By local AREA a network (LAN) one understands a computer net.

Local AREA network more largely than personnel AREA network, but smaller than metropolitan AREA network, Wide AREA network and global AREA network are.

LANs are to be found as firm installation, where several computers are to be durably interlaced over small distances at a certain place. For individual meetings as congresses, for example the chaos Communication Congress technology-oriented, or LAN parties are also temporarly developed them.

A LAN can be developed by means of different technologies. Ethernet over Twisted Pair cables, particularly nearly Ethernet with up to 1000 MBit/s (125 MByte/s) information flow-rate (Gigabit LAN), is the furthest common standard. Are increasingly insignificant token ring, FDDI and ARCNET. One calls wireless of local area networks Wireless LAN, it by means of a standard from the group of IEEE 802,11 is usually realized, which is to a large extent compatible to the cable-bound Ethernet.

Basic elements of a LANs are Repeater, stroke, Bridges and Switches. Usually a LAN represents exactly one Broadcast domain, thus the range of a computer network, in which all attached devices with its hardware address (MAC address) on layer 2 of the ISO/OSI reference model (DATA left more layer, link layer) can communicate directly with one another. A Broadcast is a message to all domain participant, who does not leave this range usually also.

A LAN can be divided however also into several Virtual LANs (VLAN), in order to divide net communication of an individual physical LANs logically on two or more VLANs.

Collision domains can be divided by Switches and/or Bridges into smaller domains. Thus collisions can be avoided and thus the risk slowing or failing the net down by overloading be reduced.

A power pack taker knows the Broadcast domain by means of a Routers (OSI reference model: Layer 3, network more layer, switching layer) abandoned, in order so entrance to other nets to be gotten as for example different LANs or the Internet. Is in the net Internet-rout, then this has mostly a IP address public in the Internet, while host in the LAN private IP addresses are assigned. So that those of host with the Internet can communicate, on rout Masquerading, a special case of the NATs, operated.

In addition, particularly in larger nets rout within a LANs begun, in order to have not too many participants within a Broadcast domain.

See also

• VPN (virtual private net)
• SAN (memory net)
• LAN analysis
• Computer net
• Structured wiring
• CSMA/CD
• Ethernet
• Token loop
• FDDI
• Corporate network

Related links

• Resuming information to the net topologies

Articles in category "Local AREA network"

We found here 6 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 3 related websites.

• Local area network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  A local Area Network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small local area, ... "LAN" usually does not refer to data running over local analog telephone ...


• Local area network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  A local Area Network (LAN) is a computer network covering a small local area, ... "LAN" usually does not refer to data running over local analog telephone ...


• What is local-area network - A Word Definition From the Webopedia ...
  This page describes the term local-area network and lists other pages on the Web where you can find additional information.