you are comparing LAN to WAN, never a bright idea
Even ATM years ago blurred that arbitrary line.
Why does there even need to be a line between local and wide in terms of networking? As far as IP is concerned, there is no difference. Even as far as Ethernet is concerned, there is no difference.
I beg to differ. There is a big difference between a multipoint traffic within a small geographical area (typically realized with switches), and trying to realize the same multipoint topology/traffic across a national backbone, typically using VPLS and similar technologies. On the other hand, Ethernet used as a framing/encapsulation technology for point to point links works just fine across large distances. Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug@nethelp.no