Local Area Network ( LAN ) A LAN supplies networking capability to a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school, or a home. LANs are useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games or other applications. A LAN in turn often connects to other LANs, and to the Internet or some other WAN.
Most LANs are built with relatively inexpensive hardware such as Ethernet cables, network adapters, and hubs. Wireless and other more advanced LAN hardware options also exist.
Specialized operating system software may even be used to configure a LAN. For example, most flavors of Microsoft Windows provide a software package called Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) that supports controlled access to resources on the LAN.