What is WAN (Wide Area Network)? Examples, Types, Connection, & Uses

WAN networks allow to connect a multiple computers and other networking devices over the geographically dispersed regions. Now, here we will explore all possible things about what is WAN network and its examples, uses, technologies; involving with different types of WAN connection with ease. At the end of this post, we will definitely understand about what is wide area network without any hassle.

What is WAN Network?

WAN stands for ‘Wide Area Network’ that is connected a group of telecommunication networks , which are going to distributed across a enlarge geographical area spanning the multiple territories, nations, or cities so that the element network can get exchange the data along with the defined WAN networks group. WANs users are going to get range from educational institutes, government entities, and business to make communication and transfer data to several users consisting of clients, students, and supplier spread across the entire globe.

Also Read: Advantages and Disadvantages of WAN (Wide Area Network)| Characteristics & Features

Wide-Area-Network

WAN networks have not limitations to similar geographical regions like as LAN network. LAN networks can be set up at any number of geographical locations and be attached to a wide area network that means it is not bounded to one specific area.

Wide Area Network Tutorial Headlines:

In this section, we will show you all headlines about this entire article; you can check them as your choice; below shown all:

  1. What is WAN Network?
  2. Examples of WAN Network
  3. Uses of Wide Area Network
  4. Types of WAN Network
  5. Types of WAN Technologies
  6. Types of WAN Connections
  7. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
  • What is WAN network in computer?
  • What is a WAN connection on a router?
  • What should my WAN connection type be?
  • Which device use Internet WAN connection?
  • What is the best example of WAN?
  • What are some examples of WAN networks?
  • What are the different types of WAN networks?
  • How many types of WAN technologies there are?
  • What are the examples of WAN technologies in networking?
  • What are the uses of WAN network?

Let’s Get Started!!

Examples of WAN Network

Here, we will introduce many examples of Wide Area Network that are going to use in your real life; below shown each one in detail, you can check them:

Also Read: What is LAN (Local Area Network)? Diagram, Types, Examples, and Uses!!

Uses of Wide Area Network:

Today, WAN networks are used in many sectors like as:

  • Internet
  • Banking
  • Defense & Military
  • TV Networks
  • Mobile Telecommunication
  • Private Network

Internet

The internet is an itself wide area network, so it is the best example of WAN network. It has ability to make communication with in several technological devices over enlarge distance; it can from one side to other of the world. It works as gigantic network that has usually to compare to a sea, superhighway or entire universe.

Banking

Many bank branches are also going to keep manage by vast network and in connection along with other banks, which are situated to other side. The bank’s branches are connected with each other though WAN network that lets a user to get withdraw money from ATM that are presented on the other side of country, or may be in other countries as well.

Defense & Military

The several military and defense surveillance networks that are connected with ships, satellites, airplanes and other vehicles gathered around the world; these are getting to necessary wide ranging and enormous, therefor it is also good example of WAN networks.

TV Networks

WAN networks are also going to use by many satellite television, entertainment, and information services. These technologies are depended on WAN network to link their subscriber in several countries in the different areas of the continent.

Mobile Telecommunication

The 4G and 5G network services are populated areas over the different countries of across world. So, these telecom companies are providing the home internet services to customers in the thousands of cities by linking their home along with fibre.

Private Network

The bank uses a private network that links many branches and facilities like as data centers over a country. This network is set-up with using a series of dedicated leased lines that are offered by several telecom companies.

Types of WAN (Wide Area Network)

Wide Area Network is divided into two sub categories like as Switched WAN and Point-to-point WAN, but keep in mind that these are apart from other WAN based technologies. Firstly we are going to explain about their types in a short note.

Also Read: What is Ring Topology? Diagram, Uses, & Examples of Ring Topology!!

Switch WAN Network: Switch WAN network allows to connect the multiple LANs component through shared networking infrastructure. WAN switching exchange is placed at the center that manages how the network resources are distributed across in in different regions. A switched WAN is the most comfortable for distributed environments, where the network configuration needs are enlarge homogeneous.

Point-to-point WAN Network: This network allows to connect two LAN networks or edge nodes via a dedicated and most secure leased line. Most of schools and campuses are going to use the dial up technology that is the also good example of point-point WAN network. Some enterprises also adopts this kind of WAN network to get enable secure and customized network performance in between two regions; and every of two edge nodes is further attached to several network devices to make a LAN network.

Types of WAN Technologies

IPsec VPN: IPsect VPN allows to secure links all of your sites over the similar private network by using the internet connectivity as the data communication networking. These types of VPN are always installed in between the security appliance otherwise firewall at every location; and making ensure IPsect tunnel between all sites. Primary advantage of this type of data networking services is to the cost, and capability to use presenting internet connectivity of data transport, as well as easily to integration of remote user along with the VPN software.

Packet Switching: Packet switching is concept that allows to data transmission, in which a message is getting divide into many segments, is known also the packet; and these packets are sent individually, and reassembled at the target point. Every packet has a piece part, named the payload and the identifying the header that enables the destination and reassembles that information. Each packet is getting to verify in the process that compares and then confirm that at minimum two copies match; if this verification process gets fail, then a request is constructed for the packet to be re-sent.

TCP/IP Protocol Suite: TCP/IP is protocol suite of the foundation make communication protocol that is used to get interconnect network devices on today’s internet and other network devices.

SD WAN (Software Defined WAN): It is a combination of different types of WAN technologies; this technology is going to use to automatically identify the better route to and from location over the internet connections and private data networks

Router:  A router is a kind of network hardware device usually that is used to make interconnection to multiple LAN networks as form a WAN (Wide Area Network). IP routers always use the IP address to identify that where to toward the packet.

Overlay Network: In the overlay network concept, such software is going to use that help to make virtual networks on upper of another network, usually a hardware and cabling infrastructure

Packet over SONET/SDH: This technique is going to use primarily for WAN transport, and it helps to define how point to point links communicate, whenever it is using the optical fiber and SONET or SDH communication protocols.

MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching): This is a network routing optimization technique, and it is able to direct data from one node to further by using the short path labels instead of long network addresses, to ignore the time-consuming table lookups.

Frame Relay: In the frame relay concept, all data is getting to transmit in between the LAN networks or edge points of the wide area network. It also helps to specify the physical and data link layer of digital telecommunication channel by using of packet switching technology.

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode): It is a switching technique that is using in early data networks that has been enlarge superseded by IP based technologies. ATM implements the asynchronous time-division multiplexing for getting the encode data into small, fixed-sized cell.

Types of WAN Connections

WAN connections are classified into two main categories like as Dedicated Connection and Switched Connection. And further these categories are divided into sub-categories such as:

Also Read: Linear Bus Topology: Diagram, Advantages, Disadvantage, & Examples!!

1) Dedicated Connections

A dedicated connection is a mediator path for making communication otherwise other facility dedicated to a certain application, and help to share resources like as telephone network or the Internet is known as the dedicated connection.

Leased Lines:

  • It allows to make interconnection in between two different site, and this logical connection may be physically linked via telephone company’s central office otherwise service provider’s facility.
  • The leased line mostly more expensive compare to other WAN technologies that providing the same data rates because a dedicated lease line doesn’t share bandwidth along with other clients.
  • It offers the higher speed data transmission up to 64Gbps.
  • PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) can be capable to run over the dedicated leased line.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line):

DSL is a mediator path that is going to use for transferring the digital signals over the standard telephone lines. It always consumes the different frequency compare to telephone; you are able to use the internet while making a call. It is traditional technique that offers a speed of around 6Mbps; but it can a good thing because not shareable bandwidth and offers the constant speed.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line):

  • ADSL is a kind of digital subscriber line technology of data communication concept that offers the faster data transmission over the copper telephone line instead of conventional voice modem used.
  • It works as digital subscriber line but it has only difference is that upstream and downstream is dissimilar.

2) Switched Connections

There are three kinds of switch connection; below shown each one in detail, you can read them:

Also Read: What is Hybrid Topology? Advantages and Disadvantages of Hybrid Topology!!

Packet Switched Network:

  • It is like as a dedicated leased line because there most of packets switched network are always on mode.
  • Packet switched line allows to various clients to share a service provider’s bandwidth.
  • As you known, in which all bandwidth is shared among of multiple clients, but each clients have a right to buy a service-level agreement (SLA) that specifies the performance matrix like as (available bandwidth and maximum delay) guaranteed for a specific percentage of time duration.
  • Frame Relay is best example of packet switched connection, because it allows the various customers to connect at a service provider’s network and virtual circuits.

Circuit Switched Network:

  • In which, firstly new connection would be established then data will be going to transfer over the WAN networks; and after completing this process this connection will get closed.
  • This technique always allows to transfer data via single connection or single route.

Cell Switched Network:

  • This network allows to transfer data into fixed size cell that is 53 bytes.
  • ATM is the best example of cell switched network; ATM implements the asynchronous time-division multiplexing for getting the encode data into small, fixed-sized cell.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is WAN network in computer?

WAN is a enlarge network of the information that is not bounded to a one region; it allows to facilities for making communication, sharing information in between the multiple network devices from around the world via WAN provider.

What is a WAN connection on a router?

WAN connection is going to used make connection to an internet source like as broadband modem; and it also allows to router to internet and share that make connection will all the Ethernet-ready devices connected to it.

What should my WAN connection type be?

The most common connection type is a Dynamic connection. When you use a cable modem and then you will have a dynamic connection.

Which device use Internet WAN connection?

For making the WAN connection, you have to need a router networking device that is used to interconnect LAN networks form a wide area network.

What is the best example of WAN?

Internet is the best example of wide area network.

What are some examples of WAN networks?

There are many examples of Wide Area Network that are going to use in your daily life like as: Internet, Banking, Defense & Military, TV Networks, Mobile Telecommunication, Private Network, and etc.

What are the different types of WAN networks?

WAN network is classified into two categories like as Switch WAN Network and Point-to-point WAN Network; and each one is explained in detail, above this article.

How many types of WAN technologies there are?

Above in this post, already we have been explained different kinds of WAN network technologies; you can check them.

What are the examples of WAN technologies in networking?

There are many examples of WAN technologies like as IPsec VPN, Packet Switching, TCP/IP Protocol Suite, SD WAN, Router, Overlay Network, Packet over SONET/SDH, MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), Frame Relay, and ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode).

What are the uses of WAN network?

WAN networks are going to use into many areas like as:

  • Internet
  • Banking
  • Defense & Military
  • TV Networks
  • Mobile Telecommunication
  • Private Network

Final Words

Make ensure that you have been completely educated about about what is WAN network and its examples, uses, technologies; involving with different types of WAN connection with ease. If this article is valuable for you, then please share it along with your friends, family members or relatives over social media platforms like as Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Twitter, and more.

Also Read: Bus Topology: Advantages, Disadvantages, Examples, & Uses!!

If you have any experience, tips, tricks, or query regarding this issue? You can drop a comment!

Happy Learning!!

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