A campus area network connects multiple LANs across a limited area, such as a university campus. Which acronym represents this type?

• A. LAN
• B. CAN
• C. MAN
• D. WAN

Answer: (B)

Think in terms of the size and reach of a network. A campus area network connects multiple LANs across a university campus, spanning several buildings or facilities within a limited area. It’s bigger than a single LAN (which typically serves one building or a small area) but smaller than a metropolitan area network (which covers an entire city) or a wide area network (which can span countries and continents). That intermediate scope is what the acronym CAMPUS area network, or CAN, represents. So the acronym that fits this description is CAN. The other options refer to smaller or much larger geographic footprints: a single building or campus LAN, a city-wide MAN, or a broad WAN.