Dynex DX-E401 - Manual (Page 6)

6
Introduction (continued)
Introduction to Local Area Networking
Local Area Networking (LAN) is the term used when connecting several
computers together over a small area such as a building or group of buildings.
LAN’s can be connected over large areas. A collection of LAN’s connected over
a large area is called a Wide Area Network (WAN).
A LAN consists of multiple computers connected to each other. There are many
types of media that can connect computers together. The most common media
is Cat-5 cable (UTP or STP twisted pair wire.) On the other hand, wireless
networks do not use wires; instead they communicate over radio waves. Each
computer must have a Network Interface Card (NIC), which communicates the
data between computers. A NIC is usually a 10Mbps network card, or 10/
100Mbps network card, or a wireless network card.
Most networks use hardware devices such as hubs or switches that each cable
can be connected to in order to continue the connection between computers. A
hub simply takes any data arriving through each port and forwards the data to
all other ports. A switch is more sophisticated, in that a switch can determine
the destination port for a specific piece of data. A switch minimizes network
traffic overhead and speeds up the communication over a network.
Networks take some time in order to plan and implement correctly. There are
many ways to configure your network. You may want to take some time to
determine the best network set-up for your needs.