Local Area Transport (LAT) is a non-routable (data link layer) networking technology developed by Digital Equipment Corporation to provide connection between the DECserver terminal servers and Digital's VAX and Alpha and MIPS host computers via Ethernet, giving communication between those hosts and serial devices such as video terminals and printers. The protocol itself was designed in such a manner as to maximize packet efficiency over Ethernet by bundling multiple characters from multiple ports into a single packet for Ethernet transport.
One LAT strength was efficiently handling time-sensitive data transmission.
- Emulex Corporation - A California-based early provider of Terminal Server products that included X.25 and 3270 features; they sold through Datability and other OEMs.
- Equinox Systems - A Florida-based early provider of Terminal Server products.
- Hughes LAN Systems - Provided LAT capability in 1989.
- Interlink Computer Sciences, an early 1990 LAT vendor.