UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A local area network is designed to cover a relatively small physical area like a lab, building or campus using high speed communication links. It enables sharing of resources such as printers and files among connected devices. In ICT classifications, LANs are contrasted with wider networks like WANs and MANs based on coverage area. Therefore, the appropriate term for the blank is local area network.

Option A:
Option A is correct because the description of a limited geographical area directly matches the standard definition of a local area network in networking textbooks and UGC NET syllabi. LANs are the primary example used for networks within institutions.

Option B:
Option B, wide area network, covers large geographical regions such as countries or continents and uses long distance links, so it is broader than the scenario described.

Option C:
Option C, metropolitan network, or MAN, usually spans a city and is thus larger in scale than a single campus or building. It does not fit the limited area mentioned in the question.

Option D:
Option D, personal hotspot, refers to a feature of a device that shares its internet connection and is not itself a full class of network covering an entire building or campus.