Networking

Difference Between LAN and WAN

LAN vs WAN

Summary: Difference Between LAN and WAN is that local area network (LAN) is a network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as a home, school computer laboratory, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings. While wide area network (WAN) is a network that covers a large geographic area (such as a city, country, or the world) using a communications channel that combines many types of media such as telephone lines, cables, and radio waves.

Difference Between LAN and WAN

LAN

A local area network (LAN) is a network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as a home, school computer laboratory, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings. Each computer or device on the network, called a node, often shares resources such as printers, large hard disks, and programs. Often, the nodes are connected via cables. A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a LAN that uses no physical wires. Very often, a WLAN communicates with a wired LAN for access to its resources.

WAN

A wide area network (WAN) is a network that covers a large geographic area (such as a city, country, or the world) using a communications channel that combines many types of media such as telephone lines, cables, and radio waves. A WAN can be one large network or can consist of two or more LANs connected together. The Internet is the world’s largest WAN.

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