What is LAN

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What is Local Area Network

LAN: LAN stand for Local Area Network. As the name suggests, LAN is a very small area (a college building, house or office) where a number of computers are connected to each other via centralized device called Switch or Hub which is connected to the Internet. You can communicate with each other in LAN using a Switch or Hub. A XSwitch is an Intelligent Device while a Hub is not an Intelligent Device.

A local-area network (LAN) is a computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most often, a LAN is confined to a single room, building or group of buildings.

Working of LAN

• The request made by computers in a LAN network maybe for some resources (printer, fax, etc).
• And these requests are fulfilled by the Switch/Hub.
• If the resource is available then that resource is allocated to that particular computer.
• If the resource is not available then that computer is kept in a queue.

Advantages of Computer Networking

Network allow efficient management of resources for example;

• Multiple user can share a single HQ printer, rather then having multiple possibility lower quality printer on individual printer.
• Network helps keep information reliable and up-to-date and manage. Centralized data storage system allows multiple users to access data from difference location.
• Network helps speed up data sharing file, transferring file across a network is allows faster than other. Non-network means of sharing files.
• Services like E-Mail (Electronic-Mail) being offered by computer network, allow much more efficient for communication .

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