This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by How.com.vn staff writer, Johnathan Fuentes. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University.
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Whether you’re studying computer science or just curious about programming and web design, you’ll probably encounter the terms “WAN” and “LAN” at some point. But what do they mean, exactly? And how are they related to computers and the internet? We’ve got you covered. This guide breaks down the distinction between “WAN” and “LAN.” Read on to learn what these terms really mean, why they’re important, and where they fit alongside other concepts in computer science and the internet.
Things You Should Know
- A “Local Area Network” (LAN) is a small, private network of computers and devices close together, such as in an office building or college campus.
- A “Wider Area Network” (WAN) is a network of many devices spread across a large geographic area, like a city, country, or even around the world.
- Examples of LANs include home WiFi networks or offices with a few computers. Examples of WANs include cloud hosting services and even the internet as a whole.
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References
- ↑ https://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/aspnes/pinewiki/Networking.html
- ↑ https://www.csus.edu/indiv/r/rengstorffj/obe152-spring02/articles/webarticles/introduction%20to%20lans.htm
- ↑ https://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/aspnes/pinewiki/Networking.html
- ↑ https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall20/cos461/lectures/lec04-routers.pdf
- ↑ http://web.simmons.edu/~chen/nit/NIT'92/349-wij.htm
- ↑ http://web.simmons.edu/~chen/nit/NIT%2792/349-wij.htm
- ↑ https://e115.engr.ncsu.edu/networking/home-networking/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/kDEX1HXybrU?t=2
- ↑ https://youtu.be/UjCDWCeHCzY?t=343
- ↑ https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/meesh/cmsc411/website/proj01/pub/nine.html
- ↑ https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/meesh/cmsc411/website/proj01/pub/nine.html
- ↑ https://youtu.be/9WkZT0YMZ70?t=39
- ↑ https://fcit.usf.edu/network/chap1/chap1.htm
- ↑ https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=333E8798021686CE4C3AF4F32ACC5C1B?doi=10.1.1.579.3650&rep=rep1&type=pdf
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-authenticator-now-syncs-one-time-passwords-to-your-account/
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