What is LAN?<br />Local Area Network is a group of computer and peripheral devices that are connected in a limited area such as school, laboratory, home, or office building. The full form of LAN is Local Area Network, which is a widely useful network for sharing resources like files, printers, games, and other applications. The simplest type of LAN network is to connect computers and a printer in someone’s home or office. In general, LAN will be used as one type of transmission medium.<br /> <br />What is WAN?<br />WAN (Wide Area Network) is an important computer network that is spread across a large geographical area. WAN network systems could be a connection of a LAN that connects with other LAN’s using telephone lines and radio waves. It is mostly limited to an enterprise or an organization. Wide area networks are mostly established with high-end telecommunication circuits.<br /><br />KEY DIFFERENCES:<br />• LAN has a higher data transfer rate whereas WAN has a lower data transfer rate.<br />• LAN is a computer network that covers a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings, while WAN is a computer network that covers a broader area.<br />• The speed of LAN is high whereas the speed of WAN is slower than LAN.<br />Here, are the main differences between LAN and WAN<br /><br />LAN WAN<br />Tend to use specific connectivity technologies, like ethernet and token. WANs uses technologies like Frame Relay and X.25 for connectivity <br />LAN is a computer network that covers a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings. WAN is a computer network that covers a broad area.<br />There is a need to set up a couple of extra devices on the network, so it is not very expensive. In WAN networks as remote areas have to be connected, <br />LAN has a higher data transfer rate. WAN has a lower data transfer rate as compares to LAN.<br />Ownership of LAN is private. WAN’s ownership can be private or public.<br />The speed of LAN is high. The speed of WAN is slower than LAN.<br />The propagation delay time is short in LAN. The propagation delay in WAN is long(longer than LAN).<br />It offers more fault tolerance. It offers less fault tolerance in WAN.<br />