A network interface is a hardware or software module that allows a device to connect to external peripherals. This interface is crucial for creating wide area networks (WANs), which connect multiple local area networks (LANs). WAN links, the communication circuits used in this process, are essential for connecting offices in different locations into a single network. The effectiveness of WAN links depends on the networking protocols used and the services of telecommunications carriers. Most routers have a dedicated WAN interface or a configurable standard interface to facilitate these connections. This setup is important for networking over large distances.
OpManager allows you to monitor the availability and performance of WAN links . It detects the WAN links automatically during Interface Discovery and starts monitoring it for availability, bandwidth and utilization. Monitoring these metrics is important in identifying the root cause of any problem in the network that degrades the overall efficiency of the WAN and troubleshooting the same.
Listed below are the interface types that will be automatically identified and monitored as WAN links in OpManager.
| Interface Type | Description |
| DS1 | T1/E1 |
| Primary ISDN | - |
| Basic ISDN | - |
| Serial | Serial interface |
| PPP | Point-to-point protocol |
| Frame Delay DTE | Frame relay objects for DTE |
| RS-232 | RS-232 objects |
| ATM | ATM |
| Frame relay DCE | Frame relay DCE objects |
| V35 | V35 |
| AAL5 | AAL5 over ATM |
| ISDN | ISDN and X.25 |
| V11 | CCITT V.11/X.21 |
| ADSL | Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop |
| SDSL | Symmetric Digital Subscriber Loop |
| MPLS | MPLS |
| Q 2931 | Q 2931 |
To gain in-depth insights into OpManager's WAN monitoring practices, explore the following help documents.