Part 1: LAN Basics —

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Before diving into the deep end of networking, let’s understand a basic — but super important — concept: how devices talk to each other in your home or office. That’s exactly what LAN (Local Area Network) is all about.

LAN, WLAN, and WAN — What Do They Mean?

Let’s break it down:

• LAN (Local Area Network): Connects devices in a small area like your home, office, or school.
• WLAN (Wireless LAN): A LAN without the wires — commonly known as Wi-Fi.
• WAN (Wide Area Network): Covers a large area — like your ISP’s network or the internet itself.

Example:
Your home Wi-Fi is a WLAN, and the internet it connects to is a WAN.

Network Topologies — How Devices Are Arranged

This refers to how devices are physically or logically laid out in a network:

• Star Topology: All devices connect to a central switch or hub — most common today.
• Bus Topology: One main cable…