What's a Local-Area Network?

What's a Local-Area Network?

Chapter 3 defined a local-area network (LAN) as a network in which the devices are relatively close together. Of course, a network, once again according to this book, includes computers, software, hardware, and cabling that allow the computers to communicate. Although this definition is accurate, you really do not get a detailed picture of a LAN this way. So, Figure 4-1 shows a LAN, which is one you've seen before in Chapter 3.