A LAN Connection stands for Local Area Network Connection. Simply put, it is a network of computers in a small area that are connected to one another.
These are common in homes, schools and office buildings where there are only a limited number of computers that need to be connected with one another. These types of connections have changed the way that we think about the world around us.
The Characteristics of a LAN Connection
The opposite of LAN Connections are WAN Connections, or Wide Area Network Connections. The characteristics of a LAN Connection are contrasted with a WAN Connection:
- Faster transfer rate
- Smaller geographic area
- No need for leased telecommunication lines
Where Did LAN Connections Come From?
In the 1960s, universities and research laboratories starting showing an increased demand for computers. Along with the need for more computers comes the need to interconnect those computers so they are able to talk to one another.
Cambridge Ring, Xerox Parc and Datapoint were the first companies to successfully create computer networks that eventually came to be used commercially.
What Do LAN Connections Look Like?
LAN Connections typically use Ethernet to physically connect to one another. In order to talk to one another, each computer uses a TCP/IP, or internet protocol, which has become the standard.
Early versions of cables used to transmit data were different grades of coaxial cable. Xerox Parc developed Ethernet in 1973-1975 and that has been used ever since. A LAN Connection also needs either a modem or a router in order to connect to each computer or to connect to the internet.
In modern times we use our LAN Connection through Windows or Mac and it is made so simple it almost seems invisible. Most of the time, once you have everything wired up, the connection will automatically find itself, but there’s a lot that has to go on in the background for you to get connected to your friends and the internet.
Summary
The LAN Connection has changed the way world thinks about itself with the advent of the internet and being able to bring continents together simply by the touch of a button. It’s exciting to imagine what is to come next for the world and the internet.
The possibilities are seeming more limitless as time goes on and we are finding solutions we would have never thought possible a hundred years ago – all thanks to a LAN Connection.