Here are some frequently asked questions about Wide Area Networks.

Q: What is a WAN?

A: A WAN (Wide Area Network) Is the name applied to the technology used to connect multiple company sites together so that they can share data, files, programs, email, Intranet etc.

Q: What type of communication services are used in creating a small business WAN?

A: There are many types of services that can be used, but the most cost effective for small business include: DUN (Dial Up Networking) and RAS (Remote Access Service) using POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) or ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) and or Internet connections.

Q: What is the least expensive way to connect my remote office?

A: The answer to this question depends on the nature of how much data is sent between locations and how often.

Q: What about PC Anywhere and remote use of Thin Client devices such as NT Windows Terminal Server, do these constitute a WAN?

A: These services are in a gray area, while they provide use of the network and data over a distance, most all of the processing is done on the network with the access device acting more as a Windows Terminal. But they clearly achieve a similar end, extending the network resources over a wide area.

Q: What kind of hardware is required for a WAN?

A: WAN connections can be made using modems, ISDN adapters, Routers, and many other specialized communication devices. The hardware specifics are determined by the type of communication services used, the number of users, and speed of the data transmission.

Q: What about speed, does using a WAN feel the same as using a LAN (Local Area Network)?

A: A LAN connection typically runs at 10 - 100 Mbps (Megabits per second) while a WAN runs at: Modem 14.4-56 Kb, ISDN 64 - 128 Kb, or the new DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service which can enable 1.5 Mbps downstream and up to 256 Kbps upstream (the DSL is not yet widely available). As you can see the LAN connection is 7-100 times faster than the fastest WAN connection speed available. It is not just a story of the speed of the line, but what the end user feels, and the good news is that even at 64Kb end users can get reasonable performance depending on the nature of their tasks.

Estimated time to transfer a 10 MB File