NETWORK &

SYSTEM
ADMINISTRATION
MCIT 06103

C.M.N
LAN BASICS
• A Local Area Network (LAN) is a computer network that spans a small
geographic area, typically within an office, a single building or campus. (typically
in a 1-kilometer radius)
• It connects devices such as computers, printers, and servers using physical or
wireless links.
• The computers in a LAN connect to each other via TCP/IP ethernet or Wi-Fi.
• A LAN includes various network components, such as cables, switches, routers,
firewalls, load balancers and wireless access points (WAPs).
• a LAN enables the efficient sharing of resources, information, and services
among its connected devices.
• This localized network infrastructure facilitates collaborative work
environments, streamlined communication, and resource optimization, thereby
fostering productivity and connectivity on a small-scale level.
How does a LAN work?
• LAN networking typically requires Ethernet cables and Layer 2 (L2)
switches along with devices that can connect and communicate using
Ethernet.
• Each device connected to a LAN is assigned a unique IP address that
maps to its physical address, also known as the media access control
(MAC) address.
• Ethernet and Wi-Fi are the two primary ways to enable LAN
connections.
• Legacy LAN technologies have lost favor to Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Why?
Key features & characteristics
of LANs
• Limited Geographic Area
• High data transfer rates
• Shared resources
• Local Administration & management
• Ethernet and TCP/IP
• Security measures
Components of a LAN
• Hardware components
• Software components
• the users

• The users refer to the individuals or entities who utilize the network
to access resources, communicate, and collaborate within the LAN
environment.
Types of LAN
• Local area networks can be classified based on the types of devices they
connect, the design of the underlying architecture, and the medium used.

• P2P LAN - directly connects two devices -- generally, workstations or PCs --

together using an Ethernet cable. There's generally no hierarchy between the
devices.
• Client-server LAN - consists of multiple endpoints and servers that are
connected to a LAN switch. The switch directs communication streams between
the multiple connected devices.
• Token Ring LAN - all devices are arranged in a ring when they are connected. A
token is assigned to every connected device based on its requirements. It was
introduced by IBM in 1984 for use in corporate environments when ethernet
technology was still in the early stages of development.
(Cont...) Types of LAN
• Token bus LAN - connected nodes are arranged in a tree-like topology, and tokens
are transferred either left or right. Typically, it provides better bandwidth capacities
than a token ring LAN environment.
• Wired LAN - is probably the most common LAN type in use today. It uses electronic
waves to transfer data across optical fiber (or cable variants) instead of tokens.
• Wireless LAN - is commonly used in home environments to connect computing
devices, wearables, smart appliances, etc. but there is a massive enterprise market
for wireless LAN as well, growing by 10.3% year over year as per IDC.
• Cloud-managed LAN - is a specific type of wireless LAN where a centralized cloud
platform is used to manage network provisioning, policy enforcement, access
control, and other aspects of network performance and security. In a heterogeneous
networked environment, cloud-managed LAN streamlines governance, making it a
good fit for enterprise use. By 2025, cloud-managed LAN will be worth over $1.18
billion globally, as per research by Market Research Future.
Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• Public Internet - The public internet is what’s being accessed through
the LAN. Typically, the centralized server receives data packets from
the public internet and access requests from the client devices. It
then addresses these requests by enabling data transfer to the
various connected nodes through a wired or wireless medium.
Technically, a local area network may exist without reaching the public
internet – for example, for private data exchange or private intranet
hosting use cases. However, internet access is among the top reasons
for LAN adoption.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• Wired end-user devices - An average LAN environment will have a
mix of both wired and wireless devices. Remember that we are talking
about end-user devices here, such as laptops, desktops, smart
televisions, smart monitors, collaboration hardware, meeting room
systems, and the like.
These devices will have an ethernet port through which you can plug in
the local area network directly into the device itself. Wired end-user
devices typically enjoy high-speed internet connectivity, high-quality
media streaming, and fast processing.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• Mobile end-user devices refer to devices that you connect using Wi-Fi
instead of an ethernet cable. Keep in mind that the same device can
double up as both a wired or mobile variant.

For example, you may connect a laptop to LAN using the ethernet port
on the device or through Wi-Fi, depending on where the device is
situated and the performance you need. Wearables, smart home
appliances, smart building components, laptops, smartphones, and
ruggedized handheld devices fall into this category.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• The centralized server - is possibly the most crucial component in a
LAN environment, particularly for enterprise implementations.
Enterprises may purchase or lease servers from vendors like IBM,
Cisco, HPE, etc. You can obtain LAN servers from your local telecom
carrier as well. Or, you can choose to connect all your devices to one
or more modems that are in turn connected to a server situated in a
different location.
This is typically the case for consumer applications, as there is no cost
incurred from housing or maintaining the server. On the other hand,
enterprises with LAN servers located on their premises enjoy faster
speeds and greater bandwidth capacity.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• Network switch - is an essential component of a local area network.
It governs how data packets and network resources are allocated
between the devices connected to the centralized server. You can plug
in multiple ethernet cables into a multi-port network switch. The
switch enforces your network policies so that performance is
optimized for every connected end-user device.
There are two kinds of switches you can consider for your LAN
environment – managed and unmanaged. Managed switches provide
you with more control, but unmanaged switches may be cheaper and
easier to maintain.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• A Wi-Fi router - is now a staple component of local area networks as wireless
LAN implementations aren’t possible without it. The router is connected to
your modem so that it can receive network signals, and it converts it into
wireless signals that your mobile end-user devices can process.
In recent years, it is common to bundle Wi-Fi routers into the same hardware
shell as the modem, as wired-only networks are now increasingly rare.

Along with the router, you can deploy accompanying components like Wi-Fi
extenders, access points, Wi-Fi amplifiers, and analyzers to boost performance.
All of these components are available in both consumer-grade and enterprise-
grade variants.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• A modem- is an indispensable component for a local area network as
this is what converts the analog signals transmitted via wires and cables
into a digital format. Traditional modems are standalone devices where
you can plug in the incoming uplink on one end and the outgoing cable
on the other.
However, there are several modern alternatives to this approach. You
can purchase a modem + router device that both converts analog signals
into digital and prepares for wireless transmission.
You can also combine the network switch with the modem’s functionality.
Companies like Cisco and Dell continue to manufacture powerful,
standalone cable modems for enterprise use.
(Cont...) Key Components of LAN
Architecture
• A firewall protects end-user devices and servers from network-related
security attacks by restricting specific kinds of traffic. Today, most end-
user devices ship with built-in firewall software, and you can also
download additional software from the internet.
Some of the more advanced router systems available in the market also
include firewall capability. Optionally, you can choose to implement a
hardware firewall appliance as a LAN component.
It sits between the router and the network switch or between the
switch and the central server to regulate all the data traffic flowing to
end-user devices.
End of Today’s Lesson
• Get to know about the “popular LAN topologies”.

• Next Lesson:
 Data transmission.
 LAN communication media (cable and wireless
communication)