Metropolitan Area Network

Computer networks can be broadly classified based on their network coverage area. Metropolitan Area Network is one type of computer network. Computer networks are classified into the following types:

• LAN(Local Area Network)
• MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
• WAN(Wide Area Network)

MAN

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a type of computer network that spans a city or a large campus. It is larger than a Local Area Network (LAN) but smaller than a Wide Area Network (WAN). MANs are used to connect users and resources in a geographic area such as a town or a city.

Key Characteristics of MAN

• Geographical Scope: Covers a city or a large town (typically 5 to 50 km in diameter).
• Ownership: Can be owned by a single organization or a consortium.
• Speed: Offers high-speed connections (up to hundreds of Mbps or even Gbps).
• Technology: Uses technologies like fiber optics, Ethernet, and wireless.
• Use Case: Interconnects multiple LANs in different buildings or campuses.

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers and other devices in a geographic area or region larger than that covered by even a large Local Area Network but smaller than the area covered by a Wide Area Network.

The network size falls intermediate between LANs and WANs. A MAN typically covers an area between 5 to 50 km. Many MANs cover an area spanning the size of a city.

Examples of MAN

Some of the examples of MAN are as follows:

• Connecting branches of a bank within a city.
• Linking multiple campuses of a university.
• Cable TV networks in a metropolitan area.

The term is applied to the interconnection of networks in a city into a single larger network (which may then also offer efficient connection to a Wide Area Network). It also means the interconnection of several Local Area Networks by bridging them with backbone lines.