Definitions for teachers by teachers

LAN

A network that connects computers that are close to each other, usually in the same building, linked by a cable. LAN's can also be connected to each other via telephone lines, and radio waves. Workstations and personal computers in an office are commonly connected to each other with a LAN. This allows them to have send/receive files and/or have access to the files and data. Each computer connected to a LAN is called a node.

10BaseT Ethernet is the most commonly used form of LAN. A piece of hardware called a hub serves as the common wiring point, enabling data to be sent from one machine to another over the network. LANs are typically limited to distances of less than 500 meters and provide low-cost, high-bandwidth networking capabilities within a small geographical area.

Sources:
http://coverage.cnet.com/Resources/Info/Glossary/
http://www.netlingo.com/

by Constanza Bacca & Pedro Willging

LAN

Local Area network.Ê A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. It is made up of servers, workstations, a network operating system and a communications link.Ê Servers are high-speed machines that hold programs and data shared by network users. The workstations (clients) are the users' personal computers, which perform stand-alone processing and access the network servers as required (see client/server).Ê Diskless and floppy-only workstations are sometimes used, which retrieve all software and data from the server. Increasingly, "thin client" network computers (NCs) and Windows terminals are also used. A printer can be attached to a workstation or to a server and be shared by network users. Ê

Small LANs can allow certain workstations to function as a server, allowing users access to data on another user's machine. These peer-to-peer networks are often simpler to install and manage, but dedicated servers provide better performance and can handle higher transaction volume. Multiple servers are used in large networks. Ê

The controlling software in a LAN is the network operating system (NetWare, UNIX, Windows NT, etc.) that resides in the server. A component part of the software resides in each client and allows the application to read and write data from the server as if it were on the local machine. Ê

The message transfer is managed by a transport protocol such as TCP/IP and IPX. The physical transmission of data is performed by the access method (Ethernet, Token Ring, etc.) which is implemented in the network adapters that are plugged into the machines. The actual communications path is the cable (twisted pair, coax, optical fiber) that interconnects each network adapter.

by Steve Ramsdell

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