Wide area network is a telecommunication network that extends over a large area; it connects computers and other devices.
Some of the advantages and disadvantages of WAN include:
ADVANTAGES:
- It covers a wide range of area, usually more than 1km
- The data in a WAN is centralized
- It enables share of resources over a wide area
- Increased Bandwidth
DISADVANTAGES:
- WAN is not as secured as LAN and PAN
- Involves higher cost to run a WAN
- Trouble shooting issues (WAN problems are difficult to pin point and require a considerable amount of time to fix)
- It is difficult to maintain WAN technologies.