- A
Local Area Network (LAN)
Why wrong: A LAN is limited to a single building or campus and cannot cover a city-wide area.
- B
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why wrong: A WAN spans larger regions like states or countries, which is excessive for a single city and may be less efficient.
- C
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A MAN is specifically built to cover a city-sized area, ideal for municipal Wi-Fi hotspots and secure internet access.
- D
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why wrong: A PAN covers only a few meters and cannot support city-wide connectivity.
Question 306 of 1,020
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) Explained
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 technician is configuring a network for a municipal government that needs to connect public Wi-Fi hotspots across a city, covering an area of about 50 square kilometers. The network must be secure and provide internet access to citizens. Which network type should be deployed?
Quick Answer
The answer is a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). A MAN is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to interconnect networks across a city-sized geographic area, typically spanning 5 to 50 kilometers, which perfectly matches the 50 square kilometer requirement for municipal Wi-Fi hotspots. Unlike a Local Area Network (LAN), which is confined to a single building or campus, or a Wide Area Network (WAN), which connects cities or countries, a MAN provides the ideal balance of coverage, security, and high-speed internet access for a metropolitan region. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish network types by scale and purpose—a common trap is confusing a MAN with a WAN, but remember that a WAN covers a much larger area, often using leased lines across states or countries. For a quick memory tip, think of the “M” in MAN as standing for “Metro” or “Municipal,” linking it directly to city-wide government and public services.
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 municipal government connecting public Wi-Fi hotspots across 50 square kilometers, a MAN provides the necessary range and can utilize technologies like Metro Ethernet or fiber-optic rings to deliver secure, high-speed internet access to citizens.
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 is limited to a single building or campus and cannot cover a city-wide area.
- ✗
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why it's wrong here
A WAN spans larger regions like states or countries, which is excessive for a single city and may be less efficient.
- ✓
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Why this is correct
A MAN is specifically built to cover a city-sized area, ideal for municipal Wi-Fi hotspots and secure internet access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why it's wrong here
A PAN covers only a few meters and cannot support city-wide connectivity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse a MAN with a WAN because both cover large areas, but a WAN is designed for inter-city or inter-country links, while a MAN is specifically optimized for a city-scale network, making it the correct choice for this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A MAN often uses technologies such as IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) or fiber-optic rings with protocols like Ethernet over MPLS to provide high-bandwidth connectivity across a city. In practice, municipal MANs may employ a combination of point-to-point wireless links and fiber backhauls to ensure redundancy and low latency, with security enforced through 802.1X authentication and encrypted tunnels (e.g., IPsec) for public Wi-Fi access.
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.
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 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 municipal government connecting public Wi-Fi hotspots across 50 square kilometers, a MAN provides the necessary range and can utilize technologies like Metro Ethernet or fiber-optic rings to deliver secure, high-speed internet access to citizens.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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