Besides WANs, there are similar terms such as WLANs, LANs, and MANs. The technologies behind these networks are related to the Wide Area Network but refer to different structures. LANs and MANs mainly differ from WANs in terms of size.
LAN stands for Local Area Network. It refers to the interconnection of multiple computers at a single location (company premises, households, etc.) into a network, allowing the computers to exchange information or access another network. The data transmission rate of LANs is far quicker compared to WANs, since the distances involved are much smaller.
MAN stands for Metropolitan Area Network. The network is the bigger brother of the LAN and connects cities and metropolitan regions over distances of up to 100 kilometers, but is still smaller than a WAN. MAN uses fiber optic technology in order to link multiple LANs with each other.
By contrast, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is actually a LAN that works without the use of cable connections. Here, wireless communications technology is used to allow the individual computers to talk to each other or another network like the internet, for example. Like a LAN, a WLAN can therefore be connected to a MAN which may in turn be connected to a Wide Area Network.