Asked By
philip
460 points
N/A
Posted on - 05/20/2011
I am well acquainted with LAN, it means local area network. I have LAN connection in my room so I understand how it works, but I have never used a WAN connection so I have no idea of it. At first please tell me the full meaning of the term WANÂ and how it is works? How was the connection developed? In LAN connection every PC has a particular IP address and the whole system needs not much care, as it is almost self dependent.
Does WAN works the same way? Do we require an internet connection for WAN? I can't figure out the working principle of WAN. Please someone explain what it is and how it works. The explanation should be as detailed as possible because detailed explanation can help me understand the real things. So be clear with the answer.
Thanks.
What is the difference between LAN and WAN??
First I should say about LAN.
LAN :Â LAN means Local Area Network, which covers a small geographic area. An example of LAN may be an internet or a computer network within a building or around a building. It may be wired or wireless. You can transfer data, files and play video games against your friend from one computer to another.
WAN: WAN means Wide Area Network, which covers a large geographic area which connects two or more LAN's or computers from one place to another. It may cover 10-100 kilometers. It works through an internet connection. In WAN connection you cannot use printer, between two computers but you can use it in LAN connection. LAN is a high speed connection where the WAN is a low speed connection because it is a bandwidth connection and more expensive than LAN.
WAN is classified into three classes such as topology, connection method and scale. If you wish to establish WAN network, then you need a Inter network like telephone company, a router, a hub, a server computer which is always need to run. The method of establishing a WAN Network is mostly similar to LAN network. There are some method of establishing a WAN connection which are:
Leased line connection: It is the point to point connection between two or more LANs or Computers. A telecommunication company is used in Leased line connection. In a leased line connection you have to connect a router on one end of leased line and a hub within WAN on other end of the leased line. It is most secure connection but very expensive. PPP, HDLC, SDLC, HNAS protocols are used in this connection. The bandwidth range of this connection is 45Mbps-55Mbps.
Circuit switching: It is established by a dedicated physical circuit connection between two ends point of inter networks. It is like a telephone calling system which needs to dial up. It is less expensive but you have to finish call set up for every connection establishment and termination. It is very expensive method and used for low bandwidth transfer. The bandwidth range of this connection is 28-144 kb/s. In this connection PPP, ISDN protocols are used.
Packet switching: It is similar to circuit switching but you need multi point of inter network to connect a dedicated physical circuit. It is normally used in ATM network. X.25 Frame-Relay protocol are used in this connection. The bandwidth range of this connection is 56 Kbps – 2.048 Mbps.
In WAN network connection every PC has a common IP address and does not work, as a self dependent because the everything is transferred by an inter network media. I f you have a question please reply or deliver a comment.
What is the difference between LAN and WAN??
LAN, often called the local area network is a network limited to a small geographic area and cannot extend beyond this boundaries, such a geographical area may be an office building or a University campus. A network is no longer a LAN when you connect two LANs together using a router, this becomes an internet work. Technologies used to form wired LAN includes; Ethernet and Token Ring.
In Ethernet two computer devices are connected to each other via a communication medium called an Ethernet cable, which is a coaxial cable with connectors at the end.
Token Ring is a technology utilized mainly by IBM Company and includes and uses a coaxial cable which is involved in a process called token passing. A token is like a pot, that is created from one network device in the ring topology and when a data request is made it's passed to the sender of data, where the data and address of the receiving device is poured into it. The token is passed around until it reaches its destination, the receiver and the content emptied in it; then it returns to where it was created.
Wireless LAN is also another type of LAN that’s specified under the IEEE 802 networking standard as, 802.11b/g/n, commonly referred to as WIFI.
WAN-Wide Area Network, usually an interconnection of very many LAN that spans wide geographical areas and even international boundaries, uses router a and public network links.
Technologies used to implement it include;
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ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) – A circuit oriented service operating at 64-Kbit/sec or 128-Kbit/sec data channel. Primary rate ISDN provides additional bandwidth in increments of 64 Kbits/sec.
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X.25Â An early packet-switching protocol still used for many low-bandwidth requirements (credit card authorization).
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ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)Â A cell-switched any-to-any virtual circuit service.
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Frames relay – A frame-based any-to-any virtual circuit service.
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DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)Â A high-speed circuit-oriented service that runs over the local loop.
The internet is a type of WAN.
What is the difference between LAN and WAN??
Hi Philip
Go this Techyv's article which is described extensively about LAN and WAN. From that article you will be able to understand clearly about  the difference between LAN and WAN.
The Three Main Types of Area Networks
