Having a local area network may be the best decision that you will have for your home or office. It is a solution for connecting different devices in your local and personal space so that data and applications are shared and maximized. LAN has been the answer for most people who are looking for an effective way to have a system that can link many computers, peripherals, and other units in a certain location. In this article, you will learn more about what is lan and why it is still the choice for computer users who want a network to facilitate communication between them. You will also read about the basics of local area networks and how it works.
LAN Definition: What is a Local Area Network
What is LAN
The term LAN stands for Local Area Network. If you have asked the question of what is lan multiple times, you have done so because LAN has been around for quite some time. It was developed in the 1960s. Particularly, universities and colleges made use of such networks so that the educational facilities could be maximized in a specific location or area. It has expanded its usage for other companies including offices, restaurants, and other big businesses. The concept behind local area networks is the interaction between devices through the use of wires or wireless technology.
Components of LAN
If you are going to establish your local area network for your home or office, you have to get these key components. The first essential element is a set of machines that you are going to use in a particular area. These may include several kinds of computers that people use like laptops, personal computers, and other mobile devices. Printers, monitors, and other peripherals can also be connected to the local area network. The second component that you need is a Network Interface Card. It is the system that you are going to use to bind them together. You can either use wires to do it or utilize Wi-Fi.
How LAN works
You can start using your local area network by turning on all the devices that you need. The Network Interface Card connects these devices to each other. This may be wired like cables and fiber optics or wireless through a Wi-Fi connection. Your LAN may also include switches and routers to assist in the communication protocols of your system and establish firewall programs that you set up for your network. You will need to set up your NIC on your devices so that they can interact together and share their data. The speed of data transfer and interaction between two devices is determined by the traffic that each one encounters.
Distinct features
With the use of a local area network, you are going to have an uninterrupted connection between all your devices. You can also communicate with other users smoothly through the use of wired or wireless connections. You can have a central storage for all your data with applications located on these units which saves you a lot of expenses in terms of connection and data transmission. Security of your company or personal information is protected when you have a local area network. Maximization of all your devices is prioritized when you have a LAN in your home or office area.
Conclusion
You now know the basics of what is lan and how it works in your personal or office space. When safety and security are your primary concern, you can choose to set up a local area network for all your devices. Offices and big companies rely on LANs to protect the data that they use. Seamless interactions between devices are also maximized when you have LANs that connect them. The speed of data transfer is also great with LANs. Overall, local area networks play a crucial role in connecting devices and making sure that productivity and performance are maintained.