LAN stands for “Local Area Network” and describes a network with a limited spatial extension, e.g. within the same building, in which end devices can communicate with each other and use the services provided. These can be WiFi home networks and small business networks.
A variety of devices can be connected to a LAN, such as: Laptops, servers, printers or IoT devices. However, LANs are smaller than metropolitan area networks (MAN). Several LANs can be interconnected to form larger networks, e.g. the Internet is a collection of LANs that are connected to each other with WAN connections. The interconnection of LANs is usually made possible by Ethernet, although Wifi is also possible. LANs can be cable-based or wireless. The latter is also known as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).
LANs are widely used in companies, educational institutions and households as they enable faster and more efficient data exchange between the connected devices.
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