What Are MANs And WANs Of Internetworking?

To get an accurate view of what metropolitan area network (MAN) and wide area network (WAN) mean in networking, it may be best to start with an understanding of the Internet and the World Wide Web. A little knowledge in this area will lead to wiser use of the phenomenal connectivity that is available around the globe in the 21st century.

The Internet began as a university/government/military system and is now a world-spanning network of connected computers. MANs and WANs can be one part of this massive system or may be isolated from the larger Internet. The development of standard ways of communicating over the last few decades allows people all around the globe to share information, in print, graphics, digital images etc. Several programs at large universities, along with developments at RAND Corporation helped bring the current Internet to life.

Eventually the public began to gain access and new uses developed for this interconnected system. What is now commonly called the Web is actually the World Wide Web (www) from which almost anyone can gather documents and images for various purposes. The MAN and WAN have a specific place within this huge system.

A WAN is, of course, a network of computers that provides service and connectivity in a large area, thus the name. This type of network may connect two or more major cities and cross state or national boundaries. The Internet that covers the globe is a very large wide area network. But in everyday usage, a WAN is a part of that larger system.

In contrast, a metropolitan area network or MAN is one that connects computer sites over an area larger than a local area network (LAN). The MAN can be of use in a series of buildings that are spread over a large area or as the name implies it can be the system of communication for a major city or general metropolitan area. Some traditional public utility companies now maintain a system similar to a MAN, as opposed to a local area network that might restrict use to one business or group of connected offices in a building.

In the last few years, more and more of the WAN and MAN use is being conducted over Ethernet, as compared to other methods of connectivity. This particular type of connected network extends the use of a network and makes it easier to use in most locations within a building for example.

The term is not new, as it was developed by the Xerox company more than 35 years ago. Each type of system, whether its Ethernet or another technology, has its own “language” or way of allowing various computers to connect and share information. MANs can link several local area networks without using physical wiring or cable. The signals are sent and received by microwave, laser technology or radio signals. The various ways of communication in a MAN or WAN depend on the specific protocol used.

MAN links between LANs have been built without cables using either microwave, radio, or infra-red laser links

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