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Networks - LANs and WANs
- LAN - Local Area Network
- covers a small geographical area located on a single site
- All hardware for a LAN is owned by the organisation that uses it.
- LANs are either wired with Ethernet cables or wireless, using WiFi.
- Found in businesses, schools and universities.
- Lots of homes have LAN to connect various devices such as PCs,tablets, smart TVs, printers
- LANs make sharing files easier, network users can access the same files, work collaboratively on them and copy files between machines.
- You can share the same hardware like printers on LAN
- Internet connection can be shared between every device connected to a LAN
- You can install and update software on all computers at once
- You can communicate with LAN users cheaply and easily, e.g Instant Messaging.
- User accounts can be stores centrally, users can log in from any device on the network.
- covers a small geographical area located on a single site
- WAN - Wide Area Network
- Connects LANs that are in different geographical locations
- E.g - A business with offices in three different countries would need a WAN for all their devices to connect together.
- E.g - A business with offices in three different countries would need a WAN for all their devices to connect together.
- Unlike a WAN, organisations hire infrastructure (communication lines) from telecommunications companies, who own and manage the WAN. This is as a WAN is much more expensive to set up than a LAN.
- WANs may be connected using fibre or copper telephone lines, satellite links or radio links.
- The Internet is the biggest WAN
- Connects LANs that are in different geographical locations
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