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Introduction to Local Area Networking
Local Area Networking (LAN) is the term used when connecting several
computers together over a small area such as a building or group of
buildings. LAN's can be connected over large areas. A collection of LAN's
connected over a large area is called a Wide Area Network (WAN).
A LAN consists of multiple computers connected to each other. There are
many types of media that can connect computers together. The most
common media is CAT5 cable (UTP or STP twisted pair wire.) On the
other hand, wireless networks do not use wires; instead they
communicate over radio waves. Each computer must have a Network
Interface Card (NIC), which communicates the data between computers.
A NIC is usually a 10Mbps network card, or 10/100Mbps network card, or
a wireless network card.
Most networks use hardware devices such as hubs or switches that each
cable can be connected to in order to continue the connection between
computers. A hub simply takes any data arriving through each port and
forwards the data to all other ports. A switch is more sophisticated, in that
a switch can determine the destination port for a specific piece of data. A
switch minimizes network traffic overhead and speeds up the
communication over a network.
Networks take some time in order to plan and implement correctly. There
are many ways to configure your network. You may want to take some
time to determine the best network set-up for your needs.
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