wide area network definition

Wide area network definition WANs are large communication networks that connect locations over a wide geographical area, including cities, states, countries, and continents. Enterprise WANs are often built for one organization and are usually private. Often, they’re created using leased lines involving a direct point-to-point connection between two private sites. A leased line is a direct connection between two points set up by a telecommunications carrier, like a T-1 channel. And while they resemble Local Area Networks (LANS) a great deal, WANs are structured and operate quite differently.

WANS aren’t new, they’ve been around for a while with some people tracing their roots to the 1970s, 1980s and even the 1990s. That’s when Frame Relay Service appeared as an alternative to the point-to-point service options then being offered. This new service offered numerous advantages including lower monthly costs, fewer physical connections to oversee, and less expensive router hardware to manage. In any case, WANs represented a viable communication option for businesses and remain so today.