WAN

In short: Wide Area Network — a network over large distances that links several LANs and MANs across countries or continents.

In more detail: WANs use lines and services from providers: fibre, leased lines, microwave links or satellite. The internet is the largest WAN. Companies use it to connect their sites, often through a VPN.

In Depth

• Speed and cost: usually slower and more expensive than a LAN, because the links are provider lines paid for every month.
• Latency: grows with distance, see latency.
• Technology: routers at the sites, connection over provider networks, often encrypted (VPN) or as a leased line.
• Example: a company with sites in Munich and Hamburg connects both office LANs through a VPN over the internet.

See also: LAN, MAN, GAN, router