A client is a computer that allows a user or users to log on to the network and take advantage of the resources available on the network. A client computer will make a client operating system. The purpose of the client is to get user onto the network; therefore, client computers don’t usually have the processing power, the storage space, or the memory found on a server because the client does not have to serve up resources to other computers on the network.

   A server, on the other hand, is typically a much more powerful computer that runs a network operating system. The server provides centralized administration of the network and serves up the resources that are available on the network, such as printers and files. The administrator of the server decides who can and cannot log on the network and which resources the various can access.

   Most LANs consist of many clients and a few servers. While one server always controls user logons, other servers can specialize in providing certain types of resources.