Learn in the textbookNetwork Classification and the Physical Foundation of Wired Connections
DefinitionA WAN is a network that spans cities and regions to link sites located far apart.
ExplanationThe name stands for Wide Area Network. Running your own wiring over long distances is not practical, so a WAN is usually built on line services provided by a carrier.
AnalogyIt is like the railway between towns. You do not lay your own track; you ride the line the railway company runs to reach a distant town.
Memory hookWide means broad. Whether the first letter is L (Local) or W (Wide) tells you how far the network reaches.