Shiratsuchi, Kenth F.

ECET515LA

ECE51 Engr. Warren Bejasa

Laboratory Exercise 4 Building a Small Local Area Network

Introduction

The method of building design is now governed by computers. In the design process, software tools

can automate repetitive calculation and drawing activities, assist in the discovery of new design

solutions, and provide a high level of precision. The design method becomes quicker, simpler, and

more efficient as a result of this optimization. A LAN, or local area network, is similar to the internet,

but much, much smaller. That is, it is made up of just a few devices that are all linked together. You

may want a LAN so you can share files, send pictures and music to other computers, easily connect

to a printer, or have a good old-fashioned LAN party with some friends to play games. You'll need

to set up Wi-Fi if you want devices to link to your network wirelessly, which is the best option for

smartphones, laptops, video sticks, and other devices (of course, if you only want computers to

connect to the LAN via ethernet cable, go ahead and skip this step). Follow the instructions in the

manual that came with your router or network switch to allow Wi-Fi. However, make sure your Wi-

Fi is as safe as possible. A local area network (LAN) aids companies, colleges, and other

organizations in their daily operations by connecting a group of computers and/or mobile devices

to a server. Not only do you and your staff profit from establishing a stable and efficient local

area network, but so do your customers and business partners. A list of local area network benefits

and drawbacks to consider when setting up your office is given below. A LAN link is relatively

inexpensive to set up and manage as compared to a wide area network. A WAN, or wide area

network, necessitates a significant investment, whether in the form of private ownership or

telecommunications company leasing. A LAN's local design also makes troubleshooting simple and

inexpensive. Everything you need for a LAN is internet access and a server, or central hub. This hub

may be a router or a main machine. You can link devices using Ethernet cables or wirelessly via Wi-

Fi transmission from there. There is no limit on how many users can be added to a LAN, and multiple

LANs can be linked together through multiple offices to form a larger virtual LAN. A local area

network (LAN) is extremely adaptable. A LAN ensures that every user and computer remains linked

as workers are shuffled between teams and divisions and new hires are brought on board. With

minimal effort, you can add or remove equipment, switch printers and computers to various parts

of the house, and change user details for existing devices. In today's fast-paced business climate,

flexibility is critical. Modern LAN speeds can easily reach or exceed 1 Gbps, making them many

times faster than the typical WAN. A LAN gives all users the speed they need to complete even the

most data-intensive activities, from file sharing to uploading and downloading to high-definition

streaming, software, and videoconferencing. A small information technology team can easily track

a LAN. You would have a built-in firewall if you use a router. To access the network, all devices

must have a valid username and password, which can be encrypted. Backups to the server or the

cloud may be scheduled automatically to protect the data in the event of a catastrophe or while

traveling. The most important takeaway is that, in today's internet-driven environment, any company

requires a reliable network to send and receive data both internally and externally. A local area

network (LAN) links users in a single building or a group of buildings that are close together. If your

company grows to the point where it needs to open offices in other cities, states, or even nations,

you'll need to set up a LAN in each city, which can then be linked to a WAN. Most importantly, you

can choose a dependable internet service provider that provides help 24 hours a day, seven days

a week.

Discussion
Local Area Networks (LANs) are networks that use a privately owned network to link a variety of

devices that are located within a relatively limited area, usually within a single building. This is in

contrast to Wide Area Networks (WANs), which use a dedicated link provided by a network

provider to connect devices over a long distance, such as across a region. The evolution of local

area networks was initially hindered by the proliferation of various types of LAN and a lack of

standards, which were initially motivated by the increase in the usage of personal computers and

the need to share storage devices and printers. Local area networks have evolved as a means of

connectivity for both users and computers, with Ethernet being the most commonly used standard.

Ethernet was first implemented using coaxial cable, but it is now more widely implemented using

twisted-pair copper cable such as CAT5 or fiber optic cable. Wireless local area networks (WLAN)

were created to address conditions where installing cabling would be difficult. However, due to

rapid cost and speed reductions, wireless local area networks are now widely available and

favored in many cases due to the flexibility they provide. Radio waves (such as WiFi) are commonly

used to link devices in wireless local area networks. Designing a Local Area Network, also known

as a LAN, is a complicated process that involves a number of factors. Any device connected to the

network, regardless of size, will receive reliable, high-quality service from a well-designed LAN.

Similarly, the network must be capable of providing constant access to functions like printing and

file sharing. All of these aspects should be designed ahead of time to ensure that the network is

quick, reliable, and stable. A network infrastructure company worth your money will work with you

to understand the requirements while also handling all of the technical issues. The construction of a

completely new local network would necessitate the selection of physical media as well as the

creation of a network topography, or conceptual map of the network. The network's conceptual

layer is shaped by decisions taken about the software that runs it; physical cabling, connections,

and devices must all conform to this structure. As a result, every part of a network must be consistent

in order for it to come together as a cohesive whole that works as expected. A Local Area Network
(LAN) connects a specific group of users within a single building, office, or campus. It also connects

to the Internet through a gateway server, which serves as the primary barrier to unauthorized access

to network resources. With all of this in mind, the most important factor during the early stages of

LAN planning is the size and facilities that will be provided. A LAN with ten nodes can be set up in

as little as one day, but a larger network is a more difficult task. A server is needed for each unique

service that a LAN provides, such as printing, sophisticated software, or email. While a single server

may provide a variety of services, heavy-duty applications often necessitate the use of a dedicated

server. Servers can necessitate advanced cooling and cabling, but having redundant servers helps

you to keep your services running even if the network goes down. Similarly, using multiple servers

can make it easier to expand your network. Once you understand the network's function, you'll be

able to more accurately predict the number of users and the services they need. After that, you

should start strategize about the physical configuration of your network. In general, the closer the

other elements of a LAN are to the servers, the easier it will be to set them up and the better the

quality of each user's link will be. Every network unit is linked directly to a central server in the

simplest network. It is very popular in today's technology environment to have a mix of network

elements that use both wireless and wired connections. If this is the case in your network, it is critical

to test wireless communication early on in the process. Because of their architecture or current wiring,

some buildings are immune to wireless signals. Local interference from electronic items such as

industrial equipment may also degrade wireless signals. Map out the building and the expected

position of each network feature if extensive cabling is required to see how cabling can be

optimized. There are several steps involved in calculating the cost of a complex network. You'll have

to factor in not just the cost of each network component, but also the cost of cabling and labor. It

costs a lot of money to start a network, but once it's up and running, it's much easier to expand the

technical capabilities. To save money, you can standardize the hardware and software

configuration of your network terminals. You can also save money by using open source software
instead of proprietary software. Businesses face a unique challenge when extending their network

because it can result in service outages that reduce efficiency. Consider scheduling all major work

to be completed over the weekend to will the effect. Another alternative is to roll out new network

capabilities in phased shifts to reduce the likelihood of interruptions. When you employ a network

services provider to assist you, they will be able to make recommendations to reduce any potential

delays.

Reflection

There is no doubt that small and mid-sized businesses need a reliable and adaptable LAN these

days. Creating a network from the ground up can appear to be a daunting challenge, but by taking

a methodical approach in collaboration with a reputable networking firm, you can save time and

money. The more precise your network plans are, the more you'll be able to take advantage of

cost-cutting opportunities — just make sure your future vendor understands your specific

requirements. Since the whole point of a LAN is for users to collaborate or at the very least share

the network's resources, all of those users must be able to connect to it. Individual computers, or

workstations, that are joined together to form the LAN accomplish this. Those machines could be

almost anything. A typical office could have anything from low-cost laptops or Chromebooks to

high-powered engineering workstations, with plenty of standard-issue machines in between to

manage accounting, word processing, point-of-sale, and other administrative tasks. Even a

smartphone or a mobile phone may be treated as a workstation in a wireless network. The most

critical aspect of designing a LAN is how you group all of those users' workstations together. Putting

everyone in the same space is always the easiest solution, but what if their needs aren't the same?

A simple Wi-Fi signal will suffice for tourists and casual users, but engineers and video editors will

need the fastest connection you can offer. The best approach is to split users into sub-networks so

that they can share different sets of resources. A population of power users spread over two or
three floors would share a network capable of transmitting data at gigabit speeds in that case.

Individual workstations will not be considered part of the network because they can communicate

with the rest of the LAN. This necessitates the use of a Network Interface Card, commonly

abbreviated as NIC. This allows your machine to link to the LAN and exchange data. Most computers

come with two types of network interface cards (NICs), one for Wi-Fi and the other for Ethernet.

You can connect with the built-in NIC or add a separate specialized card to meet your company's

specific needs. The NIC's hardware also needs some additional software to work. This is known as

a "engine," and it converts commands from your operating system into instructions that the NIC can

understand and use. Most cards have drivers built in, so when you restart your device, it will

automatically recognize and operate with the NIC. You can need to get a driver from the card's

manufacturer instead, since it offers better performance, reliability, or simply unlocks some main

features that the regular driver does not. Since Windows updates its own drivers but not third-party

drivers, you'll have to search for updates and install them yourself. If you installed your driver from

a trusted source, Linux will keep track of third-party drivers and notify you if they need to be

updated. The cost of setting up and maintaining a network is undeniably high, but it pays for itself

in a variety of ways. The most important metric is increased efficiency, but sharing resources is a

cost-cutting option that any bean counter will appreciate. Consider the case of printers. While most

of your users would need the opportunity to print, only a small percentage of them will print in

large quantities on a regular basis. You can make everyone share a small number of networked

printers instead of parking a printer on every desk, where most of them would collect dust. There

will always be times when you need to assign or "dedicate" a resource to a single user or group of

users, and that's perfectly fine. There's no need for anyone else to have access to their printer or

plotter if only one person is doing large-scale artwork or making oversized sketches and blueprints.

Many of the hubs, switches, and routers that physically link the cabling between devices on your

network, as well as between your network and the internet or your company's wider Wide Area
Network, are included in this section of your LAN. A WAN consists of routers and signal extenders

that can expand the scope of your network. Normal users won't need to know how to use them – or

even know they exist – but you wouldn't be able to communicate and share information without

them. Consider them the electronic equivalents of traffic signals, intersections, and ramps that direct

traffic flow in a city. In small networks, each device on your LAN is nearly identical. Physical servers,

or racks of computers, can be used in a wider network to provide high-volume storage and

processing capacity. The advent of cloud computing – large arrays of servers located off-site and

accessible over the internet – means the servers may be in remote locations or even run by a third-

party vendor, normally a big corporation like Amazon, Microsoft, or Google. A wireless network,

or WLAN, sends signals between computers and other devices on your network using radio waves

rather than physical wires. Depending on your requirements, you can use one of two sets of

frequencies. The 2.4 GHz band is used for most older wireless networks, while the 5 GHz band can

be used by newer users. They each have their own set of benefits. A 2.4 GHz signal has a longer

range and is effective at passing through walls, which is useful in a large office. Unfortunately, since

there are so many gadgets that use the same frequencies, it's more susceptible to interference.

References

• https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/how-to/how-to-set-up-a-local-area-network

• https://business.sparklight.com/the-wire/tech-talk/business-internet/local-area-network-

advantages

• https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Local_area_network

• https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Computers_in_building_design

• https://www.networkcablinglosangeles.com/computer-network-cabling/