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Provider Wide Area Network Design
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WAN can be classified by several different properties such as capacity, authorization, structure, technology, organizational purpose, etc. However, the most common network classification method is the physical or geographical extent. |
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Provider WAN stands for wide area network. A wide area network is a large computer network, which connects groups of computers or communication devices over large distances. Unlike a LAN, it is not tied to a single geographic location. WANs are generally used by businesses to connect their office networks located at multiple geographical sites. Each of the offices typically has its own LAN, and these LANs are connected via a WAN. |
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Therefore, a WAN can be viewed as a collection of LANs or other communication networks. The largest and most common example of a WAN is the Internet/Intranet. Compared to a LAN, a WAN requires additional hardware components. Some of the important hardware required for a wide area network are WAN switches, access servers, modems, Firewall & routers. |
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