Assigned Reading 6 Local Area Network

This article discusses how LAN (local area networks) came to be.  Different cables and hook ups were discussed--including the co-axial and CAT3.  The ethernet is the most common data link.  Smaller LANs are often linked to one another via a router, cable modem or DSL modem for internet access.

The larger ones have links that use spanning tree protocol to prevent loops ad manage different types of traffic by quality of service.  They use network devices such as firewalls, switches and routers.