Today's enterprise cannot effectively function without a network, and today's enterprise network is almost always based on LAN technology. In a few short years, LANs have become an essential element of today's business environment. This time in the spotlight, while well deserved, has not come without a price. Businesses now insist that LANs deliver vast and ever-increasing quantities of business-critical information and that they do it efficiently, flawlessly, without fail, and most of all, securely. Today's network managers must consistently deliver this level of performance, and must do so while keeping up with ever changing, ever increasing demands without missing a beat. At the same time, today's IT managers must deliver business-critical information systems in an environment that has undergone radical paradigm shifts in such widely varied fields as computer architecture, operating systems, application development, and security.

The Local Area Networks Handbook focuses on this collective environment, in which networking and information technology work together to create LAN-based enterprise networks. Topics have been selected and organized with this in mind, providing both depth and breadth of coverage. The handbook will provide you not only an understanding of how LANs work and how to go about selecting and implementing LAN products, but also of how to leverage LAN capabilities for the benefit of your enterprise.