A metropolitan area network (MAN) can be defined as a large LAN, or a collection of interconnected LANs, operating over a metropolitan sized area. The term infers a network that is larger than most LANs, yet smaller geographically than a WAN. MANs could use technology found in both LANs and WANs, particularly ATM.
A wide area network (WAN) can be considered as any network that spans a large geographical distance. It can consist of a number of interconnected LANs and MANs. Many multi-national companies operate WANs across continents, often utilising the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The diagram illustrates how a collection of
LANs might interconnect, through routers, across
PSTN. The local networks can send data via satellite links to different
continents, creating a WAN. A MAN could also be integrated into the WAN,
again using a router.
| Central Institute of Technology | Networking technology concepts overview |
| Lantronix Home Page | Commercial site with links to product information, white papers and tutorials |
| Syracuse University Basic Glossary | Handy, quick reference |
| Syracuse University Local Area Networks | Good collection of links to LAN topics |
| University of Tel Aviv | Topics in Networking site, pages prepared by students |
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