Section 6. Wide-Area Networks and Point-to-Point Communication Links

Wide-area networks (WAN) connect local-area networks (LAN) that are separated over a geographic distance. WANs usually connect networks through a third-party carrier. These third-party companies are usually telephone or cable companies. The third-party carrier charges the company that connects the networks a monthly fee for the WAN connections.

Currently, several WAN implementations exist. These include point-to-point leased lines, packet-switched lines, and circuit-switched lines. Also, carriers are offering newer implementations such as Ethernet over Fiber.

This section provides an overview of the different types of WAN connections, WAN terminology, and encapsulation. You ...

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