WAN Structure

A typical WAN structure includes the following components.

Component Description
Devices physically located on the subscriber's premises. CPE includes the
Consumer telephone wire, telephone, modem, and other equipment, both the devices
premises the subscriber owns and the ones leased from the WAN provider. The
equipment (CPE) wiring typically includes UTP cable with RJ-11 or RJ-45 connectors. CPE
is sometimes used synonymously with DTE.
A device on the network side of a WAN link that sends and receives data.
The DTE resides on the subscriber's premises, and marks the point of entry
Data terminal between the LAN and the WAN. DTEs are usually routers, but computers
equipment (DTE) and multiplexers can also act as DTEs. Broadly, DTEs are any equipment
at the customer's site, and can include all computers. In a narrow sense, the
DTE is the device that communicates with the DCE at the other end.
Cable that extends from the demarc to the central telephone office. The
demarc media is owned and maintained by the telephone company.
Local loop
Typically, it is UTP, but it can also be one or a combination of UTP, fiber
optic, or other media. Fiber optic cable to the demarc is rare.
The point where the telephone company's telephone wiring connects to the
subscriber's wiring. The demarc can also be called the network interface or
Demarcation point point of presence.
(demarc) Typically, the customer is responsible for all equipment on one side of the
demarc. The phone company is responsible for all equipment on the other
side of the demarc.
 The switching facility closest to the subscriber, and the nearest point of
presence for the WAN provider. It provides WAN-cloud entry and exit
points for incoming and outgoing calls, and acts as a switching point to
forward data to other central offices. A CO provides services such as
Central office
switching incoming telephone signals to outgoing trunk lines. It also
(CO)
provides reliable DC power to the local loop to establish an electric circuit.
COs use long-distance, or toll, carriers to provide connections to almost
anywhere in the world. Long-distance carriers are usually owned and
operated by companies such as AT&T or MCI.
A device that communicates with both DTEs and the WAN cloud. DCEs
are typically routers at the service provider that relay messages between
Data circuit-
the customer and the WAN cloud. In a strict sense, a DCE is any device
terminating
that supplies clocking signals to DTEs. Thus, a modem or CSU/DSU at the
equipment (DCE)
customer site is often classified as a DCE. DCEs may be devices similar to
DTEs (such as routers), except that each device plays a different role.
The hierarchy of trunks, switches, and central offices that make up the
network of telephone lines. It is represented as a cloud because the
physical structure varies, and different networks with common connection
WAN cloud
points may overlap. Few people thoroughly understand where data goes as
it is switched through the "cloud." What is important is that data goes in,
travels through the line, and arrives at its destination.
Packet-switching A switch on a carrier's packet-switched network. PSEs are the
exchange (PSE) intermediary points in the WAN cloud.