What’s the Difference Between Routing and Switching LAN/WAN?

Any IT employee should know the difference between LAN and WAN networks. Routing and Switching LAN/WAN involves an arrangement of multiple computers that share system resources like CPU processing and storage space.

There are two main types of these networks: Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). They share many of the same benefits and purposes, but read on to understand the different cases each is used for.

What are the advantages of LAN?

Local Area Networks are common in residential homes and university campuses, where devices such as client desktops and printers are connected either wirelessly or through a wire. The advantages of using LAN include:
● Making it easier for multiple devices to use a single piece of hardware. Several computers in a house can print to the same printer for example.
● Software can be shared as well, though some programs require licensing for each client.
● Facilitating communication among the members of the network.
● Centralized backups and unified file servers allow every user to access their own file server from any client device.

What are some disadvantages of Routing and Switching LAN?

● Like any case where computers and devices are interconnected, viruses can spread more easily through a LAN network. One infected client can compromise neighboring clients, so additional steps are necessary to ensure security. Encryption and password protection are the most common tactics.
● Installing and maintaining new software can be complicated.
● Should an issue with the server occur, all client devices will be affected.

So what about WAN?

In contrast to LAN, Routing and Switching WAN is typically used in large, separate offices. The main distinction is that WAN is not confined to a single building. Rather, a WAN network can connect several offices scattered across the world.
The worldwide Internet can be considered a WAN network. Ethernet is a well-known WAN variant.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of WAN?

The pros and cons of both Routing and Switching LAN/WAN are rather similar. However, WAN is more versatile since its network can extend beyond the boundaries of a single location. At the same time, virus protection is even more important since virus entry points are more spread out in a WAN network.

That’s why encryption and the protection against data interception is such a necessity in a WAN network.

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● Routing and Switching LAN/WAN are both networking systems where computers and hardware can communicate.
● WAN, in contrast to LAN, can extend beyond the range of a single building. WAN potentially allows communication between a wider variety of devices but also increases the threat of virus infection.
● Network IT is your business’s go-to for used networking equipment, including routers and switches for WAN and LAN connections.

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