LambdaLabTM
Computer Networks · Class 12 · Types of Networks
networksnetwork types⏱️ 6 min read

LAN — Local Area Network

The computer lab from the first lesson of this unit — six computers, a printer and a server, all joined to one switch — was a LAN all along. It is the network you will meet most often.

1What a LAN is

LAN
A Local Area Network (LAN) connects computers and devices in a small area — a room, a building, or a campus, up to about 1 km. It is owned and run by one organisation, such as a school, office or family.
One lab, wired or wireless

Switch between cables and Wi-Fi. Pick what the LAN is doing.

Wired LAN: every computer has its own cable to the switch.
A LAN does not need the Internet
Look at the lab again: there is no internet connection in it, and it is still a complete network. The computers share files and a printer with each other. Most LANs do connect to the Internet today — but that is an extra, not what makes them a LAN.

2Wired or wireless — still a LAN

A LAN can use cables (called Ethernet cables) or Wi-Fi. A LAN that uses Wi-Fi is sometimes called a WLAN (Wireless LAN). Your home Wi-Fi is one: it joins your family’s phones, laptops and TV inside one house.

Switch the lab above between wired and wireless. The data makes the same trip. What makes it a LAN is the small area and the single owner.

3Features of a LAN

📍 Small area

A room, a building, or a campus — up to about 1 km.

🏢 One owner

The school or office buys it, runs it and decides who may join.

⚡ Very fast

Commonly 10 Mbps to 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps), and faster today.

🛡️ Easy to manage

Everything is in one place, so faults are easy to find and fix.

Why so fast? The cables are short, and the only traffic on them is the organisation’s own. A LAN does not share its lines with anyone else.

4Examples

  • The computer lab in your school.
  • All the computers across a school or college campus.
  • The Wi-Fi network in your home.
  • The network inside one office, bank branch or hospital.

5Check yourself

Quick Check

A family's phones, laptop and smart TV all use the home Wi-Fi. What type of network is this?

Quick Check

Which of these is NOT a feature of a LAN?

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📱 PAN — Personal Area Network
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MAN — Metropolitan Area Network 🏙️