local area network

local area network A small network situated within a single building or a small number of buildings. It is often abbreviated to LAN. Such networks are used to connect computers, printers, and mass storage devices together and to share information. Typically they transmit data at speeds which range from 10 Mbits/s to hundreds of Mbits/s. Local area networks are usually organized around a single transmission line and hence can be regarded as BROADCAST NETWORKS. The two most popular configurations for a LAN are as an ETHERNET network or as a token ring network.

local area network (LAN), a computer network dedicated to sharing data among several single-user workstations or personal computers , each of which is called a node. A LAN can have from two to several hundred such nodes, each separated by distances of several feet to as much as a mile, and should be distinguished from connections among computers over public carriers, such as telephone circuits, that are used for other purposes. Because of the relatively small areas involved, the nodes in a LAN can be connected by special high-data-rate cables. A metropolitan area network (MAN) is defined as being restricted to a larger area (maximum distances of 50-60 miles) than a LAN but one still small enough so that dedicated links (such as microwave links) can be used. See also modem .

Bibliography: See W. Stallings, Local and Metropolitan Area Networks (1993); M. N. O. Sadiku, Metropolitan Area Networks (1995).