From the course: Networking Foundations: Wide Area Networks (WANs)

WAN terminologies

From the course: Networking Foundations: Wide Area Networks (WANs)

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WAN terminologies

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- [Instructor] There are various terminologies that are used in a WAN environment. To better understand this, let us look at this topology. On the left, we have the customer network connecting to the internet service provider or ISP on the right. The ISP or the internet service provider is the company that facilitates access to the internet, much like AT&T and Verizon in the US, or Telstra in Australia. The set of hardware and devices on the side of the customer is collectively known as the CPE or the customer premises equipment. This may include devices that are either owned by the customer or the business, or in some cases the devices can be leased to the customer by the service provider. On the other hand, the wiring, hardware, and devices on the side of the service provider are known as the service provider equipment. In between the customer and the service provider is an area known as the demarcation point or demarc. It is important to identify where the demarcation point is on a network, as this is where the responsibility for the connection shifts from the customer to the service provider. The demarcation point can also be referred to as the cabling junction box or the meter box, or MPOE or the minimum point of entry. How about the connection from the customer going to the service provider? That is known as the last mile or the local loop. A copper cable or fiber optics can be used in this case. If you remember, the connection will be from the demarcation point at the customer to the edge of the service provider network. The last mile is then connected to the local service provider facility known as the CO or the central office. The central office is where all the customer lines will terminate. And then finally we got the toll network. This includes all the equipment and long haul fiber lines inside the WAN provider network. Speaking of which, did you know that there are fiber optic cables under the sea? Yes, we do. This enables us to have high-speed connectivity across continents over the globe. Pretty good, isn't it? We have just covered various terminologies used in a wired area network. Next topic will be on WAN devices. See you then!

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