What Is A Wide Area Network?

A wide area network (WAN) is the physical Internet. A WAN is a collection of different types of networks that are used to connect one location with another. The term “wide area” refers to the distance between the two locations and does not refer to how big or small either network may be.

A WAN is the network of physical communications lines, fiber optic cables and satellite routes that connect multiple LANs in different locations.

A WAN is the network of physical communications lines, fiber optic cables and satellite routes that connect multiple LANs in different locations. A WAN can be used to connect LANs within a single building or campus, but it also connects sites that are located hundreds or thousands of miles apart.

The most common transmission media used by WANs include copper wire; fiber optic cable; microwave radio waves; satellite systems like Iridium Satellite or Globalstar Satellite; …

An Overview of Wireless Local Area Network Technology

Wireless Local Area NetworkA WLAN provides wireless connectivity over short to long distances with radio waves rather than traditional electrical network cabling. A WLAN extends already existing wired local area networks (LAN) to computers not attached to the LAN directly. The term ‘wireless’ denotes that the system does not require any wires connecting the computers or devices to the network. It uses radio signals for this purpose.

There are four main types of wireless local area networks: single-mode, multimode, bridged, and a packet switch. Each has its pros and cons and can be used for various applications. In single-mode networks, the primary (and least important) mode of connectivity is fixed and the secondary mode covers either one or two modes. Bridged and packet switch networks combine the features of both single and dual-mode networks. The fourth network type offers faster connectivity and provides more efficient power consumption.

An example of a single-mode network …