Local area network (LAN)

The term local area network (LAN) is commonly used to describe a network of devices in a limited area (home, office, building, etc.). This type of network is usually able to achieve a high data transfer rate (up to 10 Gbps!) At low cost. Examples of this type of network are small networks in a single building or your home network.

A local network (small office / home office) SOHO includes computers, printers, switches, routers, and cables that connect all of these devices. The following figure shows a typical local network:

A typical local network

In the picture above, we have two computers connected to the switch. The switch connects to a router that provides LAN access to the Internet.

Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI are among the most popular LAN technologies. Most local networks use TCP / IP for communication. A twisted pair cable is typically used on a local area network.



Ethernet is by far the most popular technology of a wired LAN. Defines cabling, signaling, connectors, raster formats, protocol rules, and more. Most modern LANs also support wireless LAN (WLAN) technology, defined by IEEE 802.11 standards. WLAN uses radio waves instead of cables or cables for communication between devices.

Note:
The term "urban network" is used to describe the network in a metropolitan area, hence its name. This type of network is usually larger than the local network and smaller than the WAN. An example of this type of network will be a network that connects two corporate offices in one city.