In a Local Area Network (LAN), what do we call the computer that provides shared resources (files, printers, applications) and central management for network users?

Introduction / Context:
LANs rely on systems that make resources available to multiple users and enforce access control. The machine that hosts shared folders, databases, print queues, directory services, or application services is commonly referred to as a network server. Distinguishing it from software (the OS) or services (VPN) avoids conceptual confusion on exams and in design discussions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We seek the role of a computer within a LAN.
• The role includes resource sharing and administrative control.
• The term should identify the hardware/host role, not a protocol stack or abstract model.

Concept / Approach:
A network server is a host that offers services to clients: file/print services, web/database hosting, directory and authentication, and sometimes centralized backup. It runs a network operating system that enables these services, but the OS itself is not the “server”—the machine performing the server role is. VPNs provide secure remote connectivity, and OSI is a conceptual model, not a device or role.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Administrative consoles for file and print services, Active Directory/LDAP, and application servers are hosted on servers accessible to many clients—concretely matching the definition of a network server in LANs.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Virtual Private Network: a secure tunneling method, not a physical server role.
• Network operating system: software that may run on a server, not the machine itself.
• OSI: a model for understanding layers; not a device or service role.
• Network client: the consuming endpoint rather than the providing host.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating the OS with the role; using “server” to mean both hardware and software indiscriminately without recognizing the context of the question.

Final Answer:
Network Server