Basic Networking Hardware

lBasic LAN Definition

lNetwork Hardware

lNetwork Media

lSample LAN Implementation

1) LANs

lDefinition – LAN

l"local area network"

lIs a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).

lUsually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple computer users.

lA local area network may serve as few as two or three users (for example, in a home network) or many as thousands of users.

lDefinition – Wireless LAN

lA local area network that transmits over the air typically in an unlicensed frequency such as the 2.4GHz band.

lA wireless LAN does not require lining up devices for line of sight transmission.

lWireless access points (base stations) are connected to an Ethernet hub or server and transmit a radio frequency over an area of several hundred to a thousand feet which can penetrate walls and other non-metal barriers.

lRoaming users can be handed off from one access point to another like a cellular phone system.

lLaptops use wireless network cards that plug into an existing PCMCIA slot or that are self contained on PC cards, while stand-alone desktops and servers use plug-in cards (ISA, PCI, etc.).