Question

How does a WAN differ from a LAN and what must be taken into consideration in terms of communications media? Support your rationale.

Answer 1

WAN DIFFER FROM LAN

LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORK):

IT IS A COLLECTION OF DEVICES WHICH IS CONNECTED WITHIN ONE LOCATION SUCH AS BUILDINGS,SCHOOLS,OFFICE etc..LAN CAN BE SMALL,LARGE ACCORDING TO THE LOCATION SUCH AS

IN HOME WE USES SMALL LAN,BUT IN SCHOOLS WE USES LARGE..THE COMPUTER IN A LAN CAN BE CONNECTED USING TCP/IP,ETHERNET OR WIFI.

WAN (WIDE AREA NETWORK):

IT IS A COLLECTION OF LOCAL AREA NETWORKS OR A NETWORK COMMUNICATES WITH ONE ANOTHER.

WAN CAN FACILITATE COMMUNICATION,SHARING OF INFORMATION AROUND THE WORLD.

HOW WAN DIFFER FROM LAN:

LAN(LOCAL AREA NETWOK)	WAN (WIDE AREA NETWORK)
IT COVERS SMALL AREA.	IT COVERS LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
TRANSMISSION MEDIUM USED IS COAXIAL CABLE OR UTP CABLE.	IT USES PSTN OR SATELLITE LINK AS TRANSMISSION MEDIUM,
IT OPERATES ON PRINCIPLE OF BROADCASTING.	IT OPERATES ON PRINCIPLEOF POINT TO POINT.
IN THIS NETWORK DESIGN AND MAINTANENCE IS EASY.	IN THIS MAINTANENCE AND DESIGN IS DIFFICULT.
LESS CONGESTION.	MORE CONGESTION.
MORE FAULT TOLERANCE .	LESS FAULT TOLERENCE.
PROPOGATION DELAY IS SHORT .	PROPAGATION DELAY IS HIGH.
HIGH SPEED NETWORK.	SPEED IS LESS COMPARE TO LAN.
OWNERSHIP IS PRIVATE.	OWNERSHIP CAN BE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE

ACCORDING TO MY OPINION BOTH LAN AND WAN ARE GOOD.BOTH HAS ITS OWN LIMITATION ACCORDING TO THEIR PARTICULAR USES.

BECAUSE

1.LAN SUPPORTS CLIENT SEVER MODEL NETWORK WHERE AS WAN IT COVERS A BIG AREA AND THEY USES MOBILE COMMUNICATION AS THEY COVER LARGE DISTANCE.

2.LAN USES LOCAL CONNECTION SO THAT THEY CAN COMMUNICATE EACH OTHER WITHOUT USING AN INTERNET CONNECTION WHERE AS IN WAN FOR COMMUNICATION USES ROUTERS BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE SHORTEST DISTANCE OVER LONGER DISTANCE USING ROUTYNG CABLES.

3.IN LAN NETWORK EVERY  NODES CAN ACCESS PUBLICALLY FOR THE RESOURSES LIKE PRINTERS,FAX ETC..WHERE AS IN WAN N NUMBER OF NODE CAN BE CONNECTED OVER THIS NETWORK FOR SHARING SOFTWARE.

4.SOFTWARE TESTERS ALSO USES LAN NETWORK FOR SHARING TESTING TOOL WITHIN A LIMITED RANGE WHERE AS IN WAN FOR SHARING TESTING TOOL RANGE IS NOT LIMITED.

ADVANTAGES OF LAN	ADVANTAGES OF WAN
COMMUNICATION WILL BE EASY AND LOW COST	RATE OF TRANSMISSION IS HIGH
USES CLIENT SERVER MODEL DATA STORED IN A CENTRALIZED PC CAN SHARE STORED DATA TO THE LIMITED RANGE	CONNECTS VARIOUS CITIES AND SATES WITH ONE ANOTHER.
FOR A PATICULAR RANGE WE CAN ABLE TO SHARE RESORCES LOKE PRINTERS,FAX ETC...	N NUMBER OF NODES CAN BE SHARING SOFTWARE
SAME SOFTWARE CAN BE USED FOR A JOB IN A FIRM.	ALL USERS CONNECTED IN WAN IS SYNCHRONISED.

DISADVANTAGE OF WAN	DISADVANTAGE OF LAN
CHANCESOF INTERRUPTION AND HACKING IS HIGH	INITIAL INSTALLATIO COST IS VERY HIGH.
SET UP IS COMPLEX ANDCOSTLY	IT COVERS ONLY SMALLAREA
MAINTANENCE AND FAULT CONTROL IS RISKY	IT NEEDS FULL TIME MAINTANENCE ADMINISTRATOR
NEED LOTS OF MAN POWER AND MONEY FOR SMOOTH RUNNING	UNAUTHORIZRED PERSON CAN ACCESS CONFIDENTIAL DATA