Q
Problem solve Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

What would the best approach be to setting up a WAN between our two sites?

Jack Keane
By
Our small company on the east coast purchased a small west coast company. Our east coast operation has a small Ethernet LAN with 10 PCs. The west coast site has a LAN of 7 MACs using AppleTalk. What would the best approach be to setting up a WAN between the two sites? Thanks for your help.
Your best bet is to unify your networking around an IP/Ethernet standard. Support for IP networking over Ethernet has been available for the Mac for quite a while, and will allow the two sites to communicate much more easily. Once you have a network that is capable of interoperating, you have many choices for connectivity between the sites. If real-time, low-latency perfomance is paramount (i.e. you are running video or audio between the sites), you should consider a committed-bandwith solution, such as fractional T1, frame relay, or MPLS. If cost is the driving factor, consider an IP-based VPN and local ISPs. If you lack the technical expertise to set up and maintain such a network, there are many consultants and service providers that will be able to help you get started.
This was last published in January 2004

Dig Deeper on WAN technologies and services

Have a question for an expert?

Please add a title for your question

Get answers from a TechTarget expert on whatever's puzzling you.

You will be able to add details on the next page.

Meet all of our Networking experts

View all Networking questions and answers

Start the conversation

Send me notifications when other members comment.

Register

Please create a username to comment.

-ADS BY GOOGLE

SearchUnifiedCommunications

SearchMobileComputing

SearchDataCenter

SearchITChannel

Close