What are the disadvantages of a client-server network model?

• A. Expensive
• B. Low complexity
• C. Flexible
• D. Expensive, increased workload/reduction in network speed, reliant on centralized dedicated server

Answer: (D)

A client-server network centralizes resources on a server, which brings notable drawbacks. The costs grow because you’re buying and maintaining server hardware, software licenses, and the expertise to manage and secure the servers. All that infrastructure plus the need for power, cooling, and space adds up quickly.

The server also bears the bulk of work since many clients request resources like files, databases, or authentication. As the number of clients increases, the server’s CPU, memory, and I/O can become bottlenecks, which can slow down the whole network and reduce perceived speed for users.

Reliance on a centralized server means a single point of failure. If the server goes down, many or all clients lose access to shared resources, so downtime and recovery become critical concerns.

These combined drawbacks align with the option that mentions being expensive, having an increased workload and potential speed reduction, and being reliant on a centralized dedicated server. Saying only that it’s expensive isn’t complete, and terms like low complexity or flexibility describe different scenarios that don’t reflect the disadvantages of centralization.