Guide to LAN

LAN’s or Local Area Networks have been a part of the vision of computer operations since the beginning. After building the first computers, there was an interest in joining them together in some way so as to share information. The technology has changed considerably from the early days of peer-to-peer networking. After the invention of Ethernet, the communications protocol that built on copper wires, networks became a reality.

The first multi-computer networks were bus or ring based. The bus was a string of computer laid along a wire; the ring network was like a bus but it looped back to the beginning to form a circular ring. However, LAN’s now have the capability to transfer data in large chunks from one computer to another, and even to remote computers in different locations.

What the same? Ethernet for one; peer-to-peer, and simple hub networks for another. Networks still use the OSI model. TCP/IP is still the major protocol.

What’s changed? Ethernet for one; now you can have star and mesh networks. For another, the network structures and hardware have made LAN’s more powerful. Wireless and VoIP are becoming major protocols.

At Brighthub, the Guide to LAN's will give users an opportunity to review and learn from the different technologies, the hardware and the software.

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