V-LAN

Short for virtual LAN, a network of computers that behave as if they are connected to the same wire even though they may actually be physically located on different segments of a LAN. VLANs are configured through software rather than hardware, which makes them extremely flexible. One of the biggest advantages of VLANs is that when a computer is physically moved to another location, it can stay on the same VLAN without any hardware reconfiguration

A virtual area network (VAN) is a network on which users are enabled to share a more visual sense of community through high band-width connections. As conceived by PennWell Media Online, an online directory for specialized networking products, a virtual area network is something like a metropolitan area network (MAN) or extended local areanetwork (LAN) in which all users can meet over high-bandwidth connections, enabling "face-to-face" online "coffeehouses," remote medical diagnosis and legal consultation, and online corporate or extracorporate workgroups, focus groups, and conferences. A VAN requires multi-megabyte data flow and can be implemented through the use of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line but more likely through the installation of cable modem. Since the high-bandwidth connections imply a common infrastructure, the first VANs are likely to be local or regional. However, a VAN can also be national or international in geographic scope, assuming all users share similar capabilities.