View source for Local area network

{{short description|Computer network that connects devices over a limited area}}
{{Redirect|LAN|other uses|Lan (disambiguation){{!}}Lan}}
[[File:Home LAN local area network example diagram.png|thumb|A conceptual diagram of a LAN at a residential house; the [[Router (computing)|router]] in this case is assumed to also function as a [[wireless access point]]. Also shown in this example (shaded in yellow) is the network's [[Internet access|connection to the Internet]] via [[fixed-line]] means.|330x330px]]
{{Area networks}}

A '''local area network''' ('''LAN''') is a [[computer network]] that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, campus, or building,<ref>{{cite book |author=Gary A. Donahue |title=Network Warrior |publisher=O'Reilly |date=June 2007 |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Wood |first=Roy |date=2024-04-01 |title=Introduction to Information Systems Management |chapter=Computer Hardware, Software, and Networks |chapter-url=https://open.ocolearnok.org/informationsystems/chapter/chapter-2-computer-hardware-software-and-networks/ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What is a LAN? Local Area Network |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en_uk/products/switches/what-is-a-lan-local-area-network.html |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Cisco |language=en}}</ref> and has its [[network equipment]] and interconnects locally managed. LANs facilitate the distribution of data and sharing network devices, such as printers.

The LAN contrasts the [[wide area network]] (WAN), which not only covers a larger geographic distance, but also generally involves [[Leased line|leased telecommunication circuits]] or [[Internet]] links. An even greater contrast is the [[Internet]], which is a system of globally connected business and personal computers.

[[Ethernet]] and [[Wi-Fi]] are the two most common technologies used for local area networks; historical network technologies include [[ARCNET]], [[Token Ring]], and [[LocalTalk]].

== Cabling ==
[[File:RJ-45-Stecker-und-Buechse.jpg|thumb|left|Twisted pair LAN cable]]
{{Further|Ethernet over twisted pair|Twisted Pair|Ethernet}}
Most wired network infrastructures utilize [[Category 5 cable|Category 5]] or [[Category 6 cable|Category 6]] ''twisted pair'' cabling with [[RJ45 (telecommunications)|RJ45]] compatible terminations. This medium provides physical connectivity between the [[Ethernet]] interfaces present on a large number of IP-aware devices. Depending on the grade of cable and quality of installation, speeds of up to 10&nbsp;Mbit/s, 100&nbsp;Mbit/s, 1&nbsp;Gbit/s, or 10&nbsp;Gbit/s are supported.

== Wireless LAN ==
{{Further|IEEE 802.11}}
In a [[wireless LAN]], users have unrestricted movement within the coverage area. Wireless networks have become popular in residences and small businesses because of their ease of installation, convenience, and flexibility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=When Did WiFi Become Popular {{!}} Beambox |url=https://beambox.com/townsquare/when-did-wifi-become-popular |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=beambox.com |language=en}}</ref> Most wireless LANs consist of devices containing [[wireless]] radio technology that conforms to [[IEEE 802.11|802.11]] standards as certified by the [[IEEE]]. Most wireless-capable residential devices operate at both the 2.4 [[GHz]] and 5 GHz frequencies and fall within the 802.11n or 802.11ac standards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are 802.11 Standards? |url=https://www.cbtnuggets.com/blog/technology/networking/when-to-use-802-11-a-b-g-b-nc-wifi-standards |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=CBT Nuggets |language=en}}</ref> Some older home networking devices operate exclusively at a frequency of 2.4 GHz under 802.11b and 802.11g, or 5 GHz under 802.11a. Some newer devices operate at the aforementioned frequencies in addition to 6 GHz under [[Wi-Fi 6|Wi-Fi 6E]]. [[Wi-Fi]] is a marketing and compliance certification for IEEE 802.11 technologies.<ref name="wifi">“Discover and Learn,” WiFi Alliance, http://www.wi-fi.org/discover_and_learn.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704025608/http://www.wi-fi.org/discover_and_learn.php|date=2010-07-04}} (accessed June 30, 2010).</ref> The [[Wi-Fi Alliance]] has tested compliant products, and certifies them for interoperability. The technology may be integrated into [[smartphone]]s, [[tablet computer]]s and [[laptop]]s. Guests are often offered [[Internet access]] via a [[Hotspot (Wi-Fi)|hotspot]] service.
{{clear}}

== Infrastructure and technicals ==
[[File:Simple_LAN_example_diagram_in_two_rooms.png|thumb|A conceptual diagram of a LAN at a small business office; this example includes two rooms, each with a [[Network switch|switch]], as well as a [[file server]], and a mix of wired and wireless connections. This is the [[star topology]].]]
Simple LANs in office or school buildings generally consist of cabling and one or more [[network switch]]es; a switch is used to allow devices on a LAN to talk to one another via [[Ethernet]]. A switch can be connected to a [[Router (computing)|router]], [[cable modem]], or [[ADSL modem]] for [[Internet]] access. LANs at residential homes usually tend to have a single router and often may include a [[wireless repeater]]. A LAN can include a wide variety of other network devices such as [[Firewall (computing)|firewall]]s, [[Load balancing (computing)|load balancers]], and [[Network intrusion detection system|network intrusion detection]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A Review of the Basic Components of a Local Area Network (LAN) |url=http://networkbits.net/lan-components/local-area-network-lan-basic-components/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026082752/http://networkbits.net/lan-components/local-area-network-lan-basic-components/ |archive-date=2020-10-26 |access-date=2008-04-08 |publisher=NetworkBits.net}}</ref> A [[wireless access point]] is required for connecting wireless devices to a network; when a router includes this device, it is referred to as a [[wireless router]].

Advanced LANs are characterized by their use of redundant links with switches using the [[Spanning Tree Protocol]] to prevent loops, their ability to manage differing traffic types via [[quality of service]] (QoS), and their ability to segregate traffic with [[VLAN]]s. A [[network bridge]] binds two different LANs or LAN segments to each other, often in order to grant a wired-only device access to a wireless network medium. 

[[Network topology]] describes the layout of interconnections between devices and network segments. At the [[data link layer]] and [[physical layer]], a wide variety of LAN topologies have been used, including [[ring network|ring]], [[bus network|bus]], [[mesh network|mesh]] and [[star network|star]]. The star topology is the most common in contemporary times. Wireless LAN (WLAN) also has its topologies: independent basic service set (IBSS, an [[Wireless ad hoc network|ad-hoc network]]) where each node connects directly to each other (this is also standardized as [[Wi-Fi Direct]]), or basic service set (BSS, an infrastructure network that uses an [[wireless access point]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www3.nd.edu/~mhaenggi/NET/wireless/802.11b/topology.htm |title=Network Topologies |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www3.nd.edu}}</ref>[[File:LAN topology.gif|thumb|Various topologies that may be used in a centralised wired LAN: star, ring, bus, and tree|400x400px|center]]

=== Network layer configuration ===
[[Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol|DHCP]] is used to assign internal IP addresses to members of a local area network. A DHCP server typically runs on the router<ref>[http://www.whatismyip.com/ip-faq/what-is-dhcp/ What is DHCP?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207234400/http://www.whatismyip.com/ip-faq/what-is-dhcp/|date=2013-12-07}}. whatismyip.com.</ref> with end devices as its clients. All DHCP clients request configuration settings using the DHCP protocol in order to acquire their [[IP address]], a [[default route]] and one or more [[DNS server]] addresses. Once the client implements these settings, it will be able to communicate on that [[Internetwork|internet]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sadiku |first1=Matthew N. O. |last2=Tembely |first2=Mahamadou |last3=Musa |first3=Sarhan M. |date=2017-05-30 |title=Home Area Networks: A Primer |url=http://ijarcsse.com/docs/papers/Volume_7/5_May2017/SV7I5-0208.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709051314/https://www.ijarcsse.com/docs/papers/Volume_7/5_May2017/SV7I5-0208.pdf |archive-date=2017-07-09 |journal=International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=634–635 |doi=10.23956/ijarcsse/SV7I5/208 |doi-broken-date=11 October 2025}}</ref>

=== Protocols ===
At the higher network layers, protocols such as [[NetBIOS]], [[IPX/SPX]], [[AppleTalk]] and others were once common, but the [[Internet protocol suite]] (TCP/IP) has prevailed as the standard of choice for almost all local area networks today.

=== Connection to other LANs ===
LANs can maintain connections with other LANs via leased lines, leased services, or across the [[Internet]] using [[virtual private network]] technologies. Depending on how the connections are established and secured, and the distance involved, such linked LANs may also be classified as a [[metropolitan area network]] (MAN) or a [[wide area network]] (WAN).

=== Connection to the Internet ===
Local area networks may be connected to the [[Internet]] (a type of [[Wide area network|WAN]]) via fixed-line means (such as a [[DSL]]/[[ADSL]] modem<ref>{{Cite web |title=Configuration example for connecting a LAN to the Internet through an ADSL modem |url=https://support.hpe.com/techhub/eginfolib/networking/docs/routers/hsr6800/5200-3506_l2-wan_cg/content/482615561.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211184418/https://support.hpe.com/techhub/eginfolib/networking/docs/routers/hsr6800/5200-3506_l2-wan_cg/content/482615561.htm |archive-date=2024-12-11 |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=support.hpe.com}}</ref>) or alternatively using a cellular or satellite [[modem]]. These would additionally make use of telephone wires such as [[Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line|VDSL]] and [[Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line 2|VDSL2]], coaxial cables, or [[fiber to the home]] for running fiber-optic cables directly into a house or office building, or alternatively a cellular modem or [[satellite dish]] in the latter non-fixed cases. With [[Internet access]], the [[Internet service provider|Internet service provider (ISP)]] would grant a single WAN-facing [[IP address]] to the network. A router is configured with the provider's IP address on the WAN interface, which is shared among all devices in the LAN by [[network address translation]]. 

A [[Residential gateway|gateway]] establishes [[Physical layer|physical]] and [[data link layer]] connectivity to a WAN over a service provider's native telecommunications infrastructure. Such devices typically contain a [[Cable modem|cable]], [[DSL modem|DSL]], or [[Modem#Optical modem|optical modem]] bound to a [[network interface controller]] for Ethernet. Home and small business class routers are often incorporated into these devices for additional convenience, and they often also have integrated [[wireless access point]] and 4-port Ethernet [[LAN switching|switch]]. 

The [[ITU-T]] [[G.hn]] and [[IEEE]] [[Power line communication|Powerline]] standard, which provide high-speed (up to 1&nbsp;Gbit/s) local area networking over existing home wiring, are examples of home networking technology designed specifically for [[Internet Protocol television|IPTV]] delivery.<ref name="BERGU142">{{cite book |author1=Berger, Lars T. |title=MIMO Power Line Communications: Narrow and Broadband Standards, EMC, and Advanced Processing |author2=Schwager, Andreas |author3=Pagani, Pascal |author4=Van Rensburg |author5=Piet Janse |date=February 2014 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9781466557529 |editor1=Berger, Lars T. |series=Devices, Circuits, and Systems |pages=3–38 |chapter=Introduction to the Power Line Communication Channel and Noise Characterisation |doi=10.1201/b16540-3 |access-date=2014-05-19 |editor2=Schwager, Andreas |editor3=Pagani, Pascal |editor4=Schneider, Daniel M |chapter-url=http://www.crcnetbase.com/doi/abs/10.1201/b16540-3?queryID= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017135609/http://www.crcnetbase.com/doi/abs/10.1201/b16540-3?queryID= |archive-date=2015-10-17 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Relevance inline|date=December 2024}}

==History and development of LAN==

=== Early installations ===
{{Home networking standards}}
The increasing demand and usage of computers in universities and research labs in the late 1960s generated the need to provide high-speed interconnections between computer systems. A 1970 report from the [[Lawrence Radiation Laboratory]] detailing the growth of their "Octopus" network gave a good indication of the situation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerdmoore.ca/PS/OCTOA/OCTO.html |title=Octopus: The Lawrence Radiation Laboratory Network |author=Samuel F. Mendicino |publisher=Rogerdmoore.ca |date=1970-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706202409/http://www.rogerdmoore.ca/PS/OCTOA/OCTO.html |archive-date=2011-07-06 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |osti=4045588 |title=THE LAWRENCE RADIATION LABORATORY OCTOPUS |journal=Courant Symposium Series on Networks |date=29 Nov 1970 |publisher=Osti.gov |last1=Mendicino |first1=S. F.}}</ref>

A number of experimental and early commercial LAN technologies were developed in the 1970s. [[Ethernet]] was developed at [[Xerox PARC]] between 1973 and 1974.<ref name="metcalfe video">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5MezxMcRmk |title=The History of Ethernet |publisher=NetEvents.tv |year=2006 |access-date=September 10, 2011}}{{cbignore}} Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/g5MezxMcRmk Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120113032536/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5MezxMcRmk Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_687626 |title=Ethernet Prototype Circuit Board |year=1973 |publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of American History |access-date=September 2, 2007 |archive-date=October 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028132431/http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_687626 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Cambridge Ring (computer network)|Cambridge Ring]] was developed at Cambridge University starting in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/conference/EDSAC99/history.html |title=A brief informal history of the Computer Laboratory |publisher=University of Cambridge |date=20 December 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113213834/http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/conference/EDSAC99/history.html |archive-date=13 November 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>  [[ARCNET]] was developed by [[Datapoint]] Corporation in 1976 and announced in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcnet.com/resources/HistoryATA.pdf|title=ARCNET Timeline|date=Fall 1998|publisher=ARCNETworks magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414155134/http://www.arcnet.com/resources/HistoryATA.pdf|archive-date=2010-04-14|url-status=dead}}</ref> It had the first commercial installation in December 1977 at [[Chase Manhattan Bank]] in New York.<ref>{{cite web |author=Lamont Wood |url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2538907/networking/the-lan-turns-30--but-will-it-reach-40-.html |title=The LAN turns 30, but will it reach 40? |work=Computerworld |date=2008-01-31 |access-date=2016-06-02 |archive-date=2016-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630130355/http://www.computerworld.com/article/2538907/networking/the-lan-turns-30--but-will-it-reach-40-.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1979,<ref name="European Parliament Archives-2021">{{Cite web|last=European Parliament Archives|date=January 25, 2021|title=Voting system Tender Specifications - 1979 |url=https://enricomassetti.com/the-european-parliament-electronic-voting-system/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616175401/https://enricomassetti.com/the-european-parliament-electronic-voting-system/|archive-date=June 16, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> the [[electronic voting in the European Parliament|electronic voting system for the European Parliament]] was the first installation of a LAN connecting hundreds (420) of microprocessor-controlled voting terminals to a polling/selecting central unit with a [[multidrop bus]] with [[Master/slave (technology)]] arbitration.{{dubious|date=January 2021|Claim to first LAN/on of first LANs for Electronic voting systems for the European Parliament}} It used 10 kilometers of simple [[unshielded twisted pair]] [[category 3 cable]]—the same cable used for telephone systems—installed inside the benches of the European Parliament  Hemicycles in Strasbourg and Luxembourg.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 January 2021 |title=Italian TV network RAI on the voting system |url=https://vimeo.com/504531637 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117220933/https://vimeo.com/504531637 |archive-date=17 January 2023}}</ref>

The development and proliferation of [[personal computer]]s using the [[CP/M]] operating system in the late 1970s, and later [[DOS]]-based systems starting in 1981, meant that many sites grew to dozens or even hundreds of computers. The initial driving force for networking was to share [[Computer data storage|storage]] and [[Printer (computing)|printers]], both of which were expensive at the time. There was much enthusiasm for the concept, and for several years, from about 1983 onward, computer industry pundits habitually declared the coming year to be, "The year of the LAN".<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46|title=Will The Year of the ISDN be 1994 or 1995?|first=Robert|last=Metcalfe|quote='The Year of The LAN' is a long-standing joke, and I freely admit to being the comedian that first declared it in 1982...|journal=InfoWorld|date=Dec 27, 1993|volume=15|issue=52|access-date=June 14, 2021|archive-date=June 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614014127/https://books.google.com/books?id=FzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/java/quotes1999.html|title=Quotes in 1999|quote=...you will remember numerous computer magazines, over numerous years, announcing 'the year of the LAN.'|website=Cafe au Lait Java News and Resources|access-date=2011-02-25|archive-date=2016-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414043142/http://www.ibiblio.org/java/quotes1999.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://herot.typepad.com/cherot/2010/10/connected-health-symposium.html|title=Christopher Herot's Weblog|quote=...a bit like the Year of the LAN which computer industry pundits predicted for the good part of a decade...|first=Christopher|last=Herot|access-date=2023-10-21}}</ref>

=== Competing standards ===
In practice, the concept was marred by the proliferation of incompatible [[physical layer]] and [[network protocol]] implementations, and a plethora of methods of sharing resources. Typically, each vendor would have its own type of network card, cabling, protocol, and [[network operating system]]. A solution appeared with the advent of [[Novell NetWare]] which provided even-handed support for dozens of competing card and cable types, and a much more sophisticated operating system than most of its competitors.

Of the competitors to NetWare, only [[Banyan Vines]] had comparable technical strengths, but Banyan never gained a secure base. [[3Com]] produced [[3+Share]] and Microsoft produced [[MS-Net]]. These then formed the basis for collaboration between [[Microsoft]] and 3Com to create a simple network operating system [[LAN Manager]] and its cousin, IBM's [[LAN Server]]. None of these enjoyed any lasting success; Netware dominated the personal computer LAN business from early after its introduction in 1983 until the mid-1990s when Microsoft introduced [[Windows NT]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guide.sbanetweb.com/press/varbiz07116001.html |title=Has Microsoft Ever Read the History Books? |publisher=VARBusiness |author=Wayne Spivak |date=2001-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716012211/http://guide.sbanetweb.com/press/varbiz07116001.html |archive-date=2011-07-16 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1983, TCP/IP was first shown capable of supporting actual defense department applications on a Defense Communication Agency LAN testbed located at Reston, Virginia.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Scott|first=W. Ross|date=May 1, 1984|title=Updated Local Area Network Demonstration Plan|journal=MITRE Corporation Working Paper|issue=WP83W00222R1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=MITRENET: A Testbed Local Area Network at DTNSRDC.|last=Havard (II.)|first=Richard|publisher=Defense Technical Information Center|date=17 June 1986|location=Ft. Belvoir Defense Technical Information Center|page=i}}</ref> The TCP/IP-based LAN successfully supported [[Telnet]], [[FTP]], and a Defense Department teleconferencing application.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Scott|first1=W. Ross|last2=Cavedo|first2=Robert F.|date=September 1, 1984|title=Local Area Network Demonstration Procedures|journal=MITRE Corporation Working Paper|issue=WP83W00595}}</ref> This demonstrated the feasibility of employing TCP/IP LANs to interconnect [[Worldwide Military Command and Control System]] (WWMCCS) computers at command centers throughout the United States.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Scott|first=W. Ross|date=August 1, 1984|title=Local Area Network Alternative "A" Demonstration Analysis (DRAFT)|journal=MITRE Corporation Working Paper|issue=WP84W00281}}</ref> However, WWMCCS was superseded by the [[Global Command and Control System]] (GCCS) before that could happen.

During the same period, [[Unix workstation]]s were using TCP/IP networking. Although the workstation market segment is now much reduced, the technologies developed in the area continue to be influential on the Internet and in all forms of networking—and the TCP/IP protocol has replaced [[IPX]], [[AppleTalk]], [[NetBIOS Frames|NBF]], and other protocols used by the early PC LANs.

[[Econet]] was Acorn Computers's low-cost local area network system, intended for use by schools and small businesses. It was first developed for the [[Acorn Atom]] and [[Acorn System 2]]/[[Acorn System 3|3]]/[[Acorn System 4|4]] computers in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Retro Isle - Acorn Econet|url=http://www.retroisle.com/general/acorn_econet.php|access-date=2020-10-28|website=www.retroisle.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Chris's Acorns: Econet|url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/Network/Econet.html|access-date=2020-10-28|website=chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk}}</ref>

=== Further development ===
In the 1980s, several token ring network implementations for LANs were developed.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Early Token Ring Work at MIT |author=J. Noel Chiappa |author-link=Noel Chiappa |journal=[[IEEE Annals of the History of Computing]] |volume=36 |issue=2 |date=April–June 2014 |pages=80–85 |doi=10.1109/MAHC.2014.14|bibcode=2014IAHC...36b..80C |s2cid=30761524 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://historyofcomputercommunications.info/section/14.18/Proteon/ |title=14.18 Proteon in Chapter 14 - Internetworking: Emergence 1985-1988 |work=The History of Computer Communications |first=James |last=Pelkey}}</ref> IBM released its own implementation of token ring in 1985,<ref>{{Cite web|date=1985-10-15|title=IBM Token-Ring Network  |url=https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/archive/ENUS185-123|access-date=2025-03-26|website=IBM  |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lS8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=October+15+1985+token&pg=PA27 |title=Major Vendors Differ On Network Approach |first=Don |last=Crabb |magazine=[[InfoWorld]] |volume=8 |issue=12 |date=24 March 1986 |page=27}}</ref> It ran at {{val|4|ul=Mbit/s}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AToEAAAAMBAJ&dq=ibm+token+ring+speed+4&pg=PA11 | title=InfoWorld | date=21 November 1988 }}</ref> IBM claimed that their token ring systems were superior to Ethernet, especially under load, but these claims were debated;<ref>{{cite book |title=IEEE 802.3 Local Area Network considerations |publisher=[[IBM]] |id=GG22-9422-0}}</ref><ref name="Boggs1988">{{cite journal
 |author1=David R. Boggs |author2=Jeffrey C. Mogul |author3=Christopher A. Kent | year = 1988
 | title = Measured capacity of an Ethernet: myths and reality
 | journal = ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review
 | volume = 25
 | issue = 1
 | pages = 123–136
 | doi = 10.1145/205447.205460
 |s2cid=52820607 | url = http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/Compaq-DEC/WRL-88-4.pdf
}}</ref> while the slow but inexpensive AppleTalk was popular for Macs, in 1987 ''[[InfoWorld]]'' said, "No LAN has stood out as the clear leader, even in the IBM world".<ref name="satchell19870817">{{Cite magazine |last=Satchell |first=Stephen |date=1987-08-17 |title=IBM PS/2 Model 25 |department=Short Looks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2jsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 |access-date=2025-05-25 |magazine=InfoWorld |page=44 |volume=9 |issue=33}}</ref> IBM's implementation of token ring was the basis of the IEEE 802.5 standard.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Dn9KlIVM_EC&dq=ibm+802.5&pg=PA1009 | title=Internetworking Technologies Handbook | year=2004 | publisher=Cisco Press | isbn=978-1-58705-119-7 }}</ref> A 16&nbsp;Mbit/s version of Token Ring was standardized by the 802.5 working group in 1989.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.5/1100/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817022518/https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.5/1100/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 17, 2022 | title=IEEE Standards Association }}</ref> IBM had market dominance over Token Ring, for example, in 1990, IBM equipment was the most widely used for Token Ring networks.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://hcd.ucdavis.edu/faculty/webpages/kenney/articles_files/Sponsors,%20Communities,%20and%20Standards_%20Ethernet%20vs.%20Token%20Ring%20in%20the%20Local%20Area%20Networking%20Business.pdf |title=Sponsers, [sic] Communities, and Standards: Ethernet vs. Token Ring In The Local Area Networking Business |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219041820/http://hcd.ucdavis.edu/faculty/webpages/kenney/articles_files/Sponsors,%20Communities,%20and%20Standards_%20Ethernet%20vs.%20Token%20Ring%20in%20the%20Local%20Area%20Networking%20Business.pdf |archive-date=2018-02-19 |url-status=dead |author1=Urs Von Burg |author2=Martin Kenny |journal=Industry and Innovation |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=351–375 |date=December 2003 |doi=10.1080/1366271032000163621 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis Ltd]]|s2cid=153804163 }}</ref>

[[Fiber Distributed Data Interface]] (FDDI), a LAN standard, was considered an attractive campus [[backbone network]] technology in the early to mid 1990s since existing Ethernet networks only offered 10&nbsp;Mbit/s data rates and Token Ring networks only offered 4&nbsp;Mbit/s or 16&nbsp;Mbit/s rates. Thus it was a relatively high-speed choice of that era, with speeds such as 100&nbsp;Mbit/s.
By 1994, vendors included [[Cisco Systems]], [[National Semiconductor]], Network Peripherals, SysKonnect (acquired by [[Marvell Technology Group]]), and [[3Com]].<ref>{{Cite news |title= Wading Through Plethora of Options Poses Challenge for Life on the Fast LAN |work= Network World |pages= 41, 44, 46–49 |author= Mark Miller |date= March 21, 1994 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=eA0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47 |access-date= August 15, 2013 }}</ref> FDDI installations have largely been replaced by Ethernet deployments.<ref>{{Cite book |title= Optical Fiber Communication: Principles and Systems |pages= 241–249 |author=A. Selvarajan |author2=Subrat Kar |author3=T. Srinivas |publisher= Tata McGraw-Hill Education |year=2003 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uyBSO4hf6DYC&pg=PA241 |isbn= 978-1-259-08220-7 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode]]
* [[Chaosnet]]
* [[LAN messenger]]
* [[LAN party]]
* [[Network interface controller]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{commons category-inline|Local area networks (LAN)}}

{{Internet Access}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Local area networks| ]]
[[Category:Office equipment]]