How to determine the boundaries of a local network?

The boundaries of a Local Area Network (LAN) are determined by the address space and the physical or logical topology of the network.

Main methods of determination:

1. IP address and subnet mask: A local network usually has a specific range of IP addresses, for example, 192.168.0.0/24. The subnet mask (e.g., 255.255.255.0) defines which addresses are considered part of the local network.

2. Physical topology: devices connected to the same switch or router without passing through external networks are considered within the same LAN.

3. Routing: if packets between devices do not leave the local router, they are in the same local network.

Example: if you have an IP 192.168.1.10 with a mask of 255.255.255.0, then the local network includes all addresses from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254. Devices with addresses outside this range are considered outside the local network.