What is a client-server network?

A client-server network is a centralized setup where a single powerful computer — the server — handles requests from multiple connected devices called clients. Each client asks the server for data or services, and the server processes and responds, maintaining control over the network's operations. This design makes communication and data access efficient, but the entire system relies heavily on the server, which means it is vulnerable to failures or overload. For anyone learning about crypto, recognizing what centralized control looks like in practice — a single point that every participant depends on — is a useful foundation for understanding why decentralized systems are built differently.