Advantages

1. Peripherals such as printers can be shared amongst many different users.
2. Terminals are cheaper than standalone PCs.
3. Software can be shared amongst different users.
4. Communication across the network is cheap and fast.

Disadvantages

1. Cabling can be expensive to install and replace.
2. A fault with the server will prevent the whole network from working.
3. Security mesures are needed to restrict access to the network.
4. WANs are vulnerable to hackers and viruses.