Sometimes many computers are needed for a business or school. It becomes important for messages to be sent from one person or computer to another. Rather than hire a young, energetic messenger to transport these messages, the computers are connected with a Local Area Network, or LAN. These networks are made in many different and confusing layouts. In the bus-type layout there is a single long, insulated coaxial cable which each individual terminal hooks onto by way of a transceiver. The transceiver sends and receives data messages, which travel along the cable to other terminals. With the token ring layout a cable, wire, or optical fiber can be used as a railway for the data to travel. A repeater is used to send and receive data instead of a transceiver, and the cable, wire, or optical fiber is arranged in the form of a loop, so that the connected terminals form a circle. A happy circle rich with the wonder of knowledge.(yuch!) Yes, that's it. In a star layout all computers are connected at a central station with copper wire or telephone cords. Data goes into the central station, which directs the data to its destination.

That was so wholesome it made me sick.-Galen