LAN stands for Local Area Network, is a group of computers located in the same room, on the same floor, or in the same building that are connected to form a single network. Local area networks (LANs) allow users to share storage devices, printers, applications, data, and other network resources.
Features
of LAN’s :
- Network size is limited to a
small geographical area, presently to a few kilometers.
- Data transfer rate is generally
high. They range from 100 Mbps to 1000 Mbps.
- In general, a LAN uses only one
type of transmission medium, commonly category 5 coaxial cables.
- A LAN is distinguished from
other networks by their topologies. The common topologies are bus, ring,
mesh, and star.
- The number of computers
connected to a LAN is usually restricted. In other words, LANs are
limitedly scalable.
- IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet is the
most common LAN. They use a wired medium in conjuncture with a switch or a
hub. Originally, coaxial cables were used for communications. But now
twisted pair cables and fiber optic cables are also used. Ethernet’s speed
has increased from 2.9 Mbps to 400 Gbps.
Wireless LANs (WLAN)
Wireless
LANs use high-frequency radio waves instead of cables for communications.They
have an Access Point or a wireless router or a base station for transferring
packets to and from the wireless computers and the internet.
Most
WLANs are based on the standard IEEE 802.11 or WiFi.
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