What exactly defines a WAN? I've found this question but it doesn't seem to answer my question. What is the "technical" definition of LAN and WAN I know that a Wan consists of more LAN's together and MAN's and it's covers over a large geographical area. The whole internet is a WAN. But 1. do WAN's need to consists more than one LAN in order to be called as WAN ?If so, the geographical area covers is so small. Then how it's called a WAN. If not, what's the name of the network? 2. If WAN's cover a large geographical area, then if two computers are connected over a distance of 1 lakh km over a fibre-optic cable as point to point connection theoritically, then will that be called as WAN? 3. Can there be WAN without them consisting of LAN? 4. What's the role of MAN then? and how it differs from WAN ? 5. How companies implement WAN if WAN is covers a large geographical area?

The original meanings of _LAN_ and _WAN_ have long since blurred - rigid technical distinctions have vanished as (more or less) the same technology can be used throughout.

Today, these terms are collective terms used for concepts, for security zoning for instance. Their exact distinction depends on context.