Local Area Network(LAN)-Advantages and Disadvantages of LAN

LAN is a small computer network. The full form of LAN for Local Area Network. This type of computer network connects computers within a single building or office. In contrast, WAN (Wide Area Network) refers to networks that connect multiple buildings or locations across large distances through the internet.

LANs are able to transmit data rapidly, with a typical speed of 10 Mbps to 1000 Mbps. This is significantly faster than data transmission over a telephone line. Additionally, LAN transmissions are limited to a specific distance, and there is a limit to the number of computers that can be attached to the network.

Examples

• There are 40 computers in a computer lab that are connected through a LAN. This allows students to share software, files, and data with one another.

• In an Internet club, many computers can be connected to each other through a LAN. This allows them to share a single connection to the Internet, which can be faster and more reliable than using separate connections for each individual computer.

Advantages of LAN

Some important advantages of LAN are as follows:

Resource Sharing

Through LAN different resources like printers, scanners, CD-ROM drives, hard drives, and software can be shared. This is cheaper than buying devices for each workstation in the network.

High Speed

LAN networks have high speeds compared to other types of networks. A typical Ethernet cable can transfer data at 100 Mbps (megabits per second). However, wireless networks can transfer data at 1 Gbps (gigabits per second) or higher.

Wireless networks are much faster than wired networks because they don’t require physical cables between devices.

Communication

In a LAN, users can easily communicate with one another. Additionally, they can quickly and easily transport data between other computers connected to the network.

Application sharing

The individual licensed copy of the software can be costly. A lot of money can be saved by using the same software over the network instead of purchasing a separate copy of the software for each workstation.

The network versions of software applications such as MS Office (MS Excel, MS Word, Presentation, etc.) are available. These applications are loaded on the server and shared by different users on the LAN.

Centralized IT Admin

LAN allows an easier and more efficient way to manage different computers from servers. IT administrators can remotely troubleshoot the problems on computers across the network instead of doing it individually.

Centralized Data

The users can save their data centrally on the server on LAN. They can access the saved data from any workstation on the network. They do not need to use the same workstation all the time.

Internet Access Sharing

In the Internet club, many computers can be connected through LAN. These computers can share a single connection to the Internet. For example, if every computer in the Internet club has an internet connection, but one can be shared. Therefore, we can say that sharing an Internet connection is one of the features of the LAN.

Data Security & Management

Important data can be managed more effectively through LAN. Instead of keeping data on several devices, information can be centrally located on shared servers. Data is widely accessible to everyone, and security measures are simple to install.

Disadvantages of LAN

Some important disadvantages of LAN are as follows

Privacy threat

The privacy of users may be at risk from LAN. The user’s private files are accessible to the network administrator. He can also keep an eye on the user’s network and Internet usage.

Expensive to Install

LAN generally saves money over time. However, it may need high initial costs of installation. The cables, network cards, and software are very costly. The installation may also require the services of a technician.

Admin Time Required

It takes time and knowledge to maintain LANs properly. For the network to be properly managed, a network administrator may be needed.

Data Security Concerns

If LAN is not properly secured, it could expose sensitive data to risk. Unauthorized users have the potential to access crucial data and corrupt it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)