WAN stands for Wide Area Network. It is a computer network that covers a large geographical area consisting of two or more LANs or MANs. These networks are established with leased telecommunication circuits, in which two connected sides have routers that connect the LAN of both sides in a network to facilitate communication. A WAN (Wide Area Network) is to join multiple smaller Local Area Networks (LANs). It is a computer network designed. WANs can help communicate, share information, and much more between systems or devices from around the world through a WAN provider.
History of WAN
The history of Wide Area Networks (WANs) spans many decades of technological progress. It all began in the 1950s when people started thinking about how to connect computers over long distances. But the real game-changer came in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the invention of packet switching technology, like what we see in the internet today with ARPANET. This new tech allowed data to be split into small packets and sent separately, making long-distance communication much better.
In the 1980s, companies like Telenet and Tymnet started offering WAN services. They used something called X.25, which helped connect businesses and institutions across big areas. As technology kept getting better, the 1980s and 1990s saw new things like Frame Relay and ATM. Frame Relay made sharing networks more efficient, while ATM provided really fast and reliable connections.
The history of WANs shows a constant effort to make faraway places feel closer through better data connections. Nowadays, WANs are super advanced and help people, companies, and data centres all over the world communicate and share information.
WAN Router
A WAN (Wide Area Network) router is like a traffic director for your internet connection on a larger scale. Think of it as the captain of a ship navigating the vast sea of the internet. This specialized router connects your local network to the internet, allowing multiple devices in your home or business to communicate with distant servers and other networks.
It’s designed to handle data over long distances, making it suitable for linking geographically separated locations. Just as you use a GPS to find your way on the road, a WAN router uses algorithms and protocols to determine the best path for data to travel across the internet efficiently and securely. It manages traffic, ensuring that data packets reach their intended destinations across the vast digital ocean of the world wide web.
Types of WAN Technologies
- Leased Lines: These are like exclusive highways connecting two places directly, guaranteeing a dedicated route for data with a set speed limit.
- MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching): Think of MPLS as a traffic manager using signs to efficiently guide data, like traffic signs directing cars on specific routes.
- Frame Relay: Frame Relay is like a postal service for data, sending grouped data packets over shared networks. It’s cost-effective but can sometimes have delays, similar to sending letters through a post office.
- ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode): ATM is like a super-fast train system. It breaks data into tiny cells and sends them very quickly, ensuring fast and reliable travel, much like a high-speed train.
- ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network): ISDN is like a digital phone line that can handle both voice calls and data at the same time, similar to talking on the phone and sending faxes on a single line.
- DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): DSL is like a dedicated data lane on your regular phone line, allowing high-speed internet access, like having a fast lane on a road you already use.
- Cable Modem: Imagine cable modems as express data routes over TV cables, providing high-speed internet using TV infrastructure, like travelling on a data highway alongside your TV channels.
- Satellite WAN: Satellite WAN is like having a communication tower in space that sends and receives data via satellites orbiting Earth. It’s great for remote areas, similar to getting signals from space.
- Cellular WAN: Cellular WAN acts like a mobile hotspot for your devices, connecting to the internet through cell networks wherever you have a signal, just like using your smartphone on the go.
- Ethernet WAN: Ethernet WAN extends your local network over long distances using Ethernet technology, making multiple locations feel like they’re part of the same network.
Characteristics of WAN
- Big Coverage: WANs cover huge areas, like connecting cities, countries, or even the whole world. They link devices and networks that are far apart.
- A mix of Stuff: WANs use a mix of different tools and gadgets, like routers, switches, and various cables like fibre optics, satellites, or phone lines.
- Who’s in Charge: WANs can be owned by everyone (like the internet) or just one group (like a company’s private network). Public WANs are open to everyone, while private ones are limited to certain people.
- Internet Backbone: The internet, a global WAN, has super-fast data highways called the “internet backbone.” These ensure data can travel far and wide.
- All Kinds of Traffic: WANs handle many types of data, from emails and websites to video calls and big file transfers. They need to handle all this traffic smoothly.
- Always Ready: WANs have backup plans to stay connected. If one path breaks, data can take another route to reach its destination.
- Stay Safe: WANs use special codes and locks to keep data safe while it travels, especially important when sensitive stuff goes a long way.
- Helping Hands: Companies and internet providers offer WAN services. They give you the tools and connections to use WANs.
- Waiting Time: Sometimes, data travelling across WANs takes a little longer because it has to go a long way. They try to make this waiting time as short as possible.
- Growing Big: WANs can get bigger as more people and devices join. This is important because more and more things are connecting to the internet every day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Wide Area Networks (WANs) are the digital highways that connect our world. They cover vast distances, linking devices, networks, and people across cities, countries, and continents. WANs use a mix of technologies, from cables to satellites, to bridge these extensive gaps. Whether publicly accessible, like the internet, or privately owned for specific users, WANs rely on a global infrastructure known as the internet backbone to ensure data can travel anywhere swiftly and securely.
Frequently Asked Question
A LAN (Local Area Network) covers a smaller, localized area, like a home, office, or campus. In contrast, a WAN spans larger regions and often uses public infrastructure, such as the internet.
WANs rely on various technologies, including leased lines, MPLS, Frame Relay, ATM, satellite links, and more. The choice of technology depends on factors like distance, speed, and cost.
The internet backbone is a global network of high-capacity data routes that form the core of the internet.
