Learn in the textbookNetwork Classification and the Physical Foundation of Wired Connections
DefinitionA LAN is a network that connects devices within a limited area, such as a building, a floor, or a single site.
ExplanationThe name stands for Local Area Network. Because the area is limited, the organization or household that uses it can lay the wiring, gather the equipment, and build and manage it on its own.
AnalogyThink of the water pipes inside a house. On your own property, you can run the pipes however you like.
Memory hookLocal means "of this place", which matches the sense of "inside the building where we are".