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local-area network Last modified: Tuesday, February 18, 2003
A computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves. A system of LANs connected in this way is called a wide-area network (WAN). Most LANs connect workstations and personal computers. Each node (individual computer ) in a LAN has its own CPU with which it executes programs, but it also is able to access data and devices anywhere on the LAN. This means that many users can share expensive devices, such as laser printers, as well as data. Users can also use the LAN to communicate with each other, by sending e-mail or engaging in chat sessions. There are many different types of LANs Ethernets being the most common for PCs. Most Apple Macintosh networks are based on Apple's AppleTalk network system, which is built into Macintosh computers. The following characteristics differentiate one LAN from another: topology : The geometric arrangement of devices on the network. For example, devices can be arranged in a ring or in a straight line. protocols : The rules and encoding specifications for sending data. The protocols also determine whether the network uses a peer-to-peer or client/server architecture. media : Devices can be connected by twisted-pair wire, coaxial cables, or fiber optic cables. Some networks do without connecting media altogether, communicating instead via radio waves. LANs are capable of transmitting data at very fast rates, much faster than data can be transmitted over a telephone line; but the distances are limited, and there is also a limit on the number of computers that can be attached to a single LAN.
Ethernet tutorial  Contains an in-depth introduction to local area networks from Lantronix. LAN Times Online  The LAN Times online publication offers current news and analysis on the networking industry, along with links to trade shows and events, career development, and information on UnixWorld. Simple Guide to Building a Home LAN  An article from Sharky Extreme's Hardware Guide. ARCNET Trade Association home page Home page for ARCNET Trade Association, a non-profit organization of ARCNET users and manufacturers. This site provides a history of ARCNET, links to technical publications, membership information, directories, and product information. Cable testers buyers directory Offers a collection of links to cable tester companies and products. This page is hosted by LAN Times Online. CD-ROM LAN FAQ Provides answers to questions on CD-ROM networking solutions and links to related newsgroups, publications, and FTP sites. Data communication links Collection of links to LAN, WAN and serial communications resources from Data Comm for Business, Inc. LAN properties Briefly describes LAN properties with a link to information on Ethernet. Yahoo!'s local-area network (LAN) page Yahoo!'s directory of local-area network. The Truth About Servers What makes a server a server? Is there a difference between an e-mail server and a messaging server? Should a firewall be considered a server in certain circumstances? These questions and more are answered in an extensive tutorial that cuts through the marketing hype and explains the basics of key server types. Usenet Local Area Network (LAN) FAQs Provides links to several LAN FAQs taken from usenet newsgroups. Some of the main topics include: data communications cabling, ethernet LAN, and LAN mail protocols.	Related Categories Business Computing Network Topologies Networks Related Terms 5-4-3 rule AppleTalk ARCnet attenuation crosstalk ratio bridge CAN client/server architecture DCC e-mail Ethernet HAN HPNA HSRP IEEE 802 standards internetworking iSCSI LANE logical topology MAN NetWare network network interface card network operating system network-attached storage node Novell peer-to-peer architecture personal computer physical topology protocol PXE server farm SNMP staging server switching hub TAN token bus network token-ring network topology TOPS