WAN network definition - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The structure that has a characteristic pattern is called a network.This term, which comes from the Latin word challenge , is used in various fields, but it is very common in the informatica to name the set of teams that are interconnected and share resources .

It is possible to classify a network in different ways according to its scope, the functional relationship of its components and its connection method.The notion of WAN network is part of the classification of a network according to its scope.

WAN is the acronym for Wide Area Network , an English-language expression that can be translated as Wide Area Network .This means that the WAN network is a type of network that covers distances of about 100 to about 1,000 kilometers, which allows you to provide connectivity to several cities or even an entire country.

WAN networks can be developed by a company or an organization for private use, or even by an Internet provider ( ISP , Internet Service Provider ) to provide connectivity to all your customers.

Generally, the WAN network works point to point, so it can be defined as a packet switched network .These networks, on the other hand, can use radio or satellite communication systems.

Among the components of the WAN network are the computers that are dedicated to running user programs and are called hosts ; the routers that specify the division between the transmission lines and the switching elements; and subnets formed from the interconnection of several hosts.

Its transmission speed is between 1 Mbps and 1 Gbps, although the latter limit can change dramatically with technological advances.The WAN network is used to establish private communications and the main means of transmission on which it is based are fiber optic and telephone cable.It offers great versatility to make changes in the software and hardware of the equipment that links and also allows connections to other networks.

Advantages of the WAN network

* allows you to use special software so that mini and macrocomputers coexist between your network elements; * is not limited to specific geographical spaces; * offers a wide range of transmission media, such as satellite links.

Disadvantages of the WAN network

* computers with a large memory capacity should be used, as this factor has a direct impact on the speed of access to information; * it is not noted for the security it offers to its users.Viruses and the elimination of programs These are two of the most common evils that the WAN network suffers.

There are several types of WAN network, and three of them are grouped under the switched network classification (in physics, the switching consists of changing the destination of a signal or an electric current):

* By circuits

To establish a communication, this type of WAN network requires that a call be made and only when the connection is made each user has a direct link.

* By message

Their switches are usually computers that fulfill the task of accepting the traffic of each terminal that is connected to them.These teams evaluate the address that is in the header of the messages and can store it for later use.that it is also possible to delete, redirect and reply messages automatically.

* By packages

Each message sent by the users is divided and transformed into a number of small parts called packages, which are rejoined once they reach the destination computer, to reconstruct the initial data.These packages move through the network independently , and this has a positive impact on traffic, in addition to facilitating the correction of errors, since in case of failures only the affected parts should be resent.