UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

These three categories differentiate networks by geographic span. A LAN links nearby devices, a MAN connects multiple LANs in a city and a WAN joins networks over very large distances. Understanding their scale helps in network planning and infrastructure decisions in institutions. This option is consistent with standard ICT terminology.

Option A:
This option accurately reflects common textbook definitions and is widely used in exam questions. It helps learners see that each higher level usually aggregates multiple smaller networks, moving from local to global.

Option B:
Claiming that a LAN covers continents and a MAN is limited to a room reverses the accepted meanings. It leads to confusion about appropriate technologies and design choices.

Option C:
Limiting each network type to specific device categories, such as satellites or mobile phones, is misleading. All three network types can involve different devices depending on context.

Option D:
Saying that all three terms mean the same thing ignores an important conceptual distinction in networking. It suggests there is no difference in design or usage, which is inaccurate.

A Local Area Network interconnects computers and other devices within a relatively small physical area, typically using high speed links. Organisations use LANs to share resources such as printers, files and internet connections. The limited scope allows for easier management and lower latency. Therefore, the network described in the question is a LAN.

Option A:
Option A, MAN, or Metropolitan Area Network, spans a city or large campus and covers a wider geographic area than that mentioned in the stem.

Option B:
Option B, WAN, or Wide Area Network, extends over large regions or countries and connects multiple LANs, which goes beyond the constraints of a single building or campus.

Option C:
Option C, PAN, or Personal Area Network, is focused on very short range communication around an individual, such as connections between a phone and a headset.

Option D:
Option D is correct because LAN is the standard term used in ICT to refer to networks confined to small areas like offices, schools or laboratories.

Intranets are internal networks of organisations (like a university campus network) accessible only to authorised users, while the Internet links networks worldwide and is publicly reachable.

Option A:
This option correctly contrasts scope (local vs global) and access (restricted vs public), which is the key distinction.

Option B:
Intranets are typically much smaller; the Internet includes countless intranets and other networks.

Option C:
A global mobile network is not what “intranet” means and may or may not connect to the Internet.

Option D:
The Web is a service over the Internet; an intranet is a private network that may host internal web services but is not simply “the Web”.

A Metropolitan Area Network spans a geographic region larger than a single building but smaller than a country, such as a city or a university campus. It often acts as a backbone that interconnects several local area networks. MANs can be implemented using high capacity fibre links and are sometimes managed by telecom providers. Therefore, the network described in the stem is a MAN.

Option A:
Option A is correct because MANs are defined in networking literature as covering metropolitan scale areas and linking multiple LANs, which matches the scope mentioned.

Option B:
Option B, LAN, is limited to smaller areas like offices or buildings and does not typically connect widely separated sites across a city.

Option C:
Option C, WAN, covers much larger geographic areas, often internationally, and would go beyond the scale indicated in the question.

Option D:
Option D, PAN, refers to very short range personal networks around an individual and is much smaller in scope than a MAN.

A Local Area Network is designed to cover a limited geographical area such as a room, building or small campus. It provides high-speed connectivity among computers and devices within that confined space. LANs are common in schools, colleges, offices and laboratories for resource sharing. Therefore, this option accurately identifies the network type with a small physical scope.

Option A:
A Metropolitan Area Network covers a city or a large campus spread over tens of kilometres. It is much larger in scope than a single building. Because of this wider coverage, MAN does not best represent the small-area network described in the question.

Option B:
A Wide Area Network spans very large geographical areas, sometimes across countries or continents. The Internet itself is an example of a WAN. Since the question emphasises a single building or small campus, WAN is far beyond the required scope.

Option C:
A Virtual Private Network is a secure tunnel created over existing networks such as the Internet. It describes a method of secure communication rather than the physical size of the network. Hence, it does not directly answer the question about geographical coverage.

Option D: