What does a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) cover?

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is designed to cover a specific geographic area that typically encompasses a city or a large campus. The range for a MAN generally falls between 1 to 30 miles, which allows it to serve the interconnected needs of various facilities such as offices, businesses, and regional data centers within a densely populated area. This distance is sufficient to connect multiple local area networks (LANs) and provide high-speed transmission, making it suitable for organizations requiring communication over a broader scale than LAN but not needing the extensive reach of a wide area network (WAN).

While options suggesting lesser distances do not capture the full capabilities and geographic coverage of a MAN, claiming a distance of more than 30 miles would extend beyond the typical usage and thus does not align with the established definitions used in network architecture. The correct choice, covering up to 30 miles, accurately reflects the standard scope of a MAN.