Components of a LAN
By simple definition, a LAN is two or more devices connected to each other by some type of medium, such as a cable. With the exception of wireless LANs, which are beyond the scope of this book, if there is no cable connection between devices, no connection can occur. These network cables attach to LAN devices via the network interface card (NIC) or network interface port, such as found on a switch.
Cabling
Chapter 3, “Local-Area Networking Introduction,” outlined different cabling types. This chapter now details more fully the two most popular types of LAN cabling: twisted pair and fiber optic.
Twisted-Pair Cabling
Twisted-pair cable is a thin-diameter copper wire used for voice and data network cabling. The wires are twisted ...
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