====== Access Network ======

An //access network// is the name given to the part of the Internet or intranet that is closest to the host or [[end-system]]. It connects the end-system to the first router. Examples of access networks are:
  * [[Ethernet]] [[lan|Local Area Network]] (LAN) such as you may find in a University laboratory or at home if you have an Ethernet switch connected to your Broadband modem.
  * Wireless ([[WiFi]]) router: provides an //access point// which is usually connected to a wired institional or home network.
  * Dial-up modem: such as for data over telephone.
  * [[Broadband]]: such as [[ADSL]] (over telephone lines) or [[HFC]] over cable networks.
  * Mobile telephone network: provides an access point that uses [[3G]] or [[GSM]] networks and provides connectivity for mobile devices over a wide geographic area.

In each case, the so called "last link" will be connected to a router that provides access, using internet protocols, to the wide area network. Thus an access network is the link netween the //network edge// and the //network core//.

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