Local area network development at Leicester Polytechnic Library

Leicester Polytechnic Library uses two types of local area network (LAN). The library is connected to the polytechnic campus Cambridge Ring network which allows data communications within the library, throughout the polytechnic sites and with the wide area network. The library provides various services including an OPAC on this polytechnic network. A second LAN, a 3COM Ethernet, is used for a research project investigating the development of a decision support system on networked microcomputers. This article gives the background to these developments, provides a brief summary of local area networking and describes the network configurations implemented.