Chapter 6 - The Local Area Network Arrives

Introduction
Motivation (mainframes & minicomputers with terminals)
Interchangeable Media (removable disks and tapes)
A Computer Consists Of Circuit Boards
Circuit Boards Plug Into A Computer
Connecting One Computer To Another
LAN Technologies
A computer communication technology is classified as a Local Area Network (LAN) if it provides a way to interconnect multiple computers across short distances. LANs are inexpensive, highly reliable, and convenient to install and manage.
Connecting A Computer To A LAN
A computer needs additional hardware to connect it to a local area network. The hardware consists of a circuit board (NIC) that plugs into a computer and a cable with assoicated hardware that attaches the circuit board to the LAN. Once connected, a computer uses the network interface to send and receive data.
Because each computer attached to a LAN contains interface hardware that isolates the computer from the LAN, the speed of the LAN does not depend on the speed of the computer that attaches to it. As a result, heterogeneous computers can communicate across a LAN.
The Importance Of LAN Technology
LANs changed the economics of computing because they made it possible to use inexpensive computers that shared access to resources like printers and disks.
Relationship To The Internet (Ethernet)