Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired local area network technologies. It can have up to 255 nodes per network.Ī new specification, called ARCnet Plus, will support data rates of 20 MbpsĮthernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. ARCnet was introduced by Data-point Corporation in 1977.Ī special advantage of ARCNET is that it permits various types of transmission media – twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable – to be mixed on the same network.
ARCNET was the first widely available networking system for microcomputers and became popular in the 1980s for office automation tasks. ARCNET (Attached Resource Computer NETwork)ĪRCNET is one of the oldest, simplest, and least expensive types of Local-Area Network protocol, similar in purpose to Ethernet or Token Ring. There are basically two types of Local Area Networks namely: ARCnet and Ethernet. LANs Network may have connections with other LANs Network via leased lines, leased services. IEEE has projects investigating the standardization of 100 Gbit/s, and possibly 40 Gbit/s. LAN offers high speed communication of data rates of 4 to 16 megabits per second (Mbps). One of the computers in a network can become a server serving all the remaining computers called Clients.įor example, a library will have a wired or wireless LAN Network for users to interconnect local networking devices e.g., printers and servers to connect to the internet. Such a system makes use of access point or APs to transmit and receive data.
Now-a-days LANs are being installed using wireless technologies. The various devices in LAN are connected to central devices called Hub or Switch using a cable. The resources to be shared can be a hardware device like printer, software like an application program or data. A LAN is used to connect the computers and other network devices so that the devices can communicate with each other to share the resources. Types of Networks LAN (Local Area Network)Ī Local Area Network is a privately owned computer network covering a small Networks geographical area, like a home, office, or groups of buildings e.g.