Wide Area Networks

A wide area network (WAN) consists of several autonomous computers that are interconnected over a large geographical area, spanning cities, states, nations, or even the globe. A WAN is a network that utilizes telephones, satellite dishes, antennas, and microwaves to span a large geographic area. A WAN may connect different smaller networks such as multiple local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and other heterogeneous computer networks using routers and gateways. It is designed to provide efficient communication among sites and to allow the sharing of computer resources by a wide community of users.

Academic institutions, businesses, and government bodies use WANs to communicate among students, staff, customers, and suppliers from dispersed locations. In an enterprise, a WAN may connect a company’s headquarters, branch offices, cloud services, ...