A local network is a group of several devices that are interconnected through a network and are actually located in the same area.

A local network or as it is also called – LAN (Local Area Network), forms a cable system of a separate building or a certain number of buildings, which is divided into structural subsystems and contains active network equipment.

Connection via a local network provides coordinated work in a certain territory, but it should be noted that with this connection option, the buildings should be located at a distance of no more than one kilometer from each other. In the case of devices in different cities or even countries, to unite them resort to the construction of global networks (WAN).

There are the following types of LAN:

  • wired LAN, where the connection is made through a cable;
  • wireless LAN;
  • virtual local area networks.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that LAN connection is intended only for commercial purposes, because today this technology is relevant in residential buildings. This type of connection is used when using gadgets, laptops and wireless printers.

What tasks do local area networks solve?

Creating a network of networks helps to solve many problems:

  • fast access to data for each user;
  • high-speed data transfer between many departments of one organization;
  • the ability to use files simultaneously on different devices;
  • high-speed communication;
  • comfortable use and access to various network devices;
  • remote management of documents and software tools;
  • security and reliable protection of important data of the organization.

The last point is important in work, because the network often stores data and valuable information that may be at risk during attacks from competitors.

How to organize a Windows local network?

Step 1. Selection of equipment

Before you start setting up, you need to choose the appropriate network components for your computer: a switch (designed to connect several nodes of a computer network), a router (distributes the Internet among the devices connected to it) or a wireless access point (devices communicate via Wi-Fi).

Step 2. Setting up LAN through a scroll and router

Step 3. Checking the network settings

To check the correct operation you will need:

  1. Go to “Start” and in the search enter cmd and press Enter.
  2. In the pop-up window, enter the word ping and specify the address of the desired computer through a space, for example, ping 192.168.0.3.

3.If the configuration is successful, you will receive a message about the successful packet exchange and response time, and if the configuration is not quite successful, you will receive a message about exceeding the waiting interval for the request, which will confirm that the settings are not correct.

Summing up, we can once again emphasize that thanks to the local network there is a uniform distribution of information load between computers. It is important to remember that the lan network allows you to create a unified network architecture with a guarantee of uninterrupted operation.