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Once traffic crosses a router and engages Layer 3 (IP-related) functions, it is not considered to be on the same LAN, even if everything stays in the same building or floor. Computers can also connect to one of a set of interconnected switches, such as a set of access switches that all connect up to a backbone switch.
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A LAN is usually associated with an Ethernet ( Layer 2) broadcast domain, which is the set of network devices an Ethernet broadcast packet can reach.Ĭomputers on the LAN connect to the same network switch, either directly or through wireless access points (APs) connected to the same switch. A virtual LAN (VLAN) is a logical overlay network that groups together a subset of devices that share a physical LAN, isolating the traffic for each group.Ī LAN is a group of computers or other devices in the same place - e.g., the same building or campus - that share the same physical network.
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