3.5 Metropolitan area Network (MAN)

3.5 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

A Metropolitan Area Network or MAN is consisting of a computer network across an entire city, college campus, or a small region. This type of network is large than a LAN, which is mostly limited to a single building or site. Depending upon the type of configuration, this type of network allows you to cover an area from several miles to tens of miles.

Characteristics of MAN

Here are important characteristics of the MAN network:

• It mostly covers towns and cities in a maximum 50 km range
• Mostly used medium is optical fibers, cables
• Data rates adequate for distributed computing applications.

Advantages of MAN

Here are pros/benefits of using MAN system:

• It offers fast communication using high-speed carriers, like fiber optic cables.
• It provides excellent support for an extensive size network and greater access to WANs.
• The dual bus in MAN network provides support to transmit data in both directions concurrently.
• A MAN network mostly includes some areas of a city or an entire city.

Disadvantages of MAN

Here are drawbacks/ cons of using the MAN network:

• You need more cable to establish MAN connection from one place to another.
• In MAN network it is tough to make the system secure from hackers