Overview

Computer networks can be broadly classified based on their network coverage area. Computer networks are classified into the following types:

• LAN(Local Area Network)
• MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
• WAN(Wide Area Network)

Local Area Network (LAN)

A Local Area Network(LAN) is a small privately owned computer network that is used to interconnect computers in a single room, in a building, or in buildings on a single campus. A LAN network is within a single building or campus, spanning a few kilometers in area.

LAN Speed

The LAN computer network communication speed range from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps. (Mega Bits Per Second).

LAN Uses

The primary use of LAN in the business organization is to connect multiple computers of the employees in order to share resources like: documents, files, applications, and hardware devices like printers, CD/ROM, Fax, etc.

LAN Types

LANs can be classified into two types:

• Server-based
• Peer-to-peer

Server-Based

In this type of LAN computer network, a separate computer is dedicated as the server which processes requests from many clients or workstations in the network.

Peer-to-peer

This is no dedicated server machine on this kind of network. In this type of LAN network all the computers on the network act as resource providers and client users.