Data Communications: Wide Area Networks

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a computer network that spans across over a large geographical area. A wide area network typically is made up of two or more Local Area Networks (LANs). Computers connected to a wide area network are often connected through public networks, such as the telephone system. They can also be connected through leased lines or satellites. An example of a wide area network is the Internet, which is the biggest in existence. WAN technologies generally function at the lower three layers of the OSI reference model- the physical layer, the data link layer, and the netw…