WAN, an acronym for Wide Area Network, is a type of computer network connected over a large geographical area. It is used purely for communication purposes and usually consists of multiple links, which can be either wired or wireless.
WANs are the opposite of LANs (Local Area Networks), which are limited to a small area such as a single office or building. Depending on the size of the network, it may include a few or hundreds of locations. WANs are designed to interconnect geographically disparate locations, such as connecting offices in different cities across the world.
WANs are commonly used in a variety of different applications, such as data sharing, file transfer, remote access, virtual private networks (VPNs), and online gaming. It is also used for connecting multiple LANs and connecting multiple sites, such as in the case of Cloud Computing and SaaS.
The most popular type of technology used to connect WANs is the Internet Protocol (IP). This is a network layer protocol which enables two or more computers or devices to communicate over a shared physical or virtual data link. The most widely used type of WAN protocol is TCP/IP, which is responsible for transporting data using the public Internet or private networks.
WANs are an important part of many businesses and operate in virtually all organizations, including corporate offices, educational institutions and government departments. Although WANs are complex to manage, they are essential for organizations to remain connected to their offices around the world.
