Connection Technology Options
Several options are available for WAN connectivity:
| Option: | Description | Advantages | Disadvantages | Bandwidth range | Sample protocols used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leased line | Point-to-Point connection between two computers or Local Area Networks (LANs) | Most secure | Expensive | PPP, HDLC, SDLC, HNAS | |
| Circuit switching | A dedicated circuit path is created between end points. Best example is dialup connections | Less Expensive | Call Setup | 28 - 144 kbit/s | PPP, ISDN |
| Packet switching | Devices transport packets via a shared single point-to-point or point-to-multipoint link across a carrier internetwork. Variable length packets are transmitted over Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVC) or Switched Virtual Circuits (SVC) | Shared media across link | X.25 Frame-Relay | ||
| Cell relay | Similar to packet switching, but uses fixed length cells instead of variable length packets. Data is divided into fixed-length cells and then transported across virtual circuits | Best for simultaneous use of voice and data | Overhead can be considerable | ATM |
Transmission rates usually range from 1200 bit/s to 24 Mbit/s, although some connections such as ATM and Leased lines can reach speeds greater than 156 Mbit/s. Typical communication links used in WANs are telephone lines, microwave links & satellite channels.
Recently with the proliferation of low cost of Internet connectivity many companies and organizations have turned to VPN to interconnect their networks, creating a WAN in that way. Companies such as Citrix, Cisco, New Edge Networks and Check Point offer solutions to create VPN networks.
Read more about this topic: Wide Area Network
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