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220-1201 Campus area network (CAN) Practice Question
A technician is configuring a network for a university campus that has multiple buildings spread across a 5-kilometer area. Each building has its own LAN, and they all need to be interconnected to share resources. Which network type best describes the overall campus network?
⚠ Common exam trap
The distinction between CAN and MAN can be tricky because the distance (5 km) might seem large, but a CAN is limited to a single campus or site, while a MAN connects multiple sites across a city.
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
✓
Campus area network (CAN)
A campus area network (CAN) is specifically designed to interconnect multiple LANs within a limited geographic area, such as a university campus or corporate park. With buildings spread across 5 kilometers, the network fits the CAN scope, which typically spans up to 10 km and uses high-speed backbone links like Gigabit Ethernet or fiber optics to connect the individual LANs.
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 LAN covers one building or a single contiguous site; the stem explicitly states each building already has its own LAN, and the question asks about the network joining them. LAN would describe one building's segment, not the interconnected campus as a whole.
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Metropolitan area network (MAN)
Why it's wrong here
A MAN spans a city or metropolitan region, typically interconnecting sites beyond a single organisation's contiguous property. A 5-kilometre campus whose buildings are all under one institution's administration is a single enterprise network, so the MAN label misstates the geographic and ownership scope.
- ✓
Campus area network (CAN)
Why this is correct
A campus area network interconnects multiple LANs within a limited contiguous area, such as a university's buildings across roughly 5 kilometres. It precisely matches the stem's requirement to link each building's LAN so they share resources.
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Wide area network (WAN)
Why it's wrong here
A WAN links geographically dispersed sites across cities, countries or continents, usually over carrier circuits. A 5-kilometre campus with buildings on one site is not geographically dispersed, so WAN overstates the span; the campus is a single-entity network.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Home and SOHO Network Setup
Key term
Ethernet
Ethernet is a wired networking technology that connects devices like computers, printers, and servers to each other and to the internet using cables.
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
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