Add to ORKGLocal area networks (LANs) are probably the most flexible and adaptable to customizing communications systems. LANs can virtually fit any location/site requirements. They can be tailored for any number of users, any application type and any cost/performance ratio. LANs can work with small (micro computers), medium (mini computers) and large/complex (mainframe) systems. This great flexibility which is due to several factors like, distributed architecture design, software standards, and hardware independence technology make LANs easy to use in a computer laboratory environment. Currently, many hospitality institutions are investigating the feasibility of using LANs in their computer laboratory. However, LANs are still costly, and sometimes di...