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A local area network is a computer network covering a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings.

Current LANs are based on Ethernet technology, running at 10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 Mbit/s, or on IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi technology.

Each node or computer in the LAN has its own computing power but it can also access other devices on the LAN subject to the permissions it has been allowed. These could include data, processing power, and the ability to communicate or chat with other users in the network.

The defining characteristics of LANs, in contrast to WANs (wide area networks), include their much higher data transfer rates, smaller geographic range, and lack of a need for leased telecommunication lines.