The Metropolitan area network (MAN) (from the English “large city network” ) combines computers within a city, and is a network that is smaller than the WAN but larger than the LAN .
History
The simplest example of an urban network is a cable television system. She became the successor of conventional antenna networks in those places where, for one reason or another, the air quality was too low. The common antenna in these systems was installed on the top of a hill, and the signal was transmitted to the homes of subscribers through cable networks.
When the Internet began to attract a mass audience, cable TV operators realized that by making small changes to the system, it was possible to make digital data transmitted (and both ways) through the same channels in the unused part of the spectrum. From that moment, cable television began to gradually turn into MAN.
Description
MAN is not only cable television. Recent developments related to high-speed wireless Internet access have led to the creation of other MANs, which are described in the IEEE 802.16 standard , which describes broadband wireless LANs .
MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) is the provider's backbone network. That is, points connected by high-speed channels. Distance - from 1 to 10 km. This is not WAN yet, but definitely MAN solutions.
MAN is used to combine into a single network a group of networks located in different buildings. In diameter, such a network can be from 5 to 50 kilometers .
As a rule, MAN does not belong to any particular organization, in most cases its connecting elements and other equipment belong to a group of users or to a provider who charges a service charge. The level of service is agreed in advance and discussed with some warranties.
MAN often acts as a high-speed network to allow sharing of regional resources (like a large LAN). It is also often used to provide a public connection to other networks using WAN connectivity.