Communications network consisting of many computers within a local area, such as a single building or company complex.
Individual users can share data or files on a LAN as if the data or files resided on their respective computers; a central computer used for this purpose is called a server . Laser printers and other peripheral equipment can be connected to a LAN for common use. fibre-optic cables are popular communication lines for LANs because they provide fast data transmission and are easy to install. See also computer {{link=network, computer">network .