Wide Area Network - WAN
How Does A WAN - Wide Area Network Work
Computer networks are found virtually everywhere. They are in schools, offices, and our homes. Networks connect our computers through a common medium. A Local Area Network is commonplace in homes and businesses and facilitates the movement of data between nodes. Moving this information between these networks is accomplished through Wide Area Networks.
A WAN differs in many ways from a LAN, but perhaps the biggest difference is the area the network serves. Wide Area Networks most often allow for communication over a large geographical region. Large corporations use these networks heavily as a method to move their data between offices that are separated by great distances.
When viewed from a technical perspective, a WAN is quite different than a LAN. They use private communication lines leased from the telephone companies. They also make use of public analog lines through a device called a modem. Local Area Networks use special cables or wireless communication.
They can send and receive data by connecting two sites directly through what is known as a point-to-point connection. They also use packet switched networks that move packets of data along common communication circuits. Point-to-point is typically used for batch jobs such as point of sale data. Digital lines that use packet switching are more expensive but provide a better long-term connection.
A WAN is most always much bigger than a local area network since its primary function is to connect smaller LANs. Perhaps the best way to envision the potential size of a WAN is to think about the internet. This may be an extreme example, but the internet is, at its core, just a very big WAN.
A WAN - Wide Area Network is a critical part of data transmission for corporations, the government, and even personal use. They allow us to link together smaller networks and facilitate data transmission between them. Wide area networks have changed the way we work and play for the better.
