What Are the Benefits of Segmentation on a Network? Light can enter the core at different angles, making it easier to transmit light from the source to a broader receiver. A station can be of two types: Wireless Access Pointz (WAP) − WAPs or simply access points (AP) are generally wireless routers that form the base stations or access. A wide range of devices are used in modern networking. Components of a LAN By simple definition, a LAN is two or more devices connected to each other by some type of medium, such as a cable. LAN covers short distance such as a building, Campus, a hotel, etc. Two types of twisted-pair cabling are found in LANs: shielded twisted-pair (STP) and unshielded twisted-pair (UTP). Behind these wall plates and wall boxes is the cabling that runs back to the LAN switch, often sitting in a communications closet somewhere within the building. Copyright eTutorials.org 2008-2020. However, the speed of the card depends on your LAN speed. Single-mode fiber (SMF) is an optical fiber used for high-speed transmission over long distances. Before you dig into the meat of your lesson's instruction, it's important to set the … Telecommunications Industry Association 568 (, Chapter 3. With one end of the network cable connected to a port in the wall, the other end needs to connect to a device to complete the circuit. A LAN comprises cables, access points, switches, routers, and other components that enable devices to connect to internal servers, web servers, and other LANs via wide area networks. Cabling between two devices serves no purpose if there is no way to attach the two together?and although duct tape certainly has its purposes in this world, this is not one of them. Understanding how a LAN functions, including network components, frames, Ethernet addresses, and operational characteristics, is important for an overall knowledge of networking technologies. As computer networking has become less expensive and easier to implement, many businesses have implemented Local Area Networks to share resources and improve company communications. Each networked device contains a Network Interface Card. This reduces network traffic significantly, especially on a network of more than 10 computers. Figure 4-5 and Figure 4-6 illustrate a wall plate and a wall box that are often used in LAN implementations. Because UTP is not expensive, it is the prevailing choice for LAN and telephone connections. CSU/DSU. It is used to receive,... Cables and Connectors. To understand how the laser light moves down the strand, imagine shining a flashlight down a poster tube. Different components of a local area network are as follows: Communication Media Communication media is used to transfer data from one computer to another computer. Network cables connect all of the devices on your network to a central point, typically a switch or a hub. Antennae. 635 Words3 Pages. LAN has a slight chance of errors. During the planning process, PMs identify and define several project plan components that ultimately form a consistent, coherent document outlining all the necessary tasks of the project. These connections involve equipment like routers, switches, bridges and hubs using cables (copper, fiber, and so on) or wireless technologies (Wi-Fi). The more twists in the cabling, the more immune the cable from interference, the faster the cable can transmit, and the greater the bandwidth. The components of an IEEE 802.11 architecture are as follows 1) Stations (STA) − Stations comprise all devices and equipments that are connected to the wireless LAN. It is used in contrast to a wide area network (WAN), which spans a large geographical area. 2.1.1 Stations Stations are actual devices that connect to the network. A fiber-optic cable is essentially a glass or plastic strand encased in a metal and plastic sheath. Just as important as the network components comprising a LAN are the protocols used for orchestrating their operation, supporting the enterprise computing, communication and collaboration needs of an … Switches. Fast Ethernet or 100BaseT cable This is comparable to the difference between using a flashlight and a laser pointer as a pointing device during a lecture; the flashlight is somewhat broad in its coverage, whereas the laser pointer is more precise. A local-area network is a common type of network found in home offices, small businesses, and large enterprises. LAN: Local Area Network. Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images. A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. CISA Exam Study. Single-mode fiber is used to span longer distances, and multimode fiber is common for short distances. LAN consists of the following components. All rights reserved. The NIC found inside the user's desktop computer or other network device, such as a mail server or network printer, is connected via the network cable to the network interface jack. STP is used for most Ethernet cabling requirements, especially Fast Ethernet connections, such as 100 megabits per second (Mbps). These RJ-45 plugs and sockets (jacks) are used in Ethernet and Token Ring devices, as illustrated in Figure 4-4. A LAN is a network of computers and other electronic devices that covers a small area such as a room, office, or building. The standard defines layers of software and how they talk with each other. Components Of A Wired LAN Introduction The intent of this analysis is to define the dominant components of a wired Local Area Network (LAN). Click here for Video Tutorial-Components of LAN . Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) is a popular cable type made up of two unshielded wires twisted around each other. The typical items of hardware that you will need in a WAN are: Router - An electronic device that connects a local area network (LAN) to a wide area network (WAN) and handles the task of … How to Connect Multiple PCs to a Wireless Printer. LAN is highly reliable. Network Cards: At the most basic level, a network card is a component that allows the computer to … Network Workstations. Routers. Anticipatory Set. By simple definition, a LAN is two or more devices connected to each other by some type of medium, such as a cable. Components of a Wired LAN. The NIC may be a separate board installed into a computer’s slot, or it may be built into the motherboard. Wall plates and wall boxes help protect the cable from being pulled out, cut, or damaged. A switch is like a hub in that it is a central point for connecting network cables; however, a … He holds a master's degree in applied computer science and several certifications. Wall plates and wall boxes serve the aesthetic purpose of hiding holes in the wall and visible wires. Robert Leasure Networking Foundations 11/7/2021 6 major components of a LAN The first major component of a LAN is the wiring. This device is the network interface card, or NIC. A router is a hardware device which is used to connect a LAN with an internet connection. Each device NIC receives each packet and makes its process or discard decision. WAN Components. A hub is the central wiring connector on a LAN, where all of the network cables come together. Alan Hughes has more than 30 years of experience in IT including mainframes, programming, client/server, networks, project management, security, disaster recovery, information systems and hardware. The only drawback is it covers a small geographical area. It’s important to buy the right components when setting up a wired network. The network cables are used to connect all our devices to a central point. It also supports to connect slower speeds such as 10Mbps and 100Mbps. 2.1 The Hardware The hardware consists of stations, transmission media, and connecting devices. Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights. There are a number of components that make up a LAN, and understanding them can help reduce your network implementation costs, whether you outsource it or do it yourself. Several types of RJ connectors are used in networking today, and each type is identified by a number. Network software is written to a set of standards that define the TCP/IP protocol suite. With the exception of wireless LANs, which are beyond the scope of this book, if there is no cable connection between devices, no connection can occur. Computer Network Components Switch. The higher the number, the higher the wire grade, which translates to higher potential network speed. Using the same set of rules allows networking equipment from different vendors to work together, allowing you to take advantage of the best equipment in each category. Goals and Objectives. The wall plate is mounted onto the wall with an opening for the RJ connection, and a wall box is a freestanding box that can be, but is not always, mounted to a wall. Light is transmitted across the fiber strands via lasers. CABLES Several types of cables can be used in LAN applications. Dialing into the LAN is accomplished with an access server, whereas dialing out is accomplished with a modem server. Network routers are essentially very smart switches because they know about other LANs, while switches only know about the network they are on. Further, a box can be organized to centralize multiple services for a user in a single location (for example, phone and data together). The NIC controls the sending and receiving of data across the physical Open System Interconnection (OSI) model Layer 1 and data link OSI model Layer 2. The Project Planning Process. For example, most telephone handset and wall ports use RJ-11 connectors. Fiber optic cable is much more expensive than UTP wiring. © 2019 www.azcentral.com. servers and modem servers allow users to dial into and out of the LAN by telephone. The wires are twisted around each other to minimize interference from other twisted pairs in the cable. Wireless access points (WAPs) Modems. Here, the … These network cables attach to LAN devices via the network interface card (NIC) or network interface port, such as found on a switch. Multimode fiber (MMF) is an optical fiber with a larger core than single-mode fiber and is the most common fiber used for short distances, such as for LANs. Much as your driveway is an interface to the main road, the network interface card is your interface to the network. Components of LAN. Figure 4-2 illustrates the two primary types, or modes, of fiber used in optic transmission: multimode and single mode. This broader scope permits the use of a light emitting diode (LED) rather than the precise laser required by single-mode fiber. Shielded twisted-pair (STP) is a type of copper wiring in which each of the two copper wires is twisted together and coated with an insulating coating that functions as a ground for the wires. Cables, whether copper or fiber optic, are clamped at the ends with a jack connection, known as a registered jack, or RJ. Network Interface card, one of the main computer network components, comes with different speeds, 10Mbps, 100Mbps, and 1000Mbps, so on. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger geographic distance, but also generally involves leased telecommunication circuits. Each cable plugs into a port on the hub. These are described in the following sections. All rights reserved. The hardware components of a LAN consist of: PCs/workstations and servers Network Interface Card (NIC) Cabling and connectors, for example, coaxial cable and BNC connector, Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and RJ-45 connector Hub, concentrator, and more complicated network devices such … The hub accepts incoming data packets from devices on the network and transmits them to all other computers attached to the hub. The rise of virtualization has also fueled the development of virtual LANs, which enable network administrators to logically group network nodes and partition their networks without a need for major infrastructure … a) Number of Computers, 2 or more b) NIC, network interface cards in every computer c) Ethernet Cable Cat5, STP/UTP d) Router, and Hub or switch e) Computer network software. Gateways. Routers connect LANs together, sometimes across long distances, creating Wide Area Networks, or WANs. Local-Area Networking Introduction, OSI Model (As It Applies to LANs and the Interrelation Between Layers), Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detect (CSMA/CD), Benefits of a Layer 2 Switch in a Network, Benefits of a Layer 3 Router in a Network, Appendix A. The cable category indicates the number of twists per inch. However, the smaller core of SMF makes it more difficult to align the light source at the receiver. Bridges. Answers to Chapter Review Questions. These can be computers, printers, etc. The extra covering in STP wiring protects the transmission line from electromagnetic interference (EMI) leaking into or out of the cable that could result in signal degradation or loss. In a WAN you will need various types of hardware components for it to function. A switch is like a hub in that it is a central point for connecting network cables; however, a switch is able to receive a packet and transmit it to only the destination computer. Fiber optic cable is used in cases where very high bandwidth is needed and where there is a lot of electromagnetic interference. STP cabling is also used when emission security concerns exist, such as with a classified network (protecting national security information, for instance). The router chooses the next best link to send packets on to get closer to the ... Repeaters. NICs are circuit boards that plug into your desktop, laptop, or network servers, such as a web or e-mail server. Twisted-pair cable is a thin-diameter copper wire used for voice and data network cabling. A … A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance. Recent standard network cards built with Gigabit (1000Mbps) connection speed. These components are covered in the material that follows. The statewide WAN includes, but is not limited to: ... Local Area Network (LAN) ITD provides managed Local Area Network (LAN) service for a building or campus environment enabling data communication among local computing and printing resources within an organization. Identify the purpose, features, and functions of the following network components: Hubs. Ethernet uses RJ-21 and RJ-45 jack types, and T1 lines use RJ-48. Most network cables are usually a Cat-x cable. This chapter now details more fully the two most popular types of LAN cabling: twisted pair and fiber optic. Configuring an Access Point. It is not unusual to find both hubs and switches on the same LAN. An optical fiber is a thin glass or plastic strand designed for light transmission and capable of transmitting trillions of bits per second. The laser is sent from a laser diode at the sending end of the fiber and travels down the strand to the receiver; and no, you cannot set the laser to stun in the laser diode. An Ethernet LAN is the combination of components that allows users to access applications and data, share resources and connect with other networks. Routers are also used to provide security on LANs by routing network traffic between LAN segments. With the exception of wireless LANs, which are beyond the scope of this book, if there is no cable connection between devices, no connection can occur. The primary parts of a wired network are the cable, network adapters, and router. A dedicated website for CISA Aspirants Most networks use Unshielded Twisted Pair wiring denoted with a category, often referred to as Cat-x, where “x” is a number representing the grade of the wiring. 2 LAN Components A LAN is a combination of hardware and software. They also help with providing a place to label cables. Chapter 3, "Local-Area Networking Introduction," outlined different cabling types. WLAN components and topologies Now, let’s take a look at the typical components that make up a basic WLAN solution. The project planning process is where every project begins, though it can actually occur multiple times throughout the life cycle of a project. 3. On the other end, the cable branches out to 12 RJ-45 (Registered Jack-45) connectors. It does this by building a table of which computer is on which of its ports. Replacing the x with a number grade which represents the grade and the network speed it allows to pass through its wiring. Fiber is also more secure than copper because wire taps in the fiber line can be detected. UTP cabling is available in seven standard categories defined by the Telecommunications Industry Association 568 (ANSI/EIA/TIA-568) and are listed in Table 4-1. The tube prevents the light from spreading in all directions; instead, the tube contains the light and provides a path for the light to travel across. He currently teaches information technology at the university level. Either way, the NIC is the bridge between the computer and the network, and is a gatekeeper of sorts, because it decides whether to process a data packet or not, either passing it on to the computers processor or discarding it based on the destination address in the packet. Optical fiber offers many advantages over copper wire because the light pulses carried by fiber are not affected by random radiation in the environment, and its error rate is significantly lower. Describe the basic components of a wired LAN. UTP cabling differs from STP in that UTP does not provide the high bandwidth and good protection from EMI that coaxial and fiber-optic cabling provides. A Switch contains more... Router. Routers. Fiber enables longer distances to be spanned before the signal has to be regenerated by repeaters, as required for the electrical signal carried by copper wire. The RJ-45 is a connector that holds up to eight wires, as illustrated in Figure 4-3. Ethernet is a network protocol that controls how data is transmitted over a LAN and is referred to as the IEEE 802.3 protocol. Network interface cards (NICs), ISDN adapters, and system area network cards. This ethernet cable is a very high-speed cable with the speed of 100 MB/Sec. Devices are connected either wirelessly or through a high-speed cable called Ethernet. LOCAL-AREA NETWORK HARDWARE The basic hardware components of a LAN are cables, network interface cards, network servers, peripherals, and workstations. By definition, a router transfers packets between networks. Twisted-pair cabling, illustrated in Figure 4-1, enables the use of less bandwidth than required for coaxial cable or optical fiber. A switch is a hardware device that connects multiple devices on a computer network. The NIC also takes information from the processor, formats it for transmission and puts it on the wire. The computer here may mean a PC, laptop, printer, IP camera, home entertainment system or any device that has a network card in it. The next section that should be covered is goals and objectives. All of the network components except the cabling have software that makes them work. The whole point of a LAN is to have users working together collaboratively, … Understanding LANs. SMF provides a higher-quality cable that allows for a cleaner, stronger signal, and therefore provides more bandwidth than multimode. Switches. A network infrastructure is the topology in which the nodes of a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) are connected to each other. What Determines How Quickly the CPU Can Work? Figure 1: Basic Components of a Wired LAN Click image to expand. The RJ-21 (Registered Jack-21) is an Ethernet cable using a 50-pin telco connector on one end. The Best Long-Range Wi-Fi and Computer Boosters.