Wide Area Networks Creating wide area networks connects mass communications from people around the world with a wide variety of different uses. “A wide area network is a telecommunications network that covers a large geographic area.” The Internet is the largest example of a wide-area network and has influenced our daily lives all over the world. Wide area networks are connected to local area networks to allow computers to share, send, and access information on a larger scale. These recent technologies over the last 20 years have influenced the way we communicate, the way businesses operate, and many other factors we take for granted. Wide area networks are a rapidly growing telecommunications sector that is developing new technologies to help people access information more easily, faster and at lower cost. Wide area networks and why, where, who and how important are they? Wide area networks are used to connect local area networks together, so that users and computers in one location can communicate with users and computers in other locations. Many WANs are built for a particular organization and are private, others, built by Internet Service Providers, provide connections from an organization's LAN to the Internet. WANs are usually built with lines leased from different telecom companies. At the end of these lines is a router that allows access and transmissions across these lines. Through various devices and telecommunications services, wide area networks are the leading technology in transmitting global information and communications. “The primary purpose of a WAN is to provide reliable, fast, and secure communication between two or more locations with minimal delays and at low prices.”“WANs can be connected...... middle of paper..... .nt to help influence the computer age into a bright and much broader future. References Duley, CJ. . (2004) Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology in the Enterprise. Sixth Edition. McGraw Hill, Boston.Ploskina, Brian DNA Helps WANs http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759, 1242507,00.asp?kc=EWNKT0209KTX1K010044028 August 2001Alliance Datacom: Wide Area Networks http:// www.alliancedatacom.com/technologies/wide-area-network/wide-area-networks.aspDocumentation .cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/ito_doc/introwan.htm#xtocid8 Cisco Systems, Inc. Wikipedia: Wide Area Network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_area_network Wireless Network Technologies at vast area (2004). http://www.rhowireless.com/wan/