PREPARED BY MARIFE ARCENAL BSIT-4

Brief History of Local Area Networks

Two full generations ago, in the early days of the data revolution, each computer served
only a single user.
Time Sharing.
The idea of distributed computation being that applications programs would reside on one
central computer called the Server.
Distributed computation.

LAN
It is a network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area.
Most LANs connect workstations and personal computers and enable users to access
data and anywhere on the network.

Components of LAN
Computers: Computers serve as the endpoints in the network, sending and receiving data.

o Interconnections: Interconnections enable data to travel from one point to another
in the network.
NICs: Network interface cards (NIC) translate the data produced by the
computer into a format that can be transmitted over the LAN.
Network media: Network media, such as cables or wireless media, transmit
signals from one device on the LAN to another.
Network devices:
o Hubs: Allow for communications between devices for sending and receiving
packets of data.
o Ethernet switches: A network switch that transmits data at Ethernet standard
rates.
o Routers: Primary function of a router is to connect networks together and keep
certain kinds of broadcast traffic under control.
Protocols: A standard used to define a method of exchanging data over a computer
network such as local area network, internet and etc.

o -Ethernet protocols
o -Internet Protocol (IP)

PREPARED BY MARIFE ARCENAL BSIT-4
FUNCTION OF LAN
Data and applications: When users are connected through a network, they can share
files and even software application programs.
Resources: The resources that can be shared.
Communication path to other networks: If a resource is not available locally, the
LAN, through a gateway, can provide connectivity to remote resources.
WAN
It is a computer network that covers a large geographic area such as city, country using a
communications channel that combines many types of media such as telephone, lines,
cables, and air waves.
WAN are designed to:
Operate over a large geographical area.
Provide access over serial interfaces operating at lower speeds.
Provide full-time and part time connectivity connect device separated over wide, even
global areas

MAIN COMPONENTS OF WAN
Routers- An electronic device that connects a local area network (LAN) to a wide area
network (WAN) and handles the task of routing messages between the two networks.
Switch - A switch is a network device that selects a path or circuit for sending a unit of
data to its next destination.
Modem - Short for modulator/demodulator, a modem enables a computer to
communicate with other computers over telephone lines.


HOW DOES WAN WORKS
WANs are either point-to-point, involving a direct connection between two sites, or
operate across packet-switched networks, in which data is transmitted in packets over
shared Circuits.


PREPARED BY MARIFE ARCENAL BSIT-4