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What is LAN (local area network)?

A network that connects devices within a limited area such as a home, office, factory or building. Ethernet is the main wired technology and Wi-Fi (wireless LAN) the main wireless one. A network covering a wide area that links distant sites is called a WAN (wide area network), and a router usually sits at the boundary between a LAN and a WAN.

Japanese name: LAN(ローカルエリアネットワーク)

LAN (local area network) appears in 7 practice questions across 3 topics, including Wireless Communication Basics, Computer Networking Basics, System Architecture and Reliability.

Field: Computer Networking Basics

Try it: questions about LAN (local area network)

Which describes the RTS/CTS mechanism used to mitigate the hidden node problem in wireless LANs?

  1. AA terminal that wants to transmit sends a request to send (RTS), and the access point returns a clear to send (CTS); nearby terminals that receive the CTS refrain from transmitting for the duration of that exchange
  2. BA terminal monitors the received signal while transmitting and stops immediately if it detects a collision
  3. CAll terminals transmit at maximum power so that their signals reach one another
Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. A terminal that wants to transmit sends a request to send (RTS), and the access point returns a clear to send (CTS); nearby terminals that receive the CTS refrain from transmitting for the duration of that exchange

The hidden node problem occurs when signals from both terminals reach the access point, but the terminals cannot hear each other because of distance or obstacles. Unaware of each other's transmissions, they judge the channel to be free, transmit at the same time and collide at the access point. With RTS/CTS, the CTS returned by the access point states how long the exchange will take, and terminals that receive the CTS refrain from transmitting for that time. The RTS/CTS exchange costs efficiency, so it can be configured to be used only when sending large frames.

LAN (local area network) in the explanations

Questions that mention LAN (local area network) (7)

  1. Which describes the RTS/CTS mechanism used to mitigate the hidden node problem in wireless LANs?
  2. Among the ways of connecting storage, which describes a SAN (storage area network)?
  3. When a web page's data is sent, what happens on the sending side each time the data is passed from an upper layer to a lower layer?
  4. On one L2 switch, VLANs are configured so that ports 1–4 are in VLAN 10 and ports 5–8 are in VLAN 20. Which statement about its operation is correct?
  5. Which is a general property when the modulation is changed from 16QAM to 256QAM at the same symbol rate?
  6. Which describes OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing)?
  7. Which describes OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access)?

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Related terms

IP (Internet Protocol) Wi-Fi OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) Hidden node problem TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) Packet Ethernet VLAN Router QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation)

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