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What is a LAN?

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. 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, orfiber optic cables. Some networks do without connecting media altogether, communicating instead via radio waves.
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