UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B and C correctly distinguish LAN, WAN and MAN by their geographical coverage. LANs serve limited areas like buildings, WANs can span entire countries or continents, and MANs typically cover metropolitan regions. Statement D is false because LANs can be implemented using wired, wireless or mixed technologies. Thus, the combination that includes A, B and C but excludes D is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it mentions only A and B as correct and omits C. While A and B are true, statement C is also correct in associating MAN with city-wide networks. Leaving out a true statement means this option does not present the full set of correct statements.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it brings together A, B and C, all of which are accurate descriptions of common network types. It rightly excludes D, which wrongly claims that LANs must always be wireless. Therefore this option aligns with standard ICT classifications of networks by scope.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes D alongside B and C. Although B and C are true, D is false because LANs may be wired, wireless or a combination. Including a false statement invalidates the combination.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it assumes all four statements are correct. Statement D misrepresents the nature of LAN technologies and should not be included among correct statements. A valid answer must exclude that incorrect statement.

A local area network interconnects computers and devices within a small physical region, often using Ethernet or Wi-Fi. It enables high-speed data exchange among users in offices, labs or campuses. Because distances are short, LANs can operate with relatively low error rates and high bandwidth. Thus the network described in the question is a LAN.

Option A:
Option A, wide area network, spans large geographical areas, often connecting cities or countries, which goes beyond the limited scope mentioned in the stem. WANs rely on long-distance communication links.

Option B:
Option B, metropolitan area network, typically covers an entire city or metropolitan region, making it larger than the building or campus-level focus. It is therefore not the best term here.

Option C:
Option C, personal digital network, is not a standard classification in network taxonomy. Although personal area networks exist, they refer to very short-range connections around an individual, not an institutional campus.

Option D:
Option D is correct because LANs are expressly defined as networks confined to a small geographic area, such as a single organisation’s premises, matching the scenario described.

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.