Which Technology is Used in LAN?

Which Technology is Used in LAN?

LAN develops a network connection between computers and devices to share and receive information. The information is shared across devices through LAN, a wireless connection. LAN provides internet connection to the devices in a limited geographical area. Most businesses utilize LAN technology to provide internet connection to different devices and computers. The devices are connected to the network through a wired or wireless connection. There are various LAN technologies used to create networks between devices, but some of the popular technologies are ethernet, token ring, and FDDI utilizing IEEE 802.11.

LAN network is limited to geographical location like a school, association, organization, or office building. Generally, the LAN server possesses an application and data storage facility. Such facilities are used by multiple computer users. When used at home, a LAN network is used by few users whereas it can be used by thousands of users in big organizations.

What are the common types of LAN? 

1. Client-Server LAN:

There is a dedicated server used in the client-server LAN which provides internet access to other clients.

1. Peer-to-Peer LAN:

In peer-to-peer LAN all devices work individually. There is no separate device providing a server to the devices as each server provides access individually.

1. Wired LAN:

Connecting devices through the wired LAN requires the availability of ethernet cables. The ethernet cables are less flexible but relatively faster and reliable.

1. Wireless LAN:

Wireless LAN Is highly flexible but can be slow and less reliable, especially in areas with higher interference. This technology utilizes radio waves.

1. Cloud-Managed LAN:

Under the cloud-managed LAN, the networks are managed by the cloud-based management system.

What are the Most Common Types of LAN technologies?

1. Ethernet:

The ethernet is a widely used LAN technology invented by Bob Metcalfe and D.R. Boggs in 1970. It is the traditional LAN technology to connect devices in a wired local area network or wide area network (WAN). Ethernet explains how to connect devices, format, and share data to enable other devices on the same network to recognize, receive, and process the information. The data travels through the physical and encased ethernet cable wire.

The Ethernet is still the common network used by schools, hospitals, and Company offices due to its high speed, security, and reliability. It is also used due to the affordability of this technology in comparison to other LAN technologies like Token Ring (IBM). Ethernet has the ability to evolve and provide higher performance which makes it one of the best technologies. 

1. Token Ring:

IBM developed the token ring in 1984. It utilizes the specific three-byte frame which is called a token which is passed around a ring. When the token ring was introduced it was a successful technology, but later with the evolution of new technologies, this technology eclipsed it. These networks are largely used in corporations, but in the current time, this technology is replaced by the latest versions of Ethernet.

This is one of the expensive technologies introduced by IBM-supported organizations to create scalable networks in office buildings.

1. FDDI:

FDDI stands for fiber-distributed data interface. It is one of the most suitable technologies in LAN used at the current time. FDDI utilizes fiber optic cables and can share up to 100 MBit per second. This LAN technology has the largest coverage of networks. It provides internet networks and services in the range of 200 km. It utilizes two rings the first ring is used for the primary backup and the secondary ring is useful for the secondary backup. The primary ring holds the capacity of 100 MBIT per second whereas the secondary ring can send up to 200 MBIT per second. FDDI is considered to be useful in large organizations to cover large areas for internet connectivity. It is also useful in large buildings and hospitals to cover large areas for the internet connection.

1. Fast Ethernet:

The fast ethernet provides data transferring rates of 100 megabytes per second, which is considered one of the fastest data transferring technologies in LAN. Fast Ethernet technology was developed in 1995. It was simple to configure and covered a large region for the internet connection. It covered a distance of 10 km which was quite far. Office buildings and hospitals could get the best advantage of this ethernet.

FE covers a few PHY layers supporting half and full duplex modes. People can download, upload, and process massive data with the use of FE with little or no trouble. The simplicity of the procedure to configure and the fast speed made this one of the best ethernet technologies. At the same time, the large area coverage also made this one of the right technologies.

1. GIGA Ethernet:

      The GIGA Ethernet was introduced in the year 1999 with the ability to 1 gigabyte or 1 billion bits per second. It was developed to fulfill the high-speed requirements of VoIP and multimedia networks. GIGA Ethernet replaced the Fast Ethernet with its high speed and performance. GIGA ethernet has one of the popular networks 1000 Base-T which is defined under the IEEE 802.3ab standard. This ethernet connection established a robust connection for fulfilling the voice process requirements and multimedia networks. It is one of the popular sources to speed up the process.

1. Virtual LAN:

Virtual LAN connects multiple devices and network nodes into one local network. It applies tags to the network frames and utilizes the tags in the networking system. Such actions help in creating the appearance and functionality of the network traffic which is physically on a single network but acts as if it is split into two separate networks.

VAN supports fixing issues like scalability, network management, and security. It creates multiple layer 3 networks on a single physical infrastructure.

VLANS partition a local network into a few distinctive segments, including:

• Production
• Voice Over IP
• Storage area network
• Network management
• Guest internet access
• Demilitarized zone

Choose the LAN technology that suits your requirements and budget. All technologies are helpful and efficient, but your requirement determines the success of a particular technology for your business.