Local area network

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A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers (network) in a small area like a home, office, or school. Lots of computers can be connected to share information and the Internet. Most LANs use Ethernet to connect together.

LAN topologies define the manner in which network devices are organized. Four common LAN topologies exist: bus, ring, star, and tree. These topologies are logical architectures, but the actual devices need not be physically organized in these configurations. Logical bus and ring topologies, for example, are commonly organized physically as a star. A bus topology is a linear LAN architecture in which transmissions from network stations propagate the length of the medium and are received by all other stations.