Page 95 - DLIS408_INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY-APPLICATIONSL SCIENCES

Information Technology and Application

Notes Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. A .................... is a computer network that connects computers and devices in a limited
geographical area such as home, school, computer, laboratory or office building.
2. Ethernet was developed at xerox PARC in the year ..................... .
3. ARCNET was developed by Data point corporation in 1976 and announced in the year
.................... .

8.2 Metropolitan Area Network

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a computer network that usually spans a city or a large
campus. A MAN usually interconnects a number of local area networks (LANs) using a high-
capacity backbone technology, such as fiber-optical links, and provides up-link services to wide
area networks (or WAN) and the Internet.
The IEEE 802-2002 standard describes a MAN as being:

Figure 8.2: MAN Network-typically linking
LANs across a city/campus

Computer

Printer
Switch

Router

Telecommunications
Company

Computer

Server

A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks of
buildings to entire cities. MANs can also depend on communications channels of moderate-to-
high data rates. A MAN might be owned and operated by a single organization, but it usually will
be used by many individuals and organizations. MANs might also be owned and operated as
public utilities. They will often provide means for internetworking of local networks.

Task Define the uses of MAN.
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a large computer network that spans a metropolitan area
or campus.

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