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Equipment Configuration
LOCAL-AREA  NETWORK  HARDWARE

Fire Controlman Volume 06-Digital Communications
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CHAPTER  6 LOCAL-AREA NETWORKS INTRODUCTION A local-area network (LAN) is a communications system designed to transmit and receive digital information between computers. A LAN consists of nodes that are interconnected by links. Nodes are the hardware connected to the network, such as personal or microcomputers, printers, large capacity hard drives, and so on. Links are the communications media, such as twisted-pair wire, coaxial, or fiber-optic cables that connect the nodes. In most applications, the LAN interconnects a relatively small number of personal computers (PCs), data storage devices, printers, and other peripherals. These nodes and links usually cover a relatively small geographical area, such as an office or a department. Through common usage, the term  local-area network can  also refer to much larger  systems,  such  as  the  SNAP  III  system  on  a  ship,  which  could  have  literally  hundreds  of terminals and miles of cables. For our purposes, we will be using a small system in our discussion of LANs. Any  device  connected  to  the  network  can  send  and  receive  data  on  the  network.  A  majority  of data exchanged over a network is text and graphics, which is assembled as structured data that can be manipulated by computers. Unstructured data, such as pictures and facsimile messages, can be stored and retrieved efficiently, but cannot be manipulated easily by the computer. After completing this chapter, you should be able to: Describe the major components of a LAN. State the types of cable used in a LAN. State the function of the network interface card. Describe the function of the various network servers required by a LAN. Describe the function of the central mass storage area of a LAN. Describe the Open System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model used in the design and implementation of a LAN. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the different LAN topologies. Describe  the  hardware  systems  used  in  LANs. Describe the function of the software operating system of a LAN. 6-1






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