PANs

PANs, or Personal Area Networks, are computer networks designed to interconnect devices within close range of a user, typically within about 10 meters, though some technologies extend farther. They enable data sharing, peripheral connectivity, and access to network resources through a gateway such as a smartphone or router. PANs are intended for single-user contexts, emphasizing low power consumption and ease of use.

Technologies commonly used to implement PANs include Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), which creates piconets and can form scatternets; Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4), designed for low-rate, low-power devices in home and industrial automation; Near Field Communication (NFC) for very short-range pairing and data exchange; and Wi-Fi Direct as a higher-bandwidth option. Wired PAN options exist as well, such as USB-based connections and USB-C Alternate Modes, though less common in mobile contexts.

In Bluetooth, a piconet is formed by one master device and up to seven active slave devices; Zigbee networks typically have a coordinator, routers, and end devices and may implement mesh, star, or tree topologies. PANs are often managed by a single user in a hub-and-spoke or distributed fashion and include identifiers such as a PAN ID in some standards.

Applications include mobile device tethering, wearable and health-monitoring devices, car infotainment and hands-free systems, home automation, printers, and quick data transfer between devices.

Security considerations focus on device pairing, authentication, and encryption to protect data and prevent eavesdropping, with privacy and device misassociation as common concerns.