Internet of Things (IoT) Practice Exam 2026 – Comprehensive Prep Resource

A local area network (LAN) is designed to cover a small geographical area, such as a college classroom or a building. It typically connects a variety of wired devices, allowing them to communicate with one another and to share resources like printers and internet access. In a college setting, a LAN is commonly used to provide students and faculty with high-speed internet, access to shared drives, and collaborative tools within a confined area.

This type of network is distinct from a personal area network (PAN), which covers an even smaller area, typically for personal devices like smartphones and laptops. A wireless local area network (WLAN) focuses on wireless connections, which is not applicable in the context of a classroom that consists solely of wired computers. Furthermore, metropolitan area networks (MAN) span larger areas, typically covering multiple buildings or an entire campus rather than just a single classroom. This highlights why a LAN is the suitable choice for wired networks in such an environment.