The WAN is known as wide area network , wide area networks are a form of telecommunication networks that can connect devices from multiple locations and across the global.These networks are often established by service providers that then lease their WAN to businesses, schools, governments or the public. These customers can use the network to relay and store data or communicate with other users, no matter their location, as long as they have access to the established WAN.
For huge organizations, WAN allows them to carry out their essential daily functions without delay. Employees from anywhere can use a business’s WAN to share data, communicate with coworkers.
What’s the Difference Between Wide Area Network (WAN) and Local Area Network (LAN)?
is a group of computers and other network devices attached within a limited area like a house, a building, an office, an entire campus, etc. It is a widely used network of devices and can be set up in a limited geographical area without investing a huge cost like other networks. In most cases, LAN is used to form a network to share resources like printers, scanners, or files like audio, video, movies, software, games, etc. The simplest kind of LAN example is a connection formed between a computer and a printer within a house. Typically, it is a medium that helps transfer data across devices in a limited range area.
Advantages:
Few advantages of using a LAN are listed below:
- Data can be transferred from one device to another networked device without any issue.
- Data can be stored centrally in a single storage disk of the server computer. It will be a lot easier to secure the data in a single disk than all the separate disks. This also helps in data management.
- LANs allow administrators to share a single internet connection across all the other connected devices.
- Instead of purchasing any paid software for each system, users from different systems can use the same software from the server’s main computer over the network.
Computer peripherals like hard-disk, Optical Disk Drive, and printer can share local area networks that will reduce the hardware purchases’ overall costs. Using LAN, multiple computers can use the same printer or other connected devices.
WAN (Wide Area Network)
WAN is an essential computer network that extends over a large geographical area. It can cover distances between states or countries. WAN is comparatively much larger than LAN or MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) and relatively more expensive. Because of its cost and complex setup, WANs are not usually owned by one organization. Wide area networks are established using several LANs attached by telephone lines or radio waves. Typically, these types of networks are organized using high-end telecommunication circuits. The Internet, a kind of public network, is an example of the largest wide area network.
Advantages:
Few advantages of using a WAN are listed below:
- WAN enables users to establish a connection over a large geographical area. This is helpful for the organizations having offices at a large distance. They can communicate with other offices easily.
- The data is organized in a centralized manner. It helps users to access or manage the data easily. This is helpful when using emails, files, or backup servers. Users don’t have to pay for these resources for each office or branch separately.
- WAN allows users to communicate over the instant messaging system. Applications like Whatsapp, Telegram, and Skype, have made it easier for people to connect with their friends or family.
- Using WAN, companies work on the live server. Thus, the developers and programmers have instant access to the updated files within seconds. This helps in increasing productivity.
- Due to a public network, people can organize their business over the Internet globally.