AQA · GCSE · Computer Science
Course version: 8525 · Version from Sept 2020
Fundamentals of computer networks: Personal Area Network (PAN)
A Personal Area Network (PAN) is a very small network that connects devices belonging to one person, usually within a few metres.
Checked against the AQA 8525 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 50
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
A Personal Area Network (PAN) is a very small network that connects devices belonging to one person, usually within a few metres. A typical example is a smartphone linked by Bluetooth to wireless earbuds, a smartwatch and a laptop, so the owner can share audio, notifications or files without cables. The key idea is scale and ownership: the network is centred on one individual and covers a short range, rather than a building or a town. A PAN can be wireless, as with Bluetooth, or wired, as when a phone connects to a laptop by a short cable. Because the range is small, a PAN is cheap to set up and needs little equipment, but it cannot link devices across a large site. When answering, identify the small personal scale, the short range and the single owner, and give a concrete device example.
What earns the marks
- A PAN connects devices used by one person, typically within a few metres.
- A PAN has a very short range, often achieved wirelessly using Bluetooth.
- A PAN can also be wired, for example a short cable between a phone and a laptop.
- A PAN is centred on a single individual rather than a whole building or organisation.
- A suitable example is a smartphone connected to wireless earbuds, a smartwatch or a laptop.
- A PAN needs little equipment and is inexpensive to set up because of its small scale.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing a PAN with a LAN.
Put it right: A PAN covers a few metres around one person, whereas a LAN covers a building or site such as a school.
Assuming a PAN must be wireless.
Put it right: Bluetooth is common, but a short cable between personal devices also forms a PAN.
Thinking a PAN links many users across an organisation.
Put it right: It is centred on one person's own devices.
Exam tips
- State the scale and range first, then add a device example to secure the mark.
- Use the phrase 'one person' or 'personal devices' to distinguish a PAN from a LAN.
- If asked to identify a technology, name Bluetooth as a common wireless PAN method.
Try the lesson
The start of the Fundamentals of computer networks: Personal Area Network (PAN) lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
A person connects their wireless earbuds to their smartphone using Bluetooth while walking. Which type of network is formed by this connection?
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