| Overview

A wide-area network (WAN) is a data communications network that spans a large geographic area. WANs have several important characteristics that distinguish them from LANs. The first lesson in this module will provide an overview of WAN technologies and protocols. It will also explain how WANs and LANs are different, and ways in which they are similar. It is important to have an understanding of the physical layer components of a router. This understanding builds a foundation for other knowledge and skills needed to configure routers and manage routed networks. This module provides a close examination of the internal and external physical components of the router. The module also describes techniques for physically connecting the various router interfaces. Students completing this module should be able to: Identify organizations responsible for WAN standards Explain the difference between a WAN and LAN and the type of addresses each uses Describe the role of a router in a WAN Identify internal components of the router and describe their functions Describe the physical characteristics of the router Identify common ports on a router Properly connect Ethernet, serial WAN, and console ports