Personal Area Networks (2025)

​Personal Area Networks

By

A Personal Area Network links devices close to one person. Typical range is a few metres. Examples include phone, watch, earbuds, fitness band, stylus.

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What is a PAN?

Multiple Choice

A PAN connects devices that are

• Inside a school LAN

• Close to one person

• Across the internet

• Between cities

Late 1990s Bluetooth appears. Early 2000s Bluetooth improves speed and pairing. Infrared fades.

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Short history, part 1

Multiple Choice

True/False: Bluetooth was designed for short-range cable replacement

• True

• False

Phone as hub. Wearables sync to phone. Earbuds, watches, trackers, pens, hearing aids.

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​Today’s PANs

Multiple Choice

The most common PAN hub today is the

• Router

• Printer

• Smartphone

• Server

Bluetooth Classic for audio. BLE for low power sensors. NFC for tap to pair. Wi-Fi Direct for fast peer links. UWB for precise ranging.

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​Common PAN protocols

BLE: Bluetooth Low Energy sends small amounts of data using very little power, so batteries last longer. It’s used by trackers, watches, and sensors that stay linked to your phone a few metres away.

NFC: Near Field Communication works only when devices are almost touching, a few centimetres apart. It’s used for tap-to-pay, quick pairing, and reading tags, and moves tiny amounts of data.

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What are these?

Multiple Choice

Which situation is best for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)?

• Streaming HD video

• Downloading games

• Syncing a fitness band all day

• Connecting a desktop to NBN

Wi-Fi Direct: Two devices make a direct Wi-Fi link without a router. It’s fast for big files or screen casting, but it uses more battery than Bluetooth.

UWB: Ultra-Wideband measures tiny timing differences to get exact distance and direction. It lets phones find tags and use digital keys accurately within a few metres.

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What are these?

Multiple Choice

Why pick Wi-Fi Direct instead of Bluetooth?

• Lower power for tiny sensors

• No pairing ever needed

• Higher speed for big files or screen casting

• Works over kilometres

Multiple Choice

Which protocol is designed for low-power sensors?

• Bluetooth Classic

• BLE

• Wi-Fi Direct

• NFC

• Star shape around the user.

• Devices pair to the hub (your phone, usually....)

• Hub bridges to cloud or LAN.

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​How PANs work

Multiple Choice

True/False: PAN devices usually connect through a central hub

• True

• False

Running shoes and insoles use a microcontroller with sensors and BLE to send cadence, stride, and foot-strike to a phone app. NURVV Run insoles use 32 pressure sensors sampling up to about 1000 Hz and pair via Bluetooth.

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Smart shoes and insoles in PANs

Multiple Choice

Smart insoles send motion data to your phone using

• HDMI

• Bluetooth

• Fibre

• USB-C

Phone connects to home Wi-Fi. PAN devices reach apps and cloud through the phone. Laptops can tether to a phone.

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​Joining a home LAN

Multiple Choice

Tethering is

• Sharing phone data with another device

• Fixing a cable

• Printing wirelessly

• Blocking Wi-Fi

Use approved school Wi-Fi. Hotspots often blocked. Keep Bluetooth off when not needed. Sharing set to contacts only.

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Joining a school LAN

Multiple Choice

True/False: Personal hotspots are often not allowed at school

• True

• False

Study convenience with quick sharing to phones and laptops. Health tracking for sleep and steps. Accessibility like hearing aids. Safety like item finding and emergency alerts. Digital tickets and student IDs. Responsibility for privacy and settings.

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​Why PANs matter for teenagers?

Multiple Choice

Which is a teen-focused PAN benefit?

• Intercity fibre speeds

• Ear bud connectivity

• Satellite backbone

• Dial-up access

Always-discoverable devices. Old software. Weak pairing. Lost or stolen devices. Metadata exposure.

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Typical risks

Multiple Choice

True/False: Leaving Bluetooth discoverable increases attack risk

• True

• False

Bluetooth sniffing. Bluesnarfing steals data. Bluejacking sends messages. NFC skimming if unlocked. UWB relay can fake distance for keys.

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How PANs get hacked

Multiple Choice

Which term refers to stealing data over Bluetooth?

• Bluejacking

• Bluesnarfing

• Bluepainting

• Bluetalk

Turn off visibility. Update OS and firmware. Confirm on-screen codes when pairing. Sharing to contacts only. Strong phone lock. Remove old pairings.

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Defences that work

Multiple Choice

Best first step when not using Bluetooth

• Rename device

• Turn it off

• Enable hotspot

• Lower volume

UWB car and door keys. Smart badges for access. XR glasses. Better hearables. Faster cross-ecosystem pairing.

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Near-future PANs

Multiple Choice

Which tech enables precise ranging for digital keys?

• NFC

• UWB

• DSL

• Zigbee

Medical and sport sensors on or in the body. Secure low-power links to a phone. Safety and privacy are key.

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Body Area Networks

Multiple Choice

A body area network is a PAN on or in a person

• True

• False

Devices pair to a hub. Hub links to LAN or cloud. Benefits are strong. Secure settings matter at home and school.

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Recap and apply

Multiple Select

Select all PAN technologies

• Bluetooth

• NFC

• UWB

• Fibre WAN