What is the difference between WAN and LAN? What is WAN? What is the difference between the WAN connector and the LAN connector on a router?

Greetings, dear readers of the blog site! Today we will talk about different types of networks, such as local area networks (LAN), examples of which can be found in organizations, educational campuses or even at home, wide or regional networks (WAN), the most striking example here is the Internet, network complexes or interconnected networks, i.e. combining, for example, several local networks into a larger regional network. You will also learn what an intranet is and become familiar with network views.

Local Networks (LAN)

Network infrastructures can vary quite significantly in terms of:

• Network coverage size
• Number of connected users
• Number and type of available services

Typically extends over a single geographic area, providing services and applications to people within a common organizational structure, such as a single enterprise, campus, or region. This type of network is called . A LAN network is usually administered by a single organization. Administrative controls that manage security and access control policies are implemented at the network level.

Regional (Global) Networks

When a company or organization has multiple locations that are separated by large geographic distances, it may need to use a telecommunications service provider (TSP) to connect LAN networks located in different locations to each other. Telecommunications service providers operate large regional networks that can extend over long distances. Traditionally, TSPs carried voice and data on separate networks. Now, increasingly, these providers offer services to their clients.

Individual organizations typically use leased connections to a telecommunications service provider's network. These networks, which connect LANs in geographically separated locations, are called Wide Area Networks (WANs). Although the organization maintains all LAN policies and administration on both sides of the connection, the policies within the communications service provider's network are controlled TSP.

WAN networks use specially designed networks that connect local LAN networks to each other. Because of the importance of these devices to the network, configuration, installation, and maintenance of these devices are integral skills for an enterprise network.

LAN and WAN networks are very useful for individual organizations. They connect users within an organization. They provide services including email exchanges, corporate training, and other resource exchanges.

Internet – Network of Networks

While there are benefits to using a LAN or WAN, most of us need to interact with resources on another network outside of our local organization.

Examples of this type of communication include:

• Sending emails to a friend in another country
• Access news and products on the website
• Receiving a file from a neighbor's computer
• Exchange with a relative from another city
• Monitoring the achievements of your favorite sports team on your cell phone

Network Complexes (Network Associations)

A global web of interconnected networks (network complexes) serves. Some of these interconnected networks are owned and intended exclusively for use by large public and private organizations, such as government agencies or industries. The largest well-known and widely used public interconnected network is the Internet.

The Internet consists of interconnected networks that belong to Internet Service Providers (ISPs). These ISP networks connect to each other, providing access to millions of users around the world. Assurance across this diverse infrastructure requires the use of consistent and recognized systems, as well as the cooperation of multiple network administration agencies.

Intranet

Term intranet often used to refer to a private connection of LAN and WAN networks belonging to one organization that are designed to be accessible only by that organization's members, workers, and other authorized users.

Note: The following terms can be used interchangeably: internetwork, data network, and simply network. The connection of two or more data networks forms an interconnected network - a network of networks. It is also common to refer to an internetwork as a data network—or simply a network—when considering high-level communications. This use of terms depends on context and the terms may be used interchangeably.

Network Views

When transporting complex information, such as network connectivity and the operation of a large internetwork, it is useful to use visual representations and graphics. Like any other language, the language of networks uses a well-known set of symbols (notations) to represent various , and . The ability to recognize logical representations of physical network components is critical to the ability to visualize the organization and operation of a network.

In addition to representing networks using special notations, special terminology is used when discussing how each of these devices and connections connects to each other. It is important to remember the following terms:

Network Interface Map(Network Interface Card or NIC) or LAN adapter, provides a physical connection to the network of a computer or other device hosta. , connect directly to network cards (NICs).

Today, many users are looking for the following information on the Internet: LAN – what is it and why is it needed? Of course, you can find a very simple and short definition on the World Wide Web.

It sounds like this: LAN is a local area network. That's all.

But this decryption gives absolutely nothing, especially if a novice user has to deal with this.

In fact, this approach to the matter only complicates the whole situation. Therefore, we will try to explain what LAN is in simple language, so that even a child can understand it.

If you still don’t understand something, write about it in the comments, we will be happy to answer all your questions. So let's start with a simple theory.

Theoretical page

So, LAN stands for Local Area Network. This actually translates to .

To put it simply, a LAN is several interconnected computers and other devices that can connect to the network.

And they are connected to each other either using cables or using . In Figure 1 you can see a fairly clear example of a local network.

Rice. 1. LAN example

As you can see, the main element of the network here is a router that is connected to the Internet (WAN). Remember this abbreviation, we will talk about it later.

For now, let’s look at the diagram shown above. On it, numbers indicate network segments, specifically:

3. DVD player connected to the router using a cable. For this purpose, the router has special LAN connectors, which are usually marked in yellow. In most cases there are 4 such connectors.

As we said above, a LAN connector is used to connect to the router via cable. We can see this in Figure 3.

Rice. 3. Router - rear view

As you can see, everything is standard in this model - 4 LAN connectors, but there is one more and it is already different in blue.

Actually, this is the WAN (remember, we said that this concept needs to be remembered?). To more accurately understand what a LAN is, you can compare it with this very WAN.

By the way: Both LAN and WAN are connected via the most common cable with an RJ45 tip, shown in Figure 4. Above we said that, for example, segment No. 3 in Figure 1, that is, a DVD player, is connected to the router with using a cable. This cable is a regular twisted pair cable with RJ45 lugs on both sides. It's that simple!

Rice. 4. RJ45 tip

Comparing LAN and WAN

Let's start with what a WAN actually is. Again, to put it simply, this is the Internet. That is, it is the same network, but not local, like LAN, but global.

It includes all devices and millions of local networks. WAN stands for Wide Area Network.

Through this very network, each user can access the resources of another computer or other device that can be connected to the network.

By the way: This information is stored on servers. To put it simply, this is a huge number of high-capacity disks collected into one large device that can provide this information.

Rice. 5. Example of a working server

Differences between LAN and WAN:

1. Dimensions. Typically, a local network covers small areas, for example, an apartment or some kind of industrial premises. But the global network spreads across the entire surface of the globe.
2. Number of users. Of course, many more people can connect to a global network than to a local one. There, the equipment used is much more powerful, and in general, a lot of people usually connect. This is what we are counting on.
3. Type of services. Local networks have their own services, such as a file access service, a printer service, and so on, in general, everything that is needed for a small network. But in the global network, for example, a routing service is used (determining the route of information to network nodes) and much more, which is necessary for working in large networks.

As for the distance or area that these two types of networks can cover, we have already said above that the global network extends over the entire surface of the globe.

Accordingly, it can also work on distant spaceships if they are connected to any device within this network.

So, it’s interesting that local networks can also reach quite large sizes

The largest such network to date had devices that were located at a distance of 14,000 km from each other. These were space stations and orbital centers.

Although usually a local network covers the same offices, houses, firms or a small group of buildings.

Each router has LAN ports for connecting a computer, printer and other devices, in particular switches, to it, that is, for creating a local network. There is usually only one WAN port, it is marked or highlighted in a different color. An Internet cable from the provider is connected to it.

What is a LAN port in a router

The term LAN, as such, is an abbreviation for Local Area Network, which translates as “Local Area Network” (LAN). This is a broad name that includes a group of computers and peripheral devices connected into one common network through switches, cables and wireless connections.

LAN port – this connector is used to organize a local network, all equipment is connected through it using network cables:

• Computers
• Printers
• SIP phones
• other equipment

It is also called an Ethernet port. Do not confuse the LAN hardware port with network ports, such as HTTP port 80.

This connection is used to organize a network in an apartment, office, or country house, that is, when the connected computers are located at close range.

Now let's figure out how to set up a LAN on the router. First, you need to assign an IP address to your router so that you can connect to it from other computers.

The router will not always respond to a connection check using the “ping” command; some routers do not support this option, and in some it is customizable.

And also by setting up DHCP: enabling/disabling the server and the range of distributed IP addresses.

To avoid possible confusion when using DHCP, it is advisable to manually reserve IP addresses on the router, which it will distribute to all equipment on the network. To simplify this, you can look at the client table and rewrite from it the MAC addresses of the connected equipment and the IP addresses assigned to each, so reserve them.

If the number of LAN ports is not enough to connect all the equipment, then you can use a switch after configuring it: specifying the IP address, network mask, and selecting the IP address of the main router that has Internet access as the default gateway.

When using a switch, do not forget to disable the distribution of IP addresses via DHCP on it.

Of course, the local network also includes the wireless connection of devices with various mobile devices, but this already applies more to Wi-Fi settings.

What does WAN mean on a router?

The term WAN is an abbreviation for Wide Area Network and translates as “Global Area Network” (WAN), is a geographically distributed network that combines several local networks. Thanks to this, you can connect from one local network to the resources of others, if, of course, access to them is granted.

The WAN port is used to connect the router to an external network, in particular to connect to the provider’s network in order to gain access to the Internet. Usually it is highlighted in a different color and labeled “WAN” or “INTERNET”.

That is, this connection is used to connect remote computers located in different buildings, cities, and countries.

Some models have two WAN ports, or the number of them is configurable. Their presence is not very important for the average user, but, for reference, they are used for backup Internet access through another provider or for load balancing.

Indication

On each WAN and LAN port there are two LEDs that can indicate whether there is a link - whether the response device is connected, the connection speed, usually:

• Green – 1 Gbps
• Yellow – 100 Mbps
• Off – 10 Mbit/s

The indicators may flash while data is being exchanged.

Some devices may not have a yellow LED at all. It can be arranged so that one indicator lights up green only in case of a 1 Gbps connection, and the indicator on the right lights up when a data packet is being transmitted.

In addition to indicators on the connector, indicators are often made on the case; for WAN it is usually depicted as a planet, for LAN it is depicted as a computer. If everything is fine, it lights up or flashes green.

Simply put, a local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and other devices that are connected together over a network and located in one place - usually in the same building, such as an office or home. But let's take a closer look.

What is LAN

So, we know two things about a local network based on the name "Local Area Network" - the devices in them are connected to the network, and they are local. And it's the local part that really defines a LAN and distinguishes it from other types of networks such as wide area networks (WANs) and Metro Area Networks (MANs).

Typically LANs are limited to a small area, usually a single building, but this is not a requirement. This area could be your home or small business, and it could contain just a few devices. It could also be a much larger area, like an entire office building, that contains hundreds or thousands of devices.

But regardless of size, the single defining characteristic of a local area network is that it connects devices that are in the same limited area.

The benefits of using a local network are the same as those of any networked device. These devices can share the same Internet connection, exchange files with each other, print to shared printers, and more.

In large local networks, you will also find dedicated servers that host services such as global user directories, email, and access to other company resources.

What technologies are used in the local network

The types of technologies used in a local area network really depend on the number of devices and services provided on the network. The two main connection types used in modern LANs—regardless of size—are Ethernet cables and Wi-Fi.

On a typical LAN or small office network, you might find a modem that provides an Internet connection (and a basic firewall against Internet intrusion), a router that allows other devices to share that connection and connect to each other, and Wi-Fi that allows devices wireless access connect to the network. Sometimes these functions are combined into one device. For example, many ISPs provide a combo box that serves as a modem, router, and wireless access point. Sometimes you can also find devices called switches, which allow you to split a single Ethernet connection into multiple connection points.

On larger LANs you will typically find the same network devices, just on a much larger scale - both in terms of how many devices are used and how efficient they are. For example, professional routers and switches can handle many more simultaneous connections than their home counterparts, provide stronger security and monitoring options, and allow for a higher-quality setup. Professional-grade Wi-Fi access points often allow you to manage many devices from a single interface and provide better access control.

What are WAN and MAN

Broadband networks (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) are actually very similar. You'll even see Campus Area Networks (CANs) pop up sometimes. They all overlap somewhat, and no one agrees on a clear distinction. Essentially, these are networks that connect multiple local networks together.

For people who make the distinction, a MAN is a network consisting of several local area networks that are connected together via high-speed networks and all contained within the same city or metropolitan area. A WAN also consists of several local area networks, but covers an area larger than one city and can be connected by different types of technologies, including the Internet. And CAN, of course, is a network made up of multiple local area networks that span a campus.

For a classic WAN example, think of a company that has branches in three different locations around the country (or the world). Each location has its own local network. These local area networks are connected together as part of the same overall network. Perhaps they are connected via private connections or perhaps they are connected to each other via the Internet. The fact is that the connection between LANs is not considered fast, reliable or secure as connections between devices on the same local network.

In fact, the Internet itself is the largest WAN, connecting many thousands of local networks around the world.