Page 97 - DLIS408_INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY-APPLICATIONSL SCIENCES

Information Technology and Application

Notes Many companies, campuses and local governments are slowly switching to MAN - Metropolitan
Area Network. This is because of the advantages that MAN offers and the convenience it brings to
clients. Having small networks compounded into a large network such as in MAN provides
security for the communication shared in between the networks.

Self Assessment

Multiple choice questions:
4. A computer network that usually spans a city or a large campus is known as:
(a) LAN (b)MAN (c) WAN (d) TAN.
5. The geographical scope of metropolitan area network falls between:
(a) WAN and LAN (b) MAN and LAN
(c) WAN and MAN (d) All of these.

8.3 Wide Area Network

A wide area network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a broad area (i.e., any network
whose communications links cross metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries). This is in
contrast with personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), campus area networks
(CANs), or metropolitan area networks (MANs) which are usually limited to a room, building,
campus or specific metropolitan area (e.g., a city) respectively.
Figure 8.3: WAN Network-linking
LANs and other networks over large areas

Computer

Printer
Switch

Router

Telecommunications
Commpany

Computer
B

Server

Design Options
WANs are used to connect LANs and other types of networks together, so that users and computers
in one location can communicate with users and computers in other locations. Many WANs are
built for one particular organization and are private. Others, built by Internet service providers,
provide connections from an organization’s LAN to the Internet. WANs are often built using

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