What is Local Area Network (LAN)?

What is Local Area Network (LAN)?

The communication system in which more than one machine is in direct connection with each other without external connections is called the Local Area Network (LAN). Devices connected to a modem or router can be defined as a local network, as well as networks where thousands of machines are installed on the patch bay. While local networks can be completely closed to the outside, it can be ensured that the internet backbone and the internal network are used together by making the necessary configurations. IP addresses reserved in the LAN can communicate with each other using different network protocols. The most common LAN protocol is the TCP/IP protocol, which is also used by the internet backbone.

History of Local Networks

The invention of the Internet begins with a local network established by the US Department of Defense. Later, the USA, which established a public network called Intranet, builds all government services on this network and develops a system on which the whole nation can communicate. After seeing that this system is a system that will globalize in a short time, the rapidly changing system of our global-local network; that is, it enables the internet to emerge. So the internet is a huge local network.

In the usual sense, LAN is named as the connection made by cable. This definition is not entirely wrong. LAN connections are a network formed by many devices that reach network interfaces with special sockets. Although Wi-Fis are more stable than networks, they cannot be separated from where they are connected. For this reason, their names are called Local Network. However, nowadays, with wireless communication protocols, wireless installation of local networks is possible. For example, other machines in a public institution that connects to the wi-fi server via wireless network cards can create a wireless local network.

What is the Role of Local Networks?

The local network is a mandatory system to access the public network. For example, the modem installed in our house is a gateway. The machines inside the house; In other words, it provides the connection of the users connected to the local network to the outside, to the internet. In short, it is not possible to connect to the outside without a local network. Only mobile devices appear to be able to connect directly to the internet, but that isn't exactly the case here either. Each mobile phone receives IP from the base station to which it is connected, and this base station is a local gateway. Since only addressing is made independently, users connected here cannot be connected using local network protocols.

Local networks created in wired or wireless form; It is interconnected with its network tools without incurring communication charges and can perform all operations synchronously. Networked users can use a common device; For example, you can use the printer, access each other's memories, and even establish a network managed from a single center. In many public institutions, this is how the machines work. As a comprehensive example; it can be shown that banks have internal local networks closing the whole country.

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