Difference Between LAN and WAN
Main difference
LAN and WAN are two different types of network connections that are used for communication between the devices connected to a particular network. LAN stands for Local Area Network and WAN stands for Wide Area Network. In a LAN, computers are connected to each other using a network device such as a hub, switch, or router. LAN is limited to a small geographic area. An office, a school, an organization own their LAN. The LAN is usually within a single building. On the other hand, WAN is the wide area network that is formed by connecting multiple LANs together. It is widespread with respect to geographic area. We can also say that a WAN is made up of several LANs connected to each other. The WAN can be spread widely across a country or even across borders.
Comparison chart
| LAN | PALE | |
| Abbreviation for | Local area network | wide area network |
| Definition | LAN is the local area network which covers the small geographical area. i.e. a network established in the hospital building, etc. | WAN is the wide area network that includes multiple LANs connected to each other. It covers a wide geographical area such as cities, states, etc. |
| It includes | Small offices, organizations, schools, hospital homes, etc. | Large wide areas like cities, states, countries, continents, etc. |
| communication speed | LAN is much faster and typically reaches speeds of up to 1000 Mbps. | WANs have less speed than LANs at most up to 150 Mbps. |
| Data transfer rate | LANs have a higher data transfer rate compared to MANs and WANs. | WANs have a low data transfer rate compared to LANs and even MANs. |
| Devices used | In LANs, layer 2 and layer one devices are most often used, which are switches and hubs, respectively. | Layer 3 (network layer) devices are used in WANs including routers, multilayer switches, ATMs, etc. |
| Cost | LANs have a low setup cost compared to WANs. The maintenance cost is also low. | WANs are expensive to set up and maintain. |
| Broadband | In LANs there is a large bandwidth for communication. | In WANs there is low bandwidth for communication compared to LANs. |
| Congestion | less congestion | more congestion |
| Property | LANs are usually owned by a single person or owned by an organization. | A WAN is not owned by one person or organization. The shares are divided between partners. |
| examples | The network established in a school or office building is LAN. | The Internet itself is the best example of a WAN. |
LAN stands for Local Area Network. It is the type of common network that is established within a building or local area. It covers the small geographic area. LANs are primarily found within an office building, organization, school, or hospital. LAN is the most common type of communication network that is established in a small geographic area. Computers or nodes within a LAN can be directly connected to each other using a single LAN cable or can be connected to common network devices. Layer 1 and Layer 2 devices are commonly used within the LAN to establish the connection. These layers refer to the universally accepted seven-layer OSI model that establishes network architecture and describes end-to-end communication in detail. The commonly used Layer 1 and Layer 2 devices in a LAN are the hub and the switch, respectively. The bridge and various other devices are also used for this purpose. LAN has a very high speed communication. The data transfer rate in a LAN can reach up to 1000 Mbps. LANs are easy to set up and inexpensive to set up and maintain. A single person may own the LAN or it may be owned by a particular organization within which the LAN is established. LANs are easy to configure and inexpensive to set up and maintain. A single person may own the LAN or it may be owned by a particular organization within which the LAN is established. LANs are easy to configure and inexpensive to set up and maintain. A single person may own the LAN or it may be owned by a particular organization within which the LAN is established.
What is WAN?
WAN stands for Wide Area Network. A WAN is established by connecting multiple LANs together. We can also say that a WAN consists of several LANs connected to each other. As the name of the network indicates its type, it is the type of network that is used to cover the large geographical area. A WAN can cover cities, states, countries, continents, and even the entire world. The Internet is the most common example of a WAN network that covers the entire world. LANs within a WAN are connected through layer three devices. Layer 3 is called the network layer in the OSI 7-layer standard model. The most commonly used network layer or layer three devices are routers and multilayer switches. Communication in a WAN network is slower compared to LAN and reaches a maximum of 150 Mbps. It is quite complex and expensive to set up a WAN. Maintaining a WAN is also expensive compared to a LAN. WAN communication suffers more congestion than LAN.
