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220-1201 Practice Question: Expanding its office to a new building 5…
A company is expanding its office to a new building 5 kilometers away and needs to connect the two LANs so employees can share files and access the same servers as if they were in one location. They want a dedicated, high-speed connection without using the public internet. Which network type should be implemented?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the distinction between MAN and WAN based on geographic scope; the trap here is that candidates see 'connecting two LANs' and immediately think WAN, ignoring that the 5 km distance fits the MAN definition, which is a specific exam objective for 220-1201.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is designed to interconnect multiple LANs across a city or metropolitan region, typically up to 50 km, using dedicated fiber optic links such as Metro Ethernet or SONET/SDH. This provides the high-speed, private connection required without traversing the public internet, making it ideal for connecting two offices 5 km apart.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Local Area Network (LAN)
Why it's wrong here
A Local Area Network (LAN) is designed to connect devices within a relatively small, confined geographical area, such as a single office building, a home, or a small campus. Its primary purpose is to facilitate resource sharing and communication among local devices with high bandwidth and low latency. Connecting two separate buildings 5 km apart significantly exceeds the typical operational range and design parameters of a standard LAN, which usually spans hundreds of meters at most. Therefore, it is unsuitable for this expansion scenario.
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Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why it's wrong here
A Wide Area Network (WAN) is engineered to interconnect networks over vast geographical distances, spanning cities, states, or even countries, often utilizing public telecommunication infrastructure or leased lines. While a WAN could technically connect two buildings 5 km apart, it is generally overkill for this specific distance and typically involves higher costs or less dedicated bandwidth compared to a specialized metropolitan solution. WANs are better suited for global or national connectivity rather than localized city-wide links where a MAN offers more tailored performance and cost efficiency.
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Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Why this is correct
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is specifically designed to interconnect multiple Local Area Networks (LANs) within a city or a large metropolitan area, making it ideal for connecting separate office buildings that are geographically dispersed but still within a reasonable urban range. These networks typically provide high-speed, dedicated connectivity over distances up to several tens of kilometers, perfectly suiting the requirement to connect two buildings 5 km apart with robust and efficient links. This architecture offers a balance between the limited scope of a LAN and the vastness of a WAN.
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Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why it's wrong here
A Personal Area Network (PAN) is the smallest type of network, designed to connect personal devices within an individual's immediate workspace, typically spanning only a few meters. Technologies like Bluetooth or USB are common for PANs, facilitating communication between devices such as smartphones, headphones, and computers. This extremely limited range makes a PAN entirely unsuitable for connecting two separate buildings, especially over a distance of 5 km, as its purpose is personal device communication, not inter-building infrastructure.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.