What is the Full Form of LAN

LAN: Local Area Network

LAN stands for Local Area Network. Through LAN, we can connect multiple computers or devices over a single network within an enclosed building like School or office so that the internet can be made accessible on those devices and also for sharing common resources.

To connect through a LAN, the Ethernet cable, wires, fibre optics cable and even Wi-Fi are commonly used. You can combine multiple numbers of laptops, printers, scanners, and other computational devices by using LAN. Once connected, you can interact through the devices and make use of the resources accordingly.

Advantages of LAN

• LAN can share data at speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 1000 Mbps. The transmission speed of data is high in LAN networks because the range of the LAN is limited to a certain space.
• Multiple computers and devices like printers and scanners can be connected using a LAN cable.
• LAN is considered a very secure network as it can be accessed only within a specific range, and it is impossible to get connected without its ID and password if implemented.
• The ownership of the LAN network is private. It can be accessed only when the user has an authentic user ID and password.
• The user can download or upload any document over the LAN network and print any copy through the printer connected to the same LAN.
• Any software and application can also be downloaded and uploaded using LAN.
• Usually, the range of the LAN network is 0-150m, but the range of the LAN can also be extended up to 1 Km if required.
• It becomes easy for the users to keep their data secured as if someone is using LAN, then all the data get stored in one place, which is referred to as the host computer.
• The users also do not need to purchase separate printers or scanners for each computer as the LAN allows the users to share one printer with all the other computers that are connected to the same LAN, and because of this, cost reduction in purchasing hardware can be made.
• LAN enables the users to share one internet connection with all others computers or devices connected to it.
• LAN is also very cheap to use as the users can share data with other connected devices instantly and cheaply.

Disadvantages of LAN

• There is no doubt that LAN does not cost much as compared to other options available. But initially, to set up the LAN, a high cost has to be incurred by the user for its proper installation as there are some software/hardware requirements.
• The tools which are required while installing the LAN and for its proper working are somewhat costly. These tools are Ethernet cables, routers, switches, etc.
• All the connected users on a single LAN can access the files and data of other devices which are connected on the same LAN. They can also access the internet history of each device that is connected through that LAN which means that LAN does not provide privacy to its users from inside accesses.
• The range of the LAN is limited, and therefore only those who are in the range of the LAN can use it.
• As all the data of the different devices connected through LAN are stored in the server/host computer, it becomes easy for hackers to access the entire data at once, which means that there is always a risk to data privacy, including loss and misuse.
• There should be someone with a piece of proper knowledge about LAN and networking as LAN need regular maintenance. Most of the time, problems like hardware failure and failure of the system can be seen. Therefore, those who are using LAN in the office or for some other official work should keep someone as a full-time employee to fix this kind of issue instantly when required.
• The presence of any kind of virus becomes very dangerous for all the computers connected on the same LAN. If any one of the computers is affected by the virus, then there are chances that all of the other computers will also be affected by the virus.
• As all the data of the connected device are stored on one central server; therefore, in case of server failure, no files of the other connected devices can be accessed in such a situation.