Summary

An understanding of the following key points should have been achieved: Differences in the geographic areas served between WANs and LANs Similarities in the OSI model layers involved between WANs and LANs Familiarity with WAN terminology describing equipment, such as CPE, CO, local loop, DTE, DCE, CSU/DSU, and TA Familiarity with WAN terminology describing services and standards, such as ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM, T1, HDLC, PPP, POST, BRI, PRI, X.25, and DSL Differences between packet-switched and circuit-switched networks Differences and similarities between current WAN technologies, including analog dialup, ISDN, leased line, X.25, Frame Relay, and ATM services Advantages and drawbacks of DSL and cable modem services Ownership and cost associated with WAN data links Capacity requirements and transit times for various WAN traffic types, such as voice, data, and video Familiarity with WAN topologies, such as point-to-point, star, and meshed Elements of WAN design, including upgrading, extending, modifying an existing WAN, and recommending a WAN service to an organization based on its needs Advantages offered with a three-layer hierarchical WAN design Alternatives for interbranch WAN traffic