The Local Area Network (LAN) is by far the most common type of network. As the name suggests, a LAN serves a local area. By local area, we mean typically the floorspace of a building or multiple floors, but in some cases spread in a distance of several kilometers. Typical installations are in industries, office buildings, college or university campuses, or any other similar locations in a few kilometers. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves.
A system of LANs connected in this way is called a wide-area network (WAN).

The following characteristics differentiate one LAN from another:

  • topology : The geometric arrangement of devices on the network.
  • protocols : The rules and encoding specifications for sending data.
  • media : Devices can be connected by twisted-pair wire, coaxial cables, or fiber optic cables.
   
 
The Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area. Typically, a WAN consists of two or more local-area networks (LANs).
Computers connected to a wide-area network are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. The largest WAN in existence is the Internet.
   
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