Week 5 - WAN

Question 1

What is WAN and how is it defined?

Answer 1

Wide Area Network

a network that spans across multiple physical locations
(links regional LANs together)

Question 2

What’s a local loop in a WAN?

Answer 2

The connection line (t-line or optical) between two demarcation points and ISP’s core network

Question 3

Where does the WAN end?

Answer 3

at the demarcation point at each provider’s regional local office (for this company example)

Question 4

What are point-to-point VPNs?

Answer 4

VPN tunneling is handled by network devices on either side so users don’t have to establish their own connections

cheaper alternative to WAN

Question 5

What is a demarcation point in a WAN?

Answer 5

The demarcation point in a WAN is the point where the ISP network takes over

Question 6

How are WANs connected to the internet at each region?

Answer 6

with connections provided by local ISP (especially for regional multi-LAN networks)

Question 7

What provides security for WANs?

Answer 7

VPNs

Question 8

How is data routed amongst LAN groups in a WAN (endpoints)?

Answer 8

WAN router

Question 9

What’s another name WAN routers are known as?

Answer 9

Border routers or edge routers

Question 10

What 2 interfaces does a WAN router have?

Answer 10

WAN routers have:
1. Digital modem interface for the WAN (cable, DSL, fiber)
2. Ethernet interface for the LAN

Question 11

What does SD-WAN stand for?

Answer 11

Software-Defined Wide Area Network

Question 12

What is SD-WAN?

Answer 12

SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) is software developed for cloud-based WAN needs that can be used alone or with traditional WAN

(cheaper and easier to maintain than WAN)

Question 13

What are 4 WAN configuration options?

Answer 13

1. Compression
2. Deduplication (avoids doubles)
3. Protocol optimization (efficiency for apps that need higher bandwidth)
4. Local caching (local copies of network/internet files on user’s computer)

Question 14

What are the 5 WAN protocols used with WAN routers?

Answer 14

1. Packet switching (packets to be sent are broken up in multiples)
2. Frame Relay (uses packet switching to transmit data to endpoints)
3. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (delivers encapsulated data link frames)
4. Packet over Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) or SDH (for fiber connections)
5. Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) (replaces long addresses with short path labels)

Question 15

What do WAN protocols for WAN routers do?

Answer 15

distinguishes between a private LAN and a public LAN