Computer networks are very important for the smooth functioning of corporate and administrative affairs. It is very important to develop communication between the various computers and information technology devices. It is used for sharing hardware, files, data, information and software. They are classified into personal area network, local area network, metropolitan area network and wide area network.
Wide Area Network in very simple language, connects two or more Local Area Networks via devices, which are routers or function like routers. The users at many different locations of a Wide Area Network are connected to each other via one central server. This server can alone serve all the computers on a network.
All the computers in a Wide Area Network are connected to the central database management system of a server. With the help of this central database system, all the computers in the Wide Area Network save data at real time and then send input results to the central server to receive output results at that very moment.
The wide area network technology has widespread applications in the construction of sophisticated networks. It forms huge networks such as large corporate networks, military networks, banking networks, stock brokerage networks, and airline reservation networks. A wide area network is always designed according to the long and short term goals of the organisation. They are designed as the private property of an organisation.
Wide area networks can also be designed by the internet service providers. Such a network is used to connect the local area network of an organization to the internet. It is designed through the leased lines. The leased line connects to the router on one end and to the core of the WAN on the other end. In a corporate setup, it enables the employers to work from anywhere in the world. It is essential for approaching the central data and applications. It helps them to share internal functions such as sales, production and development with their authorised locations.
With the help of Wide Area Network, common resources are used by one company. For example, if a person buys prescription drugs from one store in the UK, his entry is done in a computer and after that, he/she may buy that drug from any branch of that chain of pharmacies in the UK. Similar is the case of banks where people used to cash money previously only from their designated bank branches. However, now, they can cash their money from any branch of that bank with the help of online banking.
Unlike campus area network, personal area network, and metropolitan area network, which are restricted to limited geographical space, Wide Area Network covers a broader population. In big organisations, multiple WANs can be designed specifically for the use of any particular organisation, owned by that organisation only.
Having said this, it must also be known that Wide Area Networks have some negative aspects as well. Security is one of the major risks for people and companies using Wide Area Networks. Anyone can access your computer with the help of your IP. Moreover, installing Wide Area Networks in places such as institutions and business companies require money, resources and frequent maintenance services. To conclude, Wide Area Networks has brought revolution in our lives. It has helped the world to communicate faster and efficiently; and has also made the life of people in general, easy by providing online facilities which no one ever thought of 30 years back.
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