What are the components of LAN?

Q: What are the components of LAN?

Ans: Component of a Lan:
Computer, local area networks are made up of several standard components.
(1) Connection or Cabling System:
LANs do not use the telephone networks instead, they use some other cabling or connection system either wired or optic cable.
(2) Micro Computers with Network Interface Card:
Two or more micro computers are required, along with network interface cards. A network interfae cards enable the computer to send and receive messages over a cable network.
(3) Network Operating System:
The Network Operating System is the system software that manages the activity of a network. The network operating system supports access by multi-users and provides for belongnition of users based on pass words and terminals.
Examples of popular network operating system software are Novell's  Netware, Microsoft Windows NT/2000, unix and linux.
(4) Other Shared Devices: 
Printers, fax machines, scanners, storage devices and other preipherals may be added to the network as necessary and shared by all users.
(5) Routers, Bridges and Gateways:
In principle, a LAN may stand alone. Today however, it invarialaly  connects to other network, especially the internet network designs determine the types of hardware and software necessary as interfaces to make these  connections. Routers, bridges and gateways are used for this purpose.
            A router is a special computer that directs communicating messages when several networks are connected together high speed routers can serve as part of the internet backbone, or transmission path, handling the major data traffic.
           A bridge is a hardware and software combination used to connect the same types of networks.
           A gateway is an interface that enables dissimilar networks to communicate, such as LAN with a WAN or two LANs based on different topologies or network operating systems.