Home Area Network

What Does Home Area Network Mean?

A home area network (HAN) is a network that is deployed and operated within a small boundary, typically a house or small office/home office (SOHO). It enables the communication and sharing of resources (like the Internet) between computers, mobile and other devices over a network connection.

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Techopedia Explains Home Area Network

As a type of IP-based local area network (LAN), a HAN may be wired or wireless. In a typical implementation, a HAN consists of a broadband Internet connection that is shared between multiple users through a vendor/third party wired or wireless modem.

User host devices may be standard computers, laptops, mobiles and tablets. The modem generally has network switch capabilities that provide wired LAN ports or wireless connectivity to host users.

A HAN also may include other devices, such as a fax, printer, scanner or small network attached storage that is shared by all host devices.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…