We explain what a WAN network is and the types that exist. Also, several examples and other types of computer networks.
What is a WAN network?
In computing, it is called a WAN network (English acronym: Wide Area Networkthat is, Wide Area Network) to the largest computer connections that is, the most comprehensive and fastest, which cover a large geographical portion of the planet, if not the entire world.
WAN networks incorporate various smaller networks into a single thus interconnecting users separated by enormous distances, with higher transmission rates and with various levels (layers) of data.
This implies the need for machines completely dedicated to the execution of user programs (hosts), the presence of routers and switches, or the use of subnet masks to connect several hosts.
WAN network types
WAN networks They can be of different types, for example:
- WAN network by circuits These are dial-up networks, which receive full bandwidth while the telephone line is in use, but they are slow and occupy the telephone line.
- WAN network per message. It is made up of computers (switches) that accept traffic from each of the network terminals and manage the flow of information through messages (and information in their header) that can be deleted, redirected or responded to automatically.
- Packet WAN network. The information in these cases is divided into small parts (packets) and once they reach their destination they are reintegrated into the original message.
WAN networks promise to be the computer integration technology of the future which further allows instant communication at all levels in various daily sectors (work, leisure, documentation, shopping, etc.).
WAN Network Examples
A perfect example of a WAN network is the Internet also known as the World Wide Web, which allows connection to a huge set of data available online, from anywhere in the world that has an access point and an ISP (Internet Service Provider“Internet Service Provider”).
The same occurs with national banking networks, which manage secret financial information, or with subscription television networks, which use satellites and other mechanisms to broadcast paid signals to subscribed households.
Other network types
Apart from WAN networks, there are two other types of networks based on their scope:
- LAN networks (Local Area Network). As its name indicates (Local Area Network), these are networks whose scope is limited to a well-defined and small area, such as an apartment, an office, an airplane and even a building. Without public interconnection means, LANs operate as a single location network, although they can serve several users at the same time.
- MAN networks (Metropolitan Area Network) Its name comes from the English acronym for Metropolitan Area Network, and it is a high-speed, intermediate coverage network that covers a larger geographic area than a LAN (or may contain several of them), such as a portion of a network. city or a university campus.
