The devices share resources and data through wired or wireless connections to a switch or router. On a peer-to-peer LAN, each device shares equally in the functioning of the network. Most midsize to large business, government, research, and education networks are client/server-based LANs.Ī peer-to-peer LAN doesn't have a central server and cannot handle heavy workloads like a client/server LAN can, and so they're typically smaller. Users can access databases, email, document sharing, printing, and other services through applications running on the LAN server, with read and write access maintained by a network or IT administrator. Typically, suites of applications can be kept on the LAN server. The clients connect to the server either with cables or through wireless connections. A client can be any connected device that runs or accesses applications or the Internet. The server manages file storage, application access, device access, and network traffic. In general, there are two types of LANs: client/server LANs and peer-to-peer LANs.Ī client/server LAN consists of several devices (the clients) connected to a central server. Now, nearly everything imaginable can be "connected," from PCs, printers, and phones to smart TVs, stereos, speakers, lighting, thermostats, window shades, door locks, security cameras-and even coffeemakers, refrigerators, and toys. Wireless connectivity has also greatly expanded the types of devices that can be connected to a LAN. Today, not only do businesses and schools use LANs, but also restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and homes. While the benefits of having devices connected to a network have always been well understood, it wasn't until the wide deployment of Wi-Fi technology that LANs became commonplace in nearly every type of environment.
It wasn't until the development of Ethernet technology (1973, at Xerox PARC), its commercialization (1980), and its standardization (1983) that LANs started to be used widely. LANs were developed in the 1960s for use by colleges, universities, and research facilities (such as NASA), primarily to connect computers to other computers. The devices can use a single Internet connection, share files with one another, print to shared printers, and be accessed and even controlled by one another. The advantages of a LAN are the same as those for any group of devices networked together.
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