What is a WAN?
In simple terms, a WAN is a connected system composed of local area networks. These are the same as the one-campus set-ups, where multiple offices are wired together. On that note, WANs are not the only kind of network to exist.
MAN or metropolitan area networks also exist. These are connected buildings within a city area. However, MAN can be configured within a WAN as well. Let’s consider an example for better understanding.
Imagine a company has multiple LANs in a few cities. To span across the range of the whole network, there should be at least a leased line between each position. Moreover there should be at least one service provider who will set up a distinct connection to bridge all of these. The same connection will be plugged into a public telecommunication network too.
But there is a catch. You need a dedicated VPN network to ensure security across the whole network!
Why WANs Matter So Much in Enterprises?
The Wide Area Networks are crucial for your business communication. Firstly, the WANs offer high-speed speed uninterrupted connectivity. More so, when you install SD-WAN. However, most other sources maintain costs at scale.
Now you might ask- what would happen if there were no WANs? Well, in that case, a comoany will have to manage (buy, install, and maintain) hardware between all locations where they operate. Otherwise, their LANs won’t work at all.
But there is the WAN to help them. It costs much less. What does WAN do?
It leverages the public systems to link the company’s offices with each other. And WAN is the only economic way to do that across a substantial distance.
Other Factors At Play
The cost factor is not the only factor here. WANs open up a lot of new business opportunities for your enterprise. Firstly, you can reduce the service speed. With high speed, the TAD of all of your deliverables is considerably reduced.
All employees can optimally use time and resources when they work over the WAN. Experts say that the ability to work remotely is one of the best levers a company can have in the current day.
That’s where WAN comes in strongly.
Pros and Cons of WANs
Apparently, WANs are only beneficial. It may seem that there can’t be any significant cons of WANs. No doubt, WANs improve connectivity over a large territory. It is also one of the fastest internal networks. Thirdly, it offers centralized network control to your IT team.
Your enterprise can use the same to improve the core network performance.
However there are some drawbacks of WAN as well. Firstly, installing and expanding your network over a WAN can be a costly affair. The upfront cost is too much. You have to buy a reasonable amount of network instruments and security kits, too.
So, it might seem that companies emerging midway might not be able to afford it. At the same time, WAn comes with a lot of security interlocks. Hence, phishing agents may consider it a soft target and exploit the security gaps.
The bottom line is that WAN setup and use may seem complex and intricate in the beginning. But you can easily overcome these challenges with the right security set up and IT staffing.
What’s Next With WANs for Enterprises?
A lot of new market player are using SD WANs. As mentioned earlier, SD WAN can be the future. But what is it?
SD a.k.a.., software defined network, leverages the WAN network. Hence linking users with the spectrum of broadband and LTE networks. SD also links with a multi protocol label switching technology (MPLS).
Experts project that SD WAN can increase enterprise revenues by 31% annually within few years’ time frame. The emerging vanguard comprising SD WANs will define the future of business communication.