LAN (Local Area Network)

A LAN (Local Area Network) is an individual network that covers a single geographical area, providing networking services and applications to people within a common managerial structure, such as a single business, campus or region.

A LAN is usually administered by a single organization. The administrative control that governs the security and access control policies are enforced on the network level. 

LANs and WANs are very useful to individual organizations. They connect the users within the organization. They allow many forms of communication including exchanging of e-mails, corporate training, and other resource sharing. 

Communication with data, voice, and video is critical to business survival. Consequently, a properly designed LAN is a fundamental requirement for doing business today. You must be able to recognize a well-designed LAN and select the appropriate devices to support the network specifications of a small- or medium-sized business.