D-Link DI-707P - Manual (Page 7)

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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 CAT5 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.
Introduction to Virtual Private Networking
Virtual Private Networking (VPN) uses a publicly wired network (the
Internet) to securely connect two different networks as if they were the same
network. For example, an employee can access the corporate network from home
using VPN, allowing the employee to access files and printers. Here are several
different implementations of VPN that can be used.