A Wide Area Network covers a broad geographic area. A country, a continent, or the world. It connects LANs across cities and countries. The internet is the largest WAN. A company with offices in multiple cities uses a WAN to connect them. WANs use leased lines, fiber, microwave, and satellites.

WANs are slower than LANs. They cover more distance. They are more expensive. They are often owned by carriers. Companies lease capacity. They use MPLS, VPN, or SD-WAN to manage traffic. WAN optimization improves performance over long distances.

WAN characteristics

• Broad area: cities, countries, continents
• High cost: leased lines and equipment
• Slower: than LANs
• Owned by: carriers or large organizations
• Used by: enterprises, governments, the internet

WANs connect the world. They carry email, video, and data between offices. They link branches to headquarters. They enable global business. The internet is the ultimate WAN. It connects billions of devices. It is the network of networks.