- A
Local Area Network (LAN)
Why wrong: A LAN typically covers a single building or floor, not a large campus with multiple buildings.
- B
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why wrong: A WAN is used for connecting sites across cities or countries, which is overkill and may introduce latency for a campus.
- C
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A MAN is ideal for connecting multiple buildings within a campus or city, providing high-speed private connectivity.
- D
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why wrong: A PAN is for short-range connections between personal devices, not for an entire campus.
Question 997 of 1,020
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) for Campus Connectivity
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of network types. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A hospital needs to connect multiple buildings across a large campus to share patient records and imaging data. The network must be private, high-speed, and cover the entire campus. Which network type should be implemented?
Quick Answer
The answer is a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), because it is specifically designed to connect multiple buildings across a campus or city-sized area with private, high-speed links, making it ideal for sharing patient records and imaging data across a hospital campus. A MAN bridges the gap between a Local Area Network (LAN), which is confined to a single building, and a Wide Area Network (WAN), which spans cities or countries, offering the necessary coverage and performance for this scenario. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this question tests your ability to match network types to physical scope and use cases; a common trap is confusing a MAN with a WAN due to the word “metropolitan,” but remember that a MAN covers a campus or city, not a region. For a quick memory tip, think “MAN = Metro Area = Multiple buildings on one campus,” and contrast it with “WAN = Wide = World or country.”
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 the correct choice because it is designed to interconnect multiple locations across a city or large campus, providing private, high-speed connectivity. In this scenario, the hospital requires a network that spans beyond a single building but is confined to a campus-sized area, which fits the MAN scope. Technologies like Metro Ethernet or MPLS can deliver the necessary bandwidth for sharing patient records and imaging data securely.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 LAN typically covers a single building or floor, not a large campus with multiple buildings.
- ✗
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why it's wrong here
A WAN is used for connecting sites across cities or countries, which is overkill and may introduce latency for a campus.
- ✓
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Why this is correct
A MAN is ideal for connecting multiple buildings within a campus or city, providing high-speed private connectivity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why it's wrong here
A PAN is for short-range connections between personal devices, not for an entire campus.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that a LAN can cover a campus, but the key distinction is that a LAN is limited to a single broadcast domain within one building, while a MAN is required for multiple buildings across a campus-sized area.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A MAN typically operates at Layer 2 (Data Link) using technologies like Ethernet over fiber (e.g., 10GBASE-LR) or at Layer 3 with MPLS VPNs, offering speeds from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps. In a hospital campus, a MAN can be implemented using dark fiber or leased lines with QoS to prioritize critical imaging traffic, ensuring low jitter for real-time telemedicine. The IEEE 802.17 standard for Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) was historically used in MANs, though modern deployments often rely on Carrier Ethernet (MEF standards) for scalability.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Quick reference
Common DNS Record Types
| Record | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address mapping | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | IPv6 address mapping | example.com → 2606:2800::1 |
| CNAME | Alias to another hostname | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail server for domain | example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10) |
| TXT | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all |
| NS | Authoritative name servers | example.com NS ns1.example.com |
| PTR | Reverse DNS (IP → hostname) | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com |
| SOA | Zone authority record | Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1201 question test?
Network Types — This question tests Network Types — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) — A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is the correct choice because it is designed to interconnect multiple locations across a city or large campus, providing private, high-speed connectivity. In this scenario, the hospital requires a network that spans beyond a single building but is confined to a campus-sized area, which fits the MAN scope. Technologies like Metro Ethernet or MPLS can deliver the necessary bandwidth for sharing patient records and imaging data securely.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A school district with five elementary schools spread across a city needs to connect each school's LAN to a central data center for internet access and shared resources. Which network type should connect the schools to the data center?
medium- A.Local Area Network (LAN)
- B.Wide Area Network (WAN)
- ✓ C.Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
- D.Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why C: A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is designed to interconnect multiple LANs across a city or metropolitan region, typically using high-speed fiber optic links such as Metro Ethernet or SONET/SDH. This makes it the ideal choice for connecting five elementary schools spread across a city to a central data center, as it covers a larger geographic area than a LAN but is more localized than a WAN.
Variation 2. 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?
medium- A.Local Area Network (LAN)
- B.Wide Area Network (WAN)
- ✓ C.Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
- D.Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why C: 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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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