In plain English
It is the network used by devices that are all in one nearby place. It links computers and other devices inside a limited area, rather than across wide distances.
In context
On a router, LAN labels the side or ports that belong to the limited-area network connecting devices in the home.
- Situation
- Installing broadband, activating service, using routers, and reading connection status
- What it communicates
- labels the home-network side or ports on the router.
Meaning limits
The term by itself does not say how the network is connected or which devices are part of it.
Examples
“The office laptops and the shared printer were all on the same LAN.”
“After moving the desk, he plugged the computer back into a LAN port on the router.”