In which of the following situations would you want to configure a virtual private network (VPN)?

Configuring a virtual private network (VPN) is particularly advantageous for home-based telecommuters who need to establish secure, intermittent connections over the Internet to their organization's internal network. A VPN encrypts the data transmitted over the Internet, ensuring that sensitive information remains private and secure from potential threats while workers access corporate resources remotely. This is crucial for maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of company data, especially when employees are using potentially unsecured public or home Wi-Fi networks.

In contrast, the other situations do not necessitate the security and functionality provided by a VPN. For instance, connecting directly to an office printer does not require the encrypted communication that a VPN offers, as it typically involves local area network protocols without the need for secure remote access. Similarly, sharing a file server across multiple offices could be achieved through other networking methods that may not require the added security of a VPN, provided that both offices are part of the same wider area network (WAN) configuration. Lastly, local devices connecting to an external Wi-Fi network do not need a VPN, as they are not accessing a secured internal network and may simply be utilizing available Internet connections.