WAN Connection Methods
WANs can be configured in different ways and the type of WAN connection partially determines the data link protocol used.
The standards recognize three different connection methods for WANs. These methods are:
- Dedicated point-to-point
- Multipoint
- Multiaccess switched service
Often in WAN diagrams there is a picture of a cloud. The cloud indicates a switched network because unknown paths exist between the connection points (as in the Internet).
The next slides illustrate the 3 connection methods.