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Local Area Network (LAN)

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network system in which computers interconnected in a limited geographical area, such as network of computers college computer laboratory or network of computers in office building etc. LANs designed to allow resources (such as printers and application programs, secondary storage etc.) to be shared between personal computers or workstations. The size LAN is limited to a few kilometers (typically it is 1 km).

In networked environment, a powerful computer called the Server or computer is used that controls all the computers connected to the network. The so and important data (database) is stored on the central server and they can be shared between users when needed. The devices other than server within the network are called nodes. A node may be a personal computer, printer, storage device, monitor etc.

The computers used in LAN also require network interface cards. A network interface card enables the computer to send and to receive information over a cable network. In a LAN, the nodes are connected via cables. A LAN may use the star topology, ring topology or bus topology. In general, a LAN uses only one type of transmission medium. The data transmission rate through LAN is very fast. Today, the data transmission rate over LAN is up to 100 mega bits per second (Mbps)

LAN is created in a single office, building or campus. In case of a single building, the LAN consists of few nodes and uses a single topology. The LAN may be expanded into multiple buildings or rooms. In this case, different small networks (or LANs) are connected together through a central backbone. The single building LAN and Multiple building LAN are shown below.

Advantages of LAN

LAN has many advantages, but the main advantages are:

1. The resources can be shared among different users. For example, many users on the network can use a single printer. Similarly, storage media and software located in central server can be shared between all users on the networks.
2. LAN is not very expensive and the small businesses, firms and educational institutes can afford and easily design the LAN.
3. Users can share messages and communicate with each other through e-mails and chatting.
4. All the data is stored and updated on the central server through nodes. So it becomes very easy to take backup of database at regular interval.
5. Multiple users can access the Internet using a single Internet connection. The Internet connection is established at central sewer. In this way, all the users can access the Internet.
6. Data security can be implemented very easily, because users are granted data access rights. The authorized users can connect to the server and can access specific portion of the data.

Disadvantages of LAN

Although, LAN has many advantages, but it also has some disadvantages. The main disadvantages are:

1. If central server is infected by virus, then the important data stored on server may be corrupted and the entire network may also be held.
2. All nodes depends on the central computer (or Hub), if any component of the server fails, then entire network will stop working.
3. A trained and competent network manager is required to run the LAN, so handsome salary have to be paid to him. Therefore, it becomes very expensive to run the LAN.
4. Mostly in a LAN, one or two printers are shared among several users. In this way, lengthy print queues are created, so the users have to wait for a long period of time to take print on the printer.

• [Networking Tips] - Networking Tips: Network Standards
• [Networking Tips] - Metropolitan Area and Virtual Private Network
• [General Computer] - Data Communication Protocol
• [Networking Tips] - Networking Tips: Types of Network
• [Networking Tips] - Wide Area Network (WAN)
• [Networking Tips] - Networking Tips: Line Configuration
• [Networking Tips] - Computer Networks: Communication Devices
• [General Computer] - Communication Channel -> Physical Transmission Media
• [Networking Tips] - How to access network computer
• [Networking Tips] - Computer Networks: The Telephone Network
• [Networking Tips] - Networking Tips: Network Topologies
• [Networking Tips] - Network Architectures
• [Internet Tips] - History of Internet
• [General Computer] - Communication Channel -> Wireless Transmission Media
• [Networking Tips] - Networking Tips: Mesh Topology, Tree Topology and Hybrid Topology