mans

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a high-capacity network that interconnects users and networks within a metropolitan area, such as a city or campus. MANs are larger than local area networks (LANs) but smaller than wide area networks (WANs), typically spanning several kilometers up to tens of kilometers. They are designed to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity across multiple sites within the area, enabling interconnection of office buildings, data centers, schools, government facilities, and service provider networks.

Common technologies for MANs include Ethernet-based Metro Ethernet, synchronous optical network/synchronous digital hierarchy (SONET/SDH), and dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) for high-capacity links. Wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN) using microwave or licensed bands are also deployed in some cases. Topologies such as ring, mesh, or hub-and-spoke with redundant paths are often used to improve reliability, with protection mechanisms and QoS support.

MANs can serve as carriers for Internet backhaul, campus interconnects, and business services such as dedicated Ethernet connections or VPNs. They are typically operated by telecommunications providers, municipal networks, or large enterprises. In practice, a MAN may act as the metropolitan backbone connecting multiple LANs and providing a point of presence for Internet access and cloud services. The choice of technology, distance, capacity, and service-level agreements (SLAs) determine characteristics and costs of a MAN deployment.