A group of devices that are connected to one another in a single physical location, such as a building, office, or home, is known as a local area network (LAN). A LAN can be smaller or bigger, with one user’s home network or hundreds of users and devices in an office or school as examples.
A LAN connects devices located in a single, constrained region, regardless of size, which is its sole distinguishing feature. In contrast, a wide area network (WAN) or metropolitan area network (MAN) spans a wider geographic area. A few WANs and MANs link numerous LANs collectively.
