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A local area network (LAN) supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other, like in an office building, school, or home. LANs are usually built to enable the sharing of resources and services like files, printers, games, applications, email, or internet access. Multiple local networks may stand alone, disconnected from any other network, or might connect to other LANs or a WAN (like the internet). Traditional home networks are individual LANs but it is possible to have multiple LANs within a home, like if a guest network is set up. Technologies Used to Build a LAN Modern local area networks predominantly use either Wi-Fi or Ethernet to connect their devices together. A traditional Wi-Fi LAN operates one or more wireless access points that devices within signal range connect to. These access points in turn manage network traffic flowing to and from the local devices and can also interface the local netwo...

One way to categorize the different types of computer network designs is by their scope or scale. For historical reasons, the networking industry refers to nearly every type of design as some kind of  area network . Common types of area networks are: LAN - Local Area Network WAN - Wide Area Network WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network MAN - Metropolitan Area Network SAN - Storage Area Network, System Area Network, Server Area Network, or sometimes Small Area Network CAN - Campus Area Network, Controller Area Network, or sometimes Cluster Area Network PAN - Personal Area Network LAN and WAN are the two primary and best-known categories of area networks, while the others have emerged with technology advances Note that network types differ from  network topologies  (such as bus, ring and star). (See also - Introduction to Network Topologies.) LAN: Local Area Network A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance. A networked offic...