2. Use of a business network

A Local Area Network is one that has two or more network-enabled devices connected within a fairly close geographical area.

For example the LAN may be located within a single building such as a home or business office or it may cover a few nearby buildings as well, such as an University campus, hospital, library or school.

The diagram below shows a typical business LAN with a network server connected to a number of computers. A wireless access point is also connected to the network so that Wi-Fi devices such as laptops can connect to the network.

This network has a central server connected to a switch. A number of workstations and wi-fi enabled devices are connected.

Computers and devices can be connected by physical Ethernet cables, which are usually owned by the organisation. They can also be connected wirelessly by using Wi-Fi connections.

To log onto a LAN, you usually need a user name and password, just like you do at school. The user name identifies you to the file server so that it can 'serve' you the correct files. The password ensures that the user name really does belong to you.