Tech Insights
WAN

WAN

Last updated , generated by Sumble
Explore more →

What is WAN?

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographical area for the purpose of computer networking. WANs are often established with leased lines or dedicated links. Businesses, schools, and government entities use WANs to relay data to staff, students, customers, suppliers, and the general public. In essence, a WAN allows computers and devices in different locations to communicate with each other as if they were part of a single local network.

What other technologies are related to WAN?

WAN Competitor Technologies

Local Area Networks (LANs) serve a different purpose than Wide Area Networks (WANs). LANs are for local connectivity, while WANs connect geographically dispersed locations. In some cases, a strong LAN can reduce the need for a WAN.
mentioned alongside WAN in 71% (47.4k) of relevant job posts
Wireless LANs (WLANs) are a type of LAN, and therefore a competitor to WAN.
mentioned alongside WAN in 42% (7.5k) of relevant job posts
Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) cover a larger geographic area than LANs but smaller than WANs. They can sometimes serve as an alternative to a full-fledged WAN.
mentioned alongside WAN in 69% (1.2k) of relevant job posts
Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) is a modern approach to WAN management that can replace traditional WAN architectures, making it a competitor.
mentioned alongside WAN in 12% (4k) of relevant job posts
Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) is a modern approach to WAN management that can replace traditional WAN architectures, making it a competitor.
mentioned alongside WAN in 15% (2.8k) of relevant job posts

WAN Complementary Technologies

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) often utilize WAN infrastructure to create secure connections between networks or users, so they complement WANs.
mentioned alongside WAN in 11% (14.2k) of relevant job posts
Routers are essential components of WANs, responsible for directing traffic between different networks. Therefore, they are complementary.
mentioned alongside WAN in 11% (6.1k) of relevant job posts
Firewalls are used to secure WAN connections and protect networks from unauthorized access, making them complementary.
mentioned alongside WAN in 7% (9.3k) of relevant job posts

This tech insight summary was produced by Sumble. We provide rich account intelligence data.

On our web app, we make a lot of our data available for browsing at no cost.

We have two paid products, Sumble Signals and Sumble Enrich, that integrate with your internal sales systems.