Computer Network Nodes
In data communication, a physical network node may either be a data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) such as a modem, hub, bridge or switch; or a data terminal equipment (DTE) such as a digital telephone handset, a printer or a host computer, for example a router, a workstation or a server.
If the network in question is a LAN or WAN, every LAN or WAN node (that are at least data link layer devices) must have a MAC address, typically one for each network interface controller it possesses. Examples are computers, packet switches, xDSL modems (with Ethernet interface) and wireless LAN access points. Note that a hub constitutes a physical network node, but does not constitute a LAN network node, since a hubbed network logically is a bus network. Analogously, a repeater or PSTN modem (with serial interface) is a physical network node but not a LAN node in this sense.
If the network in question is the Internet or an Intranet, many physical network nodes are host computers, also known as Internet nodes, identified by an IP address, and all hosts are physical network nodes. However, some datalink layer devices such as switches, bridges and WLAN access points do not have an IP host address (except sometimes for administrative purposes), and are not considered to be Internet nodes or hosts, but as physical network nodes and LAN nodes.
Read more about this topic: Node (networking)
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