Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Metropolitan Area Networks in short MAN usually covers the area of a metropolitan city and is a hybrid between LAN and WAN. This type of networks covers a few kilometers. The cable TV network is an example of Metropolitan Area Network. But there is a difference. MAN is a computer network but cable TV connection provides TV broadcast. In a Metropolitan Area Network, two buildings in a city are connected and start data transfer. That means this connect two devices which are located far away but limited to a metropolitan location. It has the size of a metropolitan city. One of the differences between WAN and MAN is the connection speed. WAN offers low to medium connection speed but Metropolitan Area Network offers high-speed connection.
Devices used to provide connections here are:
Technologies Used in MAN
- ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)
- FDDI
- SMDS
- Ethernet-based MAN
MAN Standards for Data Communication
Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB) is the Metropolitan Area Network standard for data communication. It is specified in the IEEE 802.6 standard. Using DQDB, networks can be up to 30 miles length and operate at speeds of 34 to 155 Mbit/s.
Devices Provide MAN Connections
Devices used to provide connections here are:
- ATM
- High-end routers
- Switches
- Optical switches
Other Networks