CISSP Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Prep Guide

A Local Area Network (LAN) is specifically designed to operate within a limited geographic area, primarily within a single building or a group of nearby buildings. The primary characteristic of a LAN is its ability to facilitate high-speed data transfer among connected devices, making it ideal for environments like offices, schools, or homes where devices can easily communicate with one another.

LANs leverage technologies such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi to create a network infrastructure that allows multiple devices to share resources, such as printers and storage systems, and access the internet. The limited range of a LAN enables more straightforward management and security measures, as the network boundaries are more easily defined compared to broader networks.

In contrast, a Wide Area Network (WAN) connects devices over larger geographical distances, such as different cities or countries, often utilizing leased telecommunication lines. A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) typically covers a city or a metropolitan area but is still larger than a LAN. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a technology used to create encrypted connections over the internet, not a type of network confined to a small physical area.