Metropolitan Area Network

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a type of network that spans a city or large campus, connecting multiple LANs within a metropolitan region. It provides higher data rates and interconnectivity between LANs located in different buildings or areas of a city. 🔹 Key Characteristics of MAN Geographical Scope: Covers 5–50 km (a city, industrial area, or university campus). Ownership: Usually maintained by governments, ISPs, or large enterprises. Speed: Medium to high (10 Mbps to 1 Gbps or more). Cost: Higher than LAN, but lower than WAN. Transmission Mediums: Fiber optics, coaxial cable, wireless microwave links. 🔹 Functions of a MAN Connect multiple LANs across a city (e.g., citywide library branches, hospitals). Acts as a high-speed backbone for regional communication. Provides internet access to LANs via a centralized gateway. Enables resource and data sharing between locations in the same city. 🖼️ Textual Diagram – MAN Connecting Multiple LANs +------------+ +------------+ +------------+ | Office 1 | | Office 2 | | Office 3 | | (LAN) | | (LAN) | | (LAN) | +------------+ +------------+ +------------+ \ | / \ | / +----------------------------------+ Metropolitan Area Network (Fiber/Wireless Links) | [Internet Gateway] 🔹 Technologies Used in MAN Technology Description Metro Ethernet Ethernet-based MAN services over fiber provided by ISPs. Wireless MAN (WMAN) WiMAX, microwave, or mmWave links across a city. SONET/SDH High-speed optical transmission for regional MAN backbones. FDDI (legacy) Fiber Distributed Data Interface used in earlier MANs. 🔹 MAN vs LAN vs WAN Feature MAN LAN WAN Coverage Area City or metropolitan area Room, building, campus Country, continent, globe Ownership Government/ISP Private ISP or public Speed Medium to high High Medium to low Cost Moderate Low High Technologies Fiber, wireless, MetroE Ethernet, Wi-Fi MPLS, satellite, leased lines 🔹 Advantages of MAN Efficient Citywide Connectivity: Connects multiple LANs across a region. High-Speed Data Transfer: Faster than WAN and suitable for regional operations. Cost Sharing: Often shared by multiple institutions or services. Supports Public and Private Use: Can be used by city governments, ISPs, or companies. 🔹