Wired and wireless networks- WAN/LAN
LAN(Local area network)
Covers a small geographical area located on a single site.
:
All the hardware is owned by the organisation that uses it.
LANs are either wired(with ethernet cables) or wireless (using wi-fi).
You can find LANs in businesses, schools
Homes have a LAN to connect devices.
WAN(wide area network)
Connects WANs in different areas/locations.
More expensive to set up than a LAN.
Connected using fibre/copper telephone lines, satellite links or radio links.
The internet is the biggest WAN.
Why use a LAN?
Sharing files is easier.
Two differences between a WAN and a LAN:
A WAN uses third party cabling to transfer data between terminals across the network
A LAN uses proprietary cabling owned by the company using the network. LANs are spread over a small geographical area.
You can share the same hardware (printer)
The internet connection can be shared between devices.
Install+update software on all computers at once.
Communicate with LAN users cheaply and easily.
Users can login from any device on the LAN.
Factors that affect the performance of networks
Bandwidth(amount of data that can be transferred in a given time)-The greater the bandwidth the better the network can perform.
-Too many users/heavy usage can make the network slow.
Wired connection is faster and more reliable than wireless.
-Wireless performance relies on signal quality so is affected by the range of the device+interference+physical obstruction.