Coverage Trade-offs

Time: ~6 min | Difficulty: Intermediate | Reference: P07.C11.U07

Today’s IoT networks are best explained by looking at the bandwidth and coverage of each network technology. Different protocols occupy different positions in the bandwidth-coverage space.

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quadrantChart
    title Bandwidth vs Coverage Trade-off
    x-axis Low Coverage --> High Coverage
    y-axis Low Bandwidth --> High Bandwidth
    quadrant-1 High BW / High Coverage
    quadrant-2 High BW / Low Coverage
    quadrant-3 Low BW / Low Coverage
    quadrant-4 Low BW / High Coverage
    5G: [0.85, 0.9]
    Wi-Fi: [0.25, 0.85]
    Ethernet: [0.15, 0.95]
    Bluetooth: [0.1, 0.5]
    Zigbee: [0.2, 0.35]
    LoRaWAN: [0.75, 0.15]
    Sigfox: [0.85, 0.05]
    NB-IoT: [0.7, 0.25]

Figure 800.1: Bandwidth versus coverage quadrant chart for IoT protocols

NoteBandwidth-Coverage Analysis

Quadrant 1 (High Bandwidth, High Coverage): Ideal but expensive - 5G Cellular: Ultimate performance, high cost - Use cases: Autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, video surveillance

Quadrant 2 (High Bandwidth, Low Coverage): Local high-speed - Wi-Fi: High data rates, limited range - Ethernet: Maximum bandwidth, wired - Use cases: Video streaming, building automation, industrial equipment

Quadrant 3 (Low Bandwidth, Low Coverage): Personal connectivity - Bluetooth/BLE: Short-range personal devices - Zigbee/Thread: Mesh networking for homes - Use cases: Wearables, home automation, medical devices

Figure 800.2: Bandwidth vs coverage trade-off for different IoT protocols

Figure 800.3: Coverage characteristics of various IoT network technologies

Quadrant 4 (Low Bandwidth, High Coverage): Wide-area sensing - LoRaWAN/Sigfox: Long range, low power, low cost - NB-IoT/LTE-M: Cellular-based LPWAN - Use cases: Agriculture, smart cities, asset tracking, utilities

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800.3 Network Classification

Time: ~10 min | Difficulty: Intermediate | Reference: P07.C11.U08

Network technologies and protocols can be mapped to traditional network classifications as PAN (Personal Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), and WAN (Wide Area Network).

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graph TB
    subgraph WAN["WAN - Wide Area Network<br/>> 1 km range"]
        WANTech["• LoRaWAN<br/>• Sigfox<br/>• NB-IoT<br/>• 5G"]
    end

    subgraph LAN["LAN - Local Area Network<br/>100m - 1km range"]
        LANTech["• Wi-Fi<br/>• Ethernet<br/>• Wi-Fi HaLow"]
    end

    subgraph PAN["PAN - Personal Area Network<br/>1 - 100m range"]
        PANTech["• Bluetooth LE<br/>• Zigbee<br/>• Thread<br/>• Z-Wave"]
    end

    style WAN fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style LAN fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style PAN fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff

Figure 800.4: Network classification by range: PAN, LAN, and WAN technologies

800.3.1 Personal Area Network (PAN)

PAN or Wireless PAN (WPAN) is a network with a small geographical area coverage, for devices such as sensors that require communication within a few meters.

Characteristics: - Range: 1-100 meters - Power: Low to very low (battery-powered) - Data rates: Low to medium (kbps to Mbps) - Topology: Star or mesh - Cost: Very low

Most Popular WPAN Technologies for IoT: - Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): Wearables, beacons, health devices - Zigbee: Home automation, lighting, security - Z-Wave: Home automation (competing with Zigbee) - Thread: IP-based mesh for smart homes - 6LoWPAN: IPv6 over low-power networks - NFC: Contactless payment, access control

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graph TB
    Phone["Smartphone<br/>(Coordinator)"]
    Watch["Smart Watch<br/>(BLE)"]
    Headset["Headset<br/>(BLE)"]
    Fitness["Fitness Tracker<br/>(BLE)"]
    Beacon["BLE Beacon<br/>(Advertise only)"]

    Phone --- Watch
    Phone --- Headset
    Phone --- Fitness
    Phone -.->|Receives ads| Beacon

    style Phone fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff
    style Watch fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Headset fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Fitness fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Beacon fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff

Figure 800.5: BLE Personal Area Network topology with smartphone coordinator

800.3.2 Local Area Network (LAN)

LAN provides connectivity within a building or campus, typically covering hundreds of meters to a few kilometers.

Characteristics: - Range: 100 meters - 1 km - Power: Mains powered (or PoE for Ethernet) - Data rates: Medium to very high (Mbps to Gbps) - Topology: Star (for Wi-Fi/Ethernet) - Cost: Low to medium

Most Popular LAN Technologies for IoT: - Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax): High bandwidth, building coverage - Ethernet (802.3): Wired connectivity, highest reliability - Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah): Extended range Wi-Fi for IoT

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graph TB
    Router["Wi-Fi Router/AP"]

    subgraph Wireless["Wi-Fi Devices"]
        Cam["IP Camera"]
        Thermo["Thermostat"]
        Speaker["Smart Speaker"]
    end

    subgraph Wired["Ethernet Devices"]
        NAS["NAS Storage"]
        TV["Smart TV"]
        Hub["IoT Hub"]
    end

    Router --- Cam
    Router --- Thermo
    Router --- Speaker
    Router === NAS
    Router === TV
    Router === Hub

    style Router fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff
    style Cam fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Thermo fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Speaker fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style NAS fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style TV fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Hub fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff

Figure 800.6: LAN topology with Wi-Fi and Ethernet connected IoT devices

800.3.3 Wide Area Network (WAN)

WAN provides connectivity over large geographical areas, from city-wide to global coverage.

Characteristics: - Range: > 1 km to global - Power: Low (for LPWAN) to medium (for cellular) - Data rates: Very low to very high (bps to Gbps depending on technology) - Topology: Star (for LPWAN) or cellular - Cost: Low (for unlicensed LPWAN) to high (for cellular)

Most Popular WAN Technologies for IoT: - LoRaWAN: Unlicensed, long-range, low-power - Sigfox: Ultra-low bandwidth, very long range - NB-IoT: Cellular LPWAN, licensed spectrum - LTE-M: Cellular with higher bandwidth than NB-IoT - 5G: Next-generation cellular for massive IoT

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graph TB
    Cloud["Cloud Server<br/>(Internet)"]

    subgraph City["Smart City WAN"]
        GW1["LoRaWAN Gateway 1"]
        GW2["LoRaWAN Gateway 2"]

        S1["Parking Sensor"]
        S2["Air Quality Monitor"]
        S3["Water Meter"]
        S4["Street Light"]
        S5["Traffic Sensor"]
        S6["Waste Bin Level"]
    end

    S1 -.->|"Long range<br/>2-15 km"| GW1
    S2 -.-> GW1
    S3 -.-> GW1
    S4 -.-> GW2
    S5 -.-> GW2
    S6 -.-> GW2

    GW1 -->|4G/Fiber| Cloud
    GW2 -->|4G/Fiber| Cloud

    style Cloud fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff
    style GW1 fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style GW2 fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S1 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S2 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S3 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S4 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S5 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S6 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff

Figure 800.7: Smart city LoRaWAN WAN topology with distributed sensors and gateways

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800.4 Terminology Reference

NoteCommon IoT Network Terminology

Abbreviation	Full Name	Description
BLE	Bluetooth Low Energy	Low-power Bluetooth for IoT
LAN	Local Area Network	Building/campus network
NFC	Near Field Communication	Very short range (cm)
VSAT	Very Small Aperture Terminal	Satellite communication
BW	Bandwidth	Data carrying capacity
LoWPAN	Low-power Wireless PAN	IPv6 over low-power networks
PAN	Personal Area Network	Short-range network
WAN	Wide Area Network	Long-range network
ISM	Industrial, Scientific, Medical	Unlicensed radio bands
LPWAN	Low Power Wide Area Network	Long range, low power
RFID	Radio Frequency Identification	Tag-based identification
WPAN	Wireless Personal Area Network	Wireless PAN
MAC	Medium Access Control	Layer 2 addressing
PHY	Physical layer	Layer 1 signaling
CSMA/CA	Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance	Listen-before-talk
QoS	Quality of Service	Performance guarantees
PoE	Power over Ethernet	Power delivery via Ethernet

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800.5 Visual Reference Gallery

NoteAI-Generated Figure Variants for Network Access and Physical Layer

These AI-generated SVG figures provide alternative visual representations of network access and physical layer concepts. Each figure uses the IEEE color palette for consistency.

Network Access Physical Layer Overview

Figure 800.8: Network Access Overview: Physical and data link layer components in IoT networks.

Frame Structure

Figure 800.9: Frame Structure: Anatomy of data link layer frames including headers, payload, and error checking.

MAC Address Purpose

Figure 800.10: MAC Address Purpose: How 48-bit MAC addresses enable local network frame delivery.

NoteVisual: Bandwidth and Coverage Trade-offs

Bandwidth and Coverage

This visualization illustrates the fundamental trade-off in wireless IoT: higher bandwidth technologies like Wi-Fi offer shorter range, while LPWAN technologies sacrifice speed for kilometer-range coverage.

NoteVisual: Electromagnetic Spectrum for Wireless

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Understanding the electromagnetic spectrum helps explain why different IoT protocols use specific frequency bands and the propagation characteristics that result.

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ImportantKnowledge Check

NoteQuiz 1: Smart City Parking Sensors

Question: A city deploys 20,000 parking sensors across 50 km². Sensors report 6 status changes/day (20 bytes). City wants no recurring fees and 10+ year battery. Which has LOWEST 10-year cost meeting requirements?

Explanation: LoRaWAN “Best for: smart cities” with “private network deployment” and “unlicensed spectrum”. Requirement: “own infrastructure (no recurring fees)”. LoRaWAN: $1.19M 10-year ($59.50/sensor) with 15-year battery, $0 recurring fees. NB-IoT: $2.78M with $720k subscriptions + $1.2M battery replacements (3-year life). Sigfox: $1.04M BUT VIOLATES “no recurring fees” requirement ($200k subscriptions) and “own infrastructure” (public network). LoRaWAN is cheapest meeting ALL requirements.

NoteQuiz 2: Warehouse Asset Tracking

Question: A warehouse (300m x 200m) needs to track 1,000 asset tags. Tags report location every 60 seconds (30 bytes). The company wants to deploy quickly without installing infrastructure. Which is most practical?

Explanation: “Without installing infrastructure” is key constraint. Existing Wi-Fi requires zero new infrastructure if building already has coverage. Bandwidth check: 1,000 tags x (30 bytes / 60s) = 500 bytes/s = 4 kbps (trivial for Wi-Fi). Ethernet FAILS: assets are mobile, cannot wire 1,000 moving items. LoRaWAN requires installing 8 gateways + power + backhaul. Zigbee requires 50 mains-powered routers throughout warehouse.

NoteQuiz 3: Physical Layer Functions

Question: Which characteristics accurately describe the physical layer in IoT communications? Select ALL that apply.

Explanation: Physical layer functions (B, C correct): Defines transmission medium and signaling - for wired (Ethernet), specifies cable types, voltage levels; for wireless (Wi-Fi, LoRa), specifies radio frequency bands, modulation schemes, transmit power. Incorrect: IP addressing is Layer 3 (A is false) - Network layer handles IP addresses and routing. Error correction is Layer 2 (D is false) - Data Link layer provides error detection (CRC, FCS) and optionally error correction.

NoteQuiz 4: MAC Methods

Question: Which statements correctly describe media access control (MAC) methods used in IoT networks? Select ALL that apply.

Explanation: CSMA/CA (A correct): Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance - device listens before transmitting, used by Wi-Fi and Zigbee. FDMA (C correct): Frequency Division Multiple Access assigns each device dedicated frequency channel. Switched Ethernet (D correct): Modern Ethernet uses full-duplex with separate transmit/receive pairs, eliminating collisions. TDMA (B is false): Time Division Multiple Access requires strict synchronization and coordination - each device gets specific time slot.

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800.6 Summary

The IoT landscape uses multiple protocols simultaneously - often combining PAN (Zigbee sensors) to LAN (Wi-Fi gateway) to WAN (cellular/LPWAN) to Cloud. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each protocol enables optimal IoT system design.

TipKey Takeaways

Network Classifications: | Type | Range | Technologies | Use Cases | |——|——-|————–|———–| | PAN | 1-100m | BLE, Zigbee, Thread, Z-Wave | Wearables, smart home, sensors | | LAN | 100m-1km | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HaLow | Building automation, cameras | | WAN | >1km | LoRaWAN, Cellular, Satellite | Smart cities, agriculture, utilities |

Bandwidth-Coverage Trade-off: - High bandwidth + High coverage = 5G (expensive) - High bandwidth + Low coverage = Wi-Fi, Ethernet - Low bandwidth + Low coverage = Bluetooth, Zigbee - Low bandwidth + High coverage = LoRaWAN, Sigfox, NB-IoT

Protocol Selection Criteria: 1. No one-size-fits-all: Match protocol to application requirements 2. Future-proof: Consider technology lifecycle (avoid 2G/3G) 3. Total Cost of Ownership: Include subscription fees, not just hardware 4. Security: Encryption, authentication at physical layer where possible 5. Scalability: Can the network grow with your deployment? 6. Interoperability: Standard protocols vs proprietary solutions

Best Practices: - Combine multiple network types: PAN sensors -> LAN gateway -> WAN cloud - Design for growth - choose protocols that scale - Consider total cost including operations, not just hardware - Plan for technology evolution and migration paths

800.7 What’s Next?

Continue to Network Mechanisms to explore how networks handle addressing, routing, and data flow across these diverse physical and access layer technologies.