WAN – The phrase “wide area network” in a word is known as WAN. That wide ranging network works collectively with the help of hardware such as computers and related resources. Cisco has introduced a lot of devices such as modem and routers for WAN, protocols and technologies such as ATM, Cisco frame relay etc so to provide a better wide area network (WAN) environment.
As a geographically discrete telecommunications network, WAN is owned privately. But it can also be rented. Anyway, the term indicates that it is an enclosure of public networks. Anyhow, telecommunication network is covered up a broad area (local or nationwide). Big businesses as well as government bodies can use this network system in order to distribute information and data amongst their employees and clients, who are residing in the different corners of the world. In this way, a business running body can effectively perform their daily routine functions despite of location easily.
You can say, WANs are utilized to hook up LANs and some other networks as one so as a result, both network users plus computers residing at a location can communicate with those users and computers, reside in another location. WANs can be built for the private businesses and organizations.
Cisco official site, online forums or other related sites can offer you advice as a help on designing, managing, troubleshooting and secure VPNs types issues. Moreover, WAN and internet application can be made secure from the different kinds of threats over the Internet with the help of certain devices that are particularly designed for security purposes such as firewall. Besides this, WAN resources are employed for the purpose to get information about the IPsec, network setup, its configuration and design type. A WAN design is in fact its foundation so certain practices and approaches relating to design should be considered carefully such as: accurate WAN capacity planning, bandwidth management, disaster upturn planning methods for a network, WWAN etc, all these aspects while building a WAN need to be projected perfectly.
WAN Connection Possible Technologies
For a WAN connectivity, anyone from the below options can be chosen:
- Leased Line (for point to point connection and security purposes). But this is an expensive way of connectivity. Protocols such as PPP, SDLC, HNAS and HDLC can be employed under this option
- Circuit switching that provides a dedicated path for communication between end points. It also provides a bandwidth range of 28-144 kbit/s and its best example is dialup connection. Moreover, PPP and ISDN protocols are used in this connection
- Packet switching works by utilizing the protocols like x.25 and frame relay. While transmitting, variable length data packets are released either over the PVC (permanent virtual circuits) or over the SVC (switched virtual circuits)
- Cell relay technique involves the fixed length cells transmission over the virtual circuits. Transfer process is done with the help of ATM protocol under this connectivity. And voice plus data can be simultaneously sent over the medium with better results than those provided by the above mentioned techniques. That’s it.