• Choose and evaluate WAN technologies.
• Recognise the role of service providers.
• Describe the benefits of VPNs.
• Describe how the Internet can be used as a WAN.
• Describe the equipment needed to connect LANS to WANS.
• List the speeds of various WAN technologies.

WANS
WAN architecture, Common WAN terms, Core vs access, service providers, relationship with 7 layer model, WAN equipment, how to choose a WAN.

Layer 1
Copper, phone lines, fibre, coaxial, satellite, wireless. Cabling to the building, CPE cabling, interfaces.

Layer 2
Dial up vs. Dedicated vs. packet switched networks and when to use them. Packet switching vs. circuit switching. Point to point and point to multipoint.

Dialup access technologies
Modems, ISDN, BRI, PRI.

Access with dedicated lines
XDSL, leased lines

WAN services
X.25, SMDS, Frame Relay, CIR, ATM, Internet, MANS, dark fibre and other services.

Case study: Selecting WAN technologies.

Service provider technologies
MPLS, SDH, WDM, DWDM.

Routers
Network addressing, default gateways, routing tables, routing protocols.

Internet architecture
Service providers, ISPs, private peering, public peering, core WANs in the Internet.

VPNs
Private networks, public networks, What are VPNs?, benefits of VPNs, tunnelling, encryption, IPSec.

Case study: Specifying WAN connectivity.