What is the difference between a Wide Area Network (WAN) and a Local Area Network (LAN)?

What is the difference between a Wide Area Network (WAN) and a Local Area Network (LAN)?

Ian Urquhart (Lead Developer, E-Haus, LLC.) gives expert video advice on: What is the difference between Internet and Intranet?; What hardware do I need if I want a wireless Internet connection?; How do I choose the best wireless network card? and more...

A Local Area Network, or LAN, is a series of computers that are connected to your network. A WAN is a Wide Area Network. WAN just means what the name implies: it covers a larger area.