Key Characteristics
A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographical area, connecting multiple local area networks (LANs) together. WANs are designed to span cities, states, countries, or even continents, connecting geographically separated locations. They typically use leased telecommunication circuits or internet connections to link remote sites.
WANs enable organizations to share resources, communicate, and collaborate across distant locations. They use various technologies including MPLS, Frame Relay, ATM, and IP-based connections to transmit data across long distances. WANs form the backbone of global communication networks.
Advantages
- Geographic Coverage: Connects geographically separated locations
- Resource Sharing: Enables sharing of resources across locations
- Communication: Facilitates communication between remote sites
- Centralization: Allows centralized management of distributed resources
- Scalability: Can expand to include new locations
- Cost Efficiency: Reduces costs compared to maintaining separate networks
- Collaboration: Enables collaboration between distant teams
Disadvantages
- Cost: Expensive to implement and maintain
- Performance: Generally slower than LANs due to distance
- Complexity: Complex to design and manage
- Reliability: May have reliability issues due to dependence on external providers
- Security: Potentially more vulnerable due to extended reach
- Maintenance: Difficult to troubleshoot and maintain
- Latency: Higher latency compared to local networks
Best Practices
- Network Planning: Plan WAN architecture carefully considering traffic patterns
- Redundancy: Implement redundant connections for critical links
- Security: Implement strong security measures across WAN links
- Quality of Service: Use QoS to prioritize critical traffic
- Monitoring: Monitor WAN performance and utilization
- Documentation: Maintain detailed documentation of WAN infrastructure
- Testing: Regularly test failover and backup procedures
- Performance Optimization: Optimize WAN performance through compression and acceleration
Use Cases
- Branch Office Connectivity: Connecting remote offices to headquarters
- Cloud Connectivity: Connecting on-premises networks to cloud services
- Data Center Interconnect: Connecting geographically distributed data centers
- International Operations: Supporting global business operations
- Retail Chains: Connecting retail locations to corporate systems
- Healthcare: Connecting hospitals and clinics in healthcare networks
- Educational: Connecting schools and universities in educational systems
- Government: Connecting government agencies across different locations