A broad physical region is covered by a WAN (Wide Area Network), which is a type of computer network. It joins neighborhood networks from various places to act as a network of lesser networks. Companies, educational institutions, and other institutions keep their own WANs to link devices and exchange data among numerous locations. The most well-known WAN, which links devices and networks globally, is the Internet.

A gateway acts as the communication between the internal and exterior links at each place within a WAN. A WAN's Network links can be made in a variety of ways. Leased lines are one way to link networks across a WAN. These are data connections that a Provider offers that are exclusive to one WAN and inaccessible to other networks. Leased lines are pricey but quick and private. While using a VPN to route the data links, other WANs keep anonymity by using standard Internet connections. Some WANs will use a leased line as their main link, with the option of a fallback route over the Internet.

For instance, school districts frequently use a WAN to link the private LANs of numerous schools and district offices dispersed throughout a metropolis. All schools can access internal tools because the WAN operates as a unified network. Every day, a replacement instructor can check in from a different classroom and still have access to what they require. Private pupil data sent over a leased connection over the Network is protected from outside eavesdropping. Lastly, by linking through the district's Network, a teacher can reach the WAN to assess documents from home.