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LAN

top to bottom: bus, star, and ring network configurations (Precision Graphics)

n.

A system that links together electronic office equipment, such as computers and word processors, and forms a network within an office or building.

[L(OCAL) A(REA) N(ETWORK).]

Computer networks that usually cover a limited range, say, within the boundary of a building. A computer network is two or more computers that communicate with each other through some medium. The primary usage of local-area networks (LANs) is the sharing of hardware, software, or information, such as data files, multimedia files, or electronic mail. Resource sharing provided by local-area networks improves efficiency and reduces overhead. See also Digital computer; Electronic mail; Multimedia technology.

Four basic types of media are used in local-area networks: coaxial cable, twisted-pair wires, fiber-optic cable, and wireless. Each medium has its advantages and disadvantages relative to cost, speed, and expandability. Coaxial cables provide high speed and low error rates. Twisted-pair wires are cheaper than coaxial cables, can sustain the speeds common to most personal computers, and are easy to install. Fiber-optic cable is the medium of choice for high-speed local-area networks. Wireless local-area networks have the advantage of expandability. See also Coaxial cable; Communications cable; Fiber-optic circuit; Optical communications; Optical fibers.

The topology of a local-area networks is the physical layout of the network. For wired local-area networks, there are four basic topologies: bus, ring, star, and mesh. The most widely used local-area network topology is the bus, where the medium consists of a single wire or cable to which nodes are attached. A message transmitted over a bus propagates in both directions along the bus, passing each tap until it is finally absorbed at the ends.

There are a number of ways in which nodes can communicate over a network. The simplest is to establish a dedicated link between the transmitting and receiving stations. This technique is known as circuit switching. A better way of communicating is to use a technique known as packet switching, in which a dedicated path is not reserved between the source and the destination. Data are wrapped up in a packet and launched into the network. In this way, a node only has exclusive access to the medium while it is sending a packet. During its inactive period, other nodes can transmit. A typical packet is divided into preamble, address, control, data, and error-check fields. See also Packet switching.

An access protocol is a set of rules observed by all the nodes in a local-area network so that one node can get the attention of another and its data packet can be transferred. Two common protocols are carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) and token passing.

With the CSMA/CD protocol, a node that wants to transmit its data must first listen to the medium to hear if any other node is using the medium. If not, the node may transmit immediately. However, while the transmission is taking place, the transmitting node must continue listening to ascertain if anyone else has begun transmitting. If the transmitting node detects that someone else is also transmitting, the node aborts its own transmission, waits for a random amount of time, and then restarts the process until its data transmission succeeds.

With the token-passing protocol, the right to transmit is granted by a token, a predefined bit pattern that is recognized by each node. The token is passed for one node to another in a predetermined order.

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is short for:

Meaning	Category
A Localised Area Network	Computing->Software
Bitmap graphics (Erdas true colour image)	Computing->File Extensions
LAN Drivers (Novell NetWare)	Computing->File Extensions
Lancer Corporation of Texas	Business->AMEX Symbols
Language Association of Nigeria	Regional->African
Lansing, Michigan USA	Regional->Airport Codes
Life Association News	Community->Media
Live Action Network	Community->Media
Local Access Network	Computing->Telecom
Local Area Network	Computing->Networking Computing->Drivers
Local Area Networking	Computing->Networking
Local Area Networks	Business->AMEX Symbols
Local Available Names	Computing->General
Losers And Nerds	Miscellaneous->Funnies
Red de Area Local	International->Spanish

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a local computer network for communication between computers; especially a network connecting computers and word processors and other electronic office equipment to create a communication system between offices
  Synonym: local area network

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Dansk (Danish)
abbr. - Local Area Network, lokalt netværk

Nederlands (Dutch)
lokaal netwerk (computers)

Français (French)
abbr. - (abrév = Local Area Network) (Comput) réseau local

Deutsch (German)
abbr. - (Comp.) privates Ortsnetz

Ελληνική (Greek)
abbr. - τοπικό δίκτυο

Italiano (Italian)
LAN

Português (Portuguese)
abbr. - rede (m) local (Comp.)

Русский (Russian)
местная компьютерная сеть

Español (Spanish)
abbr. - red de área local
n. - red de área local

Svenska (Swedish)
abbr. - lokalt nätverk

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
局部区域网络

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
abbr. - 局部區域網路
n. - 局部區域網路

한국어 (Korean)
abbr. - local area network(근거리 정보 통신망)
n. - 건물에 컴퓨터를 연결시키는 조직

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - (電算)区域内情報通信網

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(اختصار) شرفه, فرندة, وافر الصوف أو الوبر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
abbr. - ‮רשת תקשורת מקומית (מחשבים)‬

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lan	Wake Lan
Lan Driver	lan card