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A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. A LAN can be small or large, ranging from a home network with one user to an enterprise network with thousands of users and devices in an office or school.
Client/server LANs Peer-to-peer LANsA client/server Local Area Network
IT consists of several devices (the clients) connected to a central server. The server manages file storage, application access, device access, and network traffic. A client can be any connected device that runs or accesses applications or the Internet. The clients connect to the server either with cables or through wireless connections.
A peer-to-peer Local Area Network
It doesn’t have a central server and cannot handle heavy workloads like a client/server LAN can, and so they’re typically smaller. On a peer-to-peer LAN, each device shares equally in the functioning of the network. The devices share resources and data through wired or wireless connections to a switch or router. Most home networks are peer-to-peer.
The benefits of using LAN
Local area networks enable devices to connect, transmit and receive information between them. The benefits of LAN technologies include the following:
Enable access to centralized applications residing on servers;
Enable all devices to store business-critical data in a centralized location;
Allow resource sharing, including printers, apps and other shared services;
Allow multiple devices on a lan to share a single internet connection; and
Protect lan-connected devices using network security tools.
