Comparing LANs to WANs
Before exploring WANs, let's summarize the characteristics of LANS. As previously stated, a LAN is just what the name implies—a network that is confined to a local geographic area, such as a single office building, a small office in a commercial building, or even a network in your own home. As shown in Figure 3-2, LANs enable you to share resources, such as Internet access or laser printing, with other users on the same network.
Figure 3-2. Local-Area Network (LAN)
In contrast, WANs cover a much broader geographic range than LANs, as shown in Figure 3-3. WANs are often used to connect LANs across a public network, such as ...
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