What are the uses of metropolitan area network?

Answer 1

Metropolitan Area Network connects the computer system, other resources and some times local area networks to a range from 5 to 50km. It uses high speed transfer medium like Fiber Optics.

Answer 2

Uses Of Metropolitan Area Network

Answer 3

Actually, a MAN is a hybrid between a LAN (Local Area Network) and a WAN (Wide Area Network).

LAN technologies offer high data rates (such as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gig Ethernet, etc), but are limited in distance (typically 100 meters or less) between nodes.

WAN technologies offer greater distances between nodes (hundreds or thousands of miles/kilometers), but the data rates are low (typically 2 Mbps or less).

MANs fill the niche between having a LAN that goes fast for a very limited distance and a WAN that goes far, but at low data rates. A lot of service providers now offer MAN connectivity to allow a network to reach a distance of up to about 50Km, but at relatively high speed (usually up into the 100+ Mbps range).

For an organization, the common use of a MAN is to extend their LAN connectivity between buildings/offices that are within the same city or urban area (hence the name Metropolitan Area Network). The organization can pass their Ethernet frames to the service provider MAN; the service provider will carry their frames across the MAN; and then deliver the frames to the destination site. From the customer's point of view, the MAN looks like one big (long) Ethernet link between their offices. The different sites could belong to the same IP subnet, and from the customer's viewpoint, no routing was required between their sites. The customer can also send their Ethernet frames to the service provider and the service provider can route the traffic off to the Internet through the MAN.

Nowadays, a lot of providers are promoting MAN services to individuals as a high-speed Internet connection, but the speed is still going to be limited by the fastest technology available between the individual's location (maybe their house, so DSL, cable, or wireless) and the provider's nearest point of presence.

Answer 4

It's just another gateway into the internet. No big deal. The specific difference is that the MAN is put up by a city, locality, or geographical entity for use by it's residence and visitors. It's the next big thing in internet availability.