Ethernet vs LAN

Shawn
2 min readJun 4, 2021

If you are a beginner in the network field. A Lot of terminologies and things are very confusing. In this article, I will talk about ethernet technology, particularly in LAN(Local Area Network). How is Ethernet different from LAN.

  • what is Ethernet?
  • what is LAN?
  • how is Ethernet different from LAN?

What is ethernet?

Ethernet is the traditional technology for connecting devices in a wired local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), enabling them to communicate with each other via a protocol. I’ve seen many people believed ethernet is only used in LAN. But in fact, ethernet is used for other types of network such as WAN.

The connection from the router (Internet Gateway), switch and PC are called ethernet as long as they are connected by physical wires (or cables). It means that if there’s a phone or tablet connected via a wireless network protocol, they are not considered ethernet.

What is LAN?

A local area network (LAN) is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. The devices in LAN can be PC, switch, router, laptop and mobile phone. We can picture what LAN looks like using the diagram below.

how is ethernet different from LAN?

I believe you’ve already noticed the difference between the two. Ethernet refers to the network technology connected via cables. This is more about how nodes are connected. Whereas, Local Area Network is more about the area they are connected to.

Thank you, guys. This article was for those who are confused with ethernet and LAN. I am not an expert in Network as well but learning it enthusiastically. If some info is not correct in this article. please give me feedback so I can correct it.

Your clap will motivate me to write good articles!

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