A wide area network (WAN) is a network that connects multiple locations over a large geographic area. It creates unified networks for businesses with branches across cities or countries.
With WANs, it is possible to telecommute or work with colleagues in other locations. Using a WAN for your business has five advantages, which this article will cover.
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High Bandwidth
WAN networks are ideal for businesses with multiple locations. With a WAN, employees can share data efficiently and effectively. Documents and files can be updated across the network so everyone can access the latest version.
Moreover, a WAN network can encrypt data, preventing outside parties from snooping on commercially sensitive emails, spreadsheets, and presentations. It is handy for companies with overseas operations.
Having a suitable internet bandwidth is essential for any business. Identify your end devices and their typical use to determine your bandwidth needs. Then, estimate the bandwidth requirements for each application. Add the bandwidth needed for each device and multiply it by the number of expected simultaneous users. For example, a medium-sized business might need 200 Mbps of bandwidth or more. For the best results, consider dedicated internet connectivity (DIA), which offers symmetrical bandwidth that ensures upload speeds match download speeds. It provides guaranteed bandwidth for critical applications and supports data-intensive processes like videoconferencing and shipping large files.
Security
A WAN can encrypt your data before sending it, ensuring that only the intended recipients receive it. This added layer of security is essential to protect your business’s sensitive information from hackers.
Using a WAN may guarantee that your employees are always linked to the business network, even when working from home or anywhere away from the office. It will enhance productivity by enabling employees to work remotely and share information swiftly.
A wide area network is a telecommunications system connecting many cities and nations. It can be established with leased telecommunication circuits or through dedicated IP links. Depending on your needs, a WAN can be a critical part of your business. It is also crucial to many e-commerce companies’ international sales operations.
Flexibility
If you have locations across a city, country, or the globe, you need a network to connect employees and communicate information. A WAN is perfect for this. It provides the same scalability as a LAN but on a bigger scale.
You can add more devices to a WAN without worrying about them not working due to distance or connectivity limitations. This flexibility makes it ideal for businesses that snowball and need a system to keep up with the pace.
Traditionally, companies would use private connections, such as leased lines between sites, to provide connectivity and security. Now, many organizations are deploying new options for connecting their WANs, including broadband, Ethernet over fiber, mobile (cellular), and virtual private networks.
With the availability of these technologies, you can connect your WANs in more flexible and cost-effective ways than ever before. You can even deploy a software solution like SD-WAN to automatically route data based on rules and priority, ensuring your most important data gets the best possible connection.
Convenience
There are many benefits to using a wide area network for your business. These networks provide faster speeds for data transfer and enable more real-time communication between employees, which can lead to increased productivity. In addition, a WAN offers better security than the public internet and can be accessed only by authorized users.
WANs differ from local area networks (LAN) in scale, with LANs used for communication within a single room or building and WANs used to exchange data between different buildings, cities, or even countries. Implementing a WAN allows businesses to communicate on a larger scale than possible with a LAN, making it ideal for large enterprises that need to connect multiple offices and facilities worldwide.
Many WAN providers offer a service level agreement with guaranteed uptime, which gives you peace of mind that your connections will remain stable and operational. Additionally, SD-WANs allow you to see all your WAN connectivity options in one dashboard, making it easier for businesses to change bandwidth allocation on the fly and create cost efficiencies.
Cost
A wide area network (WAN) is an extensive computer network that links devices across a city, state, or country. WANs are used by enterprises, schools, and government entities to relay data to staff, students, buyers, and suppliers from different locations. The internet is an excellent example of a WAN.
Businesses typically lease telecommunication lines between each location to set up a WAN. Alternatively, they can connect the devices with wireless technologies like cell phone towers or satellites. These solutions are often complex and require a professional setup.
There are many benefits to using a WAN for your business. They provide high-speed connectivity and allow your employees to work from anywhere worldwide. In addition, a WAN will enable your business to scale easily and quickly. Whether growing your current office or opening another one in a new city, a WAN will make the process easier by providing a consistent and secure channel to transfer data. Ultimately, this will help your company to increase productivity and profitability. A WAN’s scalability also helps reduce costs by saving you from paying for multiple connections.
