Why do you need a local area network?

Answer 1

A local area network (LAN) provides connectivity between computers within a small geographic area (typically no larger than a building). Other types of networks include:

- Campus Network (connects a number of buildings together)

- Metropolitan Area Network (connects computers around a large city size area)

- Wide Area Network (connects computers from around the world)

Generally speaking the larger the area covered, the slower the network. Although there are some links within the internet that are significantly faster than an average small home network would provide.

Most companies deploy LAN networks to connect up employee's computers so that they can reach corporate email servers and applications.

Most home users deploy LAN network to share files (e.g. photos, music) between their computers and to share a single Internet connection between multiple computers.

Answer 2

LAN's are useful in letting multiple people use the same program at one time, let's teachers view student's work with out printing out, support management programs, and other types of data sharing. It helps save the environment and company or school money.

Answer 3

THE ADVANTAGE OF NETWORKSWhy are networked computers making greater inroads into schools than ever before? The answers are many and varied, but most educators agree that networks offer them the following advantages:

*They eliminate the handling of floppy disks.

*They cut down on computer printouts, making it possible for students' work to be viewed on-screen, sent to teachers' workstations, or even channeled into "electronic gradebooks."

*They support management programs that give teachers detailed reports on a student's progress, even pointing out areas where improvement is necessary.

*They allow several students in a class to use one program at the same time, or to work on different programs or different parts of the same program at the same time.

*They eliminate the need to buy several copies of one software program, thereby often reducing costs.

LANS:HOW THEY WORKA local area network, or LAN, is a data communications network, covering a limited geographical area, like a school. LANs can connect a large number of electronic devices, including computers, dumb terminals, tape drives, modems, file servers, and various printers.

Most LANs in schools, especially for curriculum use at the K-8 level, consist of a roomful of computers connected to a file server, such as a Mac Plus with a hard disk that acts as a large storage center for all software. The file server also controls the flow of information, such as software, messages, or homework, between central storage centers and each computer, and also between computers and printers.

Connecting and communicating is made possible by (1) a network interface card at each computer, file server, etc., (2) a cable connection between these components, (3) a network controller, and (4) a network-access method.

Answer 4

You mean as opposed to Wifi? The answers are that a Local Area Connection (wired) is typically much faster than a wifi connection and is also less prone to problems caused by poor reception (e.g. being too far away from the router/access point) or interference caused by electronics or other wifi networks in the area.

Answer 5

I agree with David. Wired connections are not prone to interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, and other such devices and they do tend to operate much faster than devices using wireless connections. Something else to consider is that they are far more secure than wireless. With wireless connections, they are not unidirectional, meaning that the signals are not propagated only from the device to the wireless access point/router and vice versa. Instead, the wireless signal propagates out omnidirectionally, so if someone else is in the area and can grab your signal with a packet sniffer, they can potentially grab your data. (Of course there are other things that come into play but that is not pertinent to this discussion.) With a wired connection, though, the only way that one could get access to the data that is being transmitted is to have physical access to the wire. This becomes much more apparent since that means that someone has to be within the facility (whether it be the home, place of business, etc.) and hook up a packet sniffer between your device (probably a computer) and the network switch/router. Doing so can cause so much interference that it will make the network connection temperamental and therefore easily discovered.

In any network I set up in which security and/or confidentiality is an issue, I always strongly suggest going with only a wired system rather than a wireless or mixed environment. If wireless is desired for clients to use, then I have the network set up so that the wireless access is segregated from the business network by means of MAC address filtering, Virtual LANs (VLANs), or other means.

Answer 6

The LAN allows everyone to work on same document and with the right software/programs every one can see the results in real time.