A WAN (Wide Area Network) is different from a LAN (Local Area Network) in terms of the geographic area they cover. WANs are networks that cover a large geographic area, such as a city, state, or even an entire country. On the other hand, LANs are networks that are confined to a small area, such as a home, office, or building. Additionally, WANs typically use public networks, such as the internet, to connect remote sites, while LANs typically use private networks. WANs also tend to be slower and less secure than LANs, due to the larger distances and the use of public networks. Overall, the main difference between WANs and LANs is the size of the networks and the way they are connected.