The Difference between a LAN and a WAN

The difference between a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN) is simply the area that is served. A local area network serves a home, an office or otherwise a small group of buildings that are physically close to each other. A wide area network serves a town, a country or even the world.

A local area network may connect a home PC to a broadband router. The most common example of a wide area network is the internet although other wide area networks also exist. Some businesses have their own private wide area networks connecting offices or other buildings. These networks are for the exclusive use of the business and are not available to the public.

Local area networks and wide area networks are often themselves interconnected. Two local area networks that are serving offices located in different towns may be connected together by a wide area network. The local area network in your home is connected to the local area network in someone else’s home on the other side of the world via the internet wide area network.