hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A city government wants to provide free public…
A city government wants to provide free public Wi-Fi in a downtown area spanning 2 square miles. The network must handle hundreds of simultaneous users and be accessible from streets and parks. Which network type is most appropriate for this deployment?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between LAN and MAN by presenting a scenario with a large campus or city area, where candidates mistakenly choose LAN because they overlook the geographic scale and outdoor coverage requirements.
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
✓
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is designed to cover a geographic area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN, typically spanning a city or a large campus. For a 2-square-mile downtown area with hundreds of simultaneous users, a MAN provides the necessary range, high capacity, and centralized management to deliver public Wi-Fi access across streets and parks. Technologies such as WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) or carrier-grade Wi-Fi mesh networks are commonly used in MAN deployments to ensure seamless coverage and user density.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
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 building, office, or a small campus. Its primary purpose is to facilitate high-speed data exchange and resource sharing among a limited number of users and devices. While efficient for internal networking, a LAN's limited range makes it unsuitable for providing public Wi-Fi across a 2-square-mile downtown area.
- ✗
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why it's wrong here
A Wide Area Network (WAN) is engineered to interconnect multiple LANs or other networks that are geographically separated, often spanning cities, states, or even continents. Its infrastructure relies on telecommunications links provided by carriers, focusing on long-distance data transmission between distinct sites. While essential for global connectivity, a WAN's architecture is not optimized for direct, localized public Wi-Fi access within a single metropolitan downtown area.
- ✗
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why it's wrong here
A Personal Area Network (PAN) is a very small-scale network designed for connecting personal devices within an individual's immediate workspace or proximity, typically within a few meters. Technologies like Bluetooth or USB are commonly used to link devices such as smartphones, headphones, or wearables to a computer. This extremely limited range and device count make a PAN entirely inappropriate for establishing a city-wide public Wi-Fi infrastructure.
- ✓
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Why this is correct
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is specifically designed to cover a geographical area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN, typically encompassing an entire city, a large campus, or a specific metropolitan region. It often utilizes high-speed connectivity, such as fiber-optic cables, to link multiple local area networks together. This makes a MAN the ideal choice for providing widespread public Wi-Fi services across a 2-square-mile downtown area, supporting a large number of users and devices.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 220-1201 question is part of Courseiva's 972-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.