WAN connections differ from direct connections (for example, via the LANCAPI) in that the data in the WAN are transmitted via standardized network protocols also used in the LAN. Direct connections, on the other hand, operate with proprietary processes that have been specially developed for point-to-point connections.
Via WAN connections a LAN is extended, and with direct connections only one individual PC establishes a connection to another PC. WAN connections form a kind of bridge for the communication between networks (or for connecting individual computers to the LAN).