3 Secrets of Local Area Network
A local Area Network (LAN) is a computer network that connects computers within a limited area such as office buildings, homes, or schools. LANs are comprised of three elements; a modem with an internet connection, a router that lets devices connect, and a Wi-Fi access point, but there are more things to learn about LANs. So, let’s break down the 3 secrets of Local Area Network to learn more.
As we’ve said before, a LAN is a group of computers and devices that share a communication line or wireless link to a server. As the name suggests, LANs are confined to a specific geographic area, like a building or office space, but many people often confuse LAN with WAN as they almost mean the same. So, we’ll start to learn LANs secret with some confusion.
Difference Between LAN and WAN
The terms LAN and WAN are often mixed. The LAN would be just one place with PCs inside of it connected to each other and the WAN would be many of those places that are geographically far apart but all connected to each other. They would form a wide area network.
Ethernet Cables vs Standard Telephone Cables
The main standard used for connecting PCs over LAN is the ethernet and the explanation of the ethernet can be quite complex as we can see on many of those internet websites, but we’re going to try and keep it fairly simple for you just so that you can understand.
Simply said, the ethernet is a technology which allows us to connect multiple devices to form a local area network. If you want to create your own ether and local area network, you’ll need a CAT5 cable. It’s the main component used for creating Ethernet LANs. At the end of the ethernet cable, there’s an RJ45 plug with eight separate wires inside the line in the exact order.
We’ve seen many people confuse the ethernet with the standard telephone cables, and in reality, there is a big difference because the ethernet cable has eight wires, whereas the telephone cable has only four.
Router and Switch
Besides the ethernet, there are two other important devices for making networks. These are a router and the switch. The router usually connects two different LANs together and exchanges data packets between them whereas the switch expands the single LAN network with various devices such as other PCs, gaming consoles, smart TVs, servers, and a bunch of other stuff.