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Node (networking)
 
 
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In communication networks, a node (Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 nodus, ‘knot’) is an active electronic device that is attached to a network, and is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding information over a communications channel. A node is a connection point, either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint
Communication endpoint

A communication endpoint is an interface exposed by a communicating party or by a communication channel. An example of the latter type of a communication endpoint is a publish-subscribe topic or a group in group communication systems....
 (some terminal
Terminal (telecommunication)

In the context of telecommunications, a terminal is a device which is capable of communicating over a line. Examples of terminals are telephones, fax machines, and network devices - printers, work stations, routers in a Voice over IP network....
 equipment).

In network theory
Network theory

Network theory is an area of applied mathematics and part of graph theory. It has application in many disciplines including particle physics, computer science, biology, economics, operations research, and sociology....
, the term node may refer a point in a network topology
Network topology

Network topology is the study of the arrangement or mapping of the elements of a Computer networking, especially the physical and logical interconnections between nodes....
 at which lines intersect
Intersection (set theory)

In mathematics, the intersection of two Set A and B is the set that contains all elements of A that also belong to B , but no other elements....
 or branch
Branch (graph theory)

In mathematics, especially mathematical logic and set theory, a branch of a tree T is a map f such that ?n : f ? T.By a tree on a product set ?1 ???? ?p we mean here a subset of the union of ?1i?????pi for all i < cardinal number,...
.

ata communication, a node may either be a data circuit-terminating equipment
Data circuit-terminating equipment

A Data circuit-terminating equipment is a device that sits between the data terminal equipment and a data transmission circuit. It is also called data communications equipment and data carrier equipment....
 (DCE) such as a modem
Modem

Modem is a peripheral device that modulation an analog carrier wave Signal to encode digital information, and also demodulation such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information....
, hub
Hub

Hub generally means 'center' or 'location ', and may refer to: ...
, bridge
Network bridge

A network bridge connects multiple network segments at the data link layer of the OSI model, and the term layer 2 switch is very often used interchangeably with bridge....
 or switch
Network switch

A network switch is a computer networking device that connects computer network Network segment.The term commonly refers to a Network bridge that processes and routes data at the Data link layer of the OSI model....
; or a data terminal equipment
Data terminal equipment

Data terminal equipment is an end instrument that converts user information into signals or reconverts received signals. A DTE device communicates with the data circuit-terminating 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
Lan

Lan , in Polish language means "field," and is a unit of land measurement used in Poland. Since the 13th century, its value has varied from one location to another....
 or WAN
Wide area network

Wide Area Network is a computer network that covers a broad area . Contrast with personal area networks , local area networks , campus area networks , or metropolitan area networks which are usually limited to a room, building, campus or specific metropolitan area respectively....
, every node must have a MAC address
MAC address

In computer networking, a Media Access Control address , Ethernet Hardware Address , hardware address, adapter address or physical address is a quasi-unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards by the manufacturer for identification....
 if it is at least a data link layer
Data link layer

The Data Link Layer is layer 2 of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking.The Data Link Layer is the protocol layer which transfers data between adjacent network nodes in a wide area network or between nodes on the same local area network network segment....
 device, as defined in the OSI model
OSI model

The Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model is an abstract description for layered communications and computer network protocol design. It was developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection initiative....
.

If the network in question is the Internet, many network nodes are host computers
Host (network)

In computer networking, a network host, Internet host or host is a computer connected to the Internet. A network host can host information as well as client and/or server software....
, identified by an IP address, and all hosts are nodes.






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In communication networks, a node (Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 nodus, ‘knot’) is an active electronic device that is attached to a network, and is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding information over a communications channel. A node is a connection point, either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint
Communication endpoint

A communication endpoint is an interface exposed by a communicating party or by a communication channel. An example of the latter type of a communication endpoint is a publish-subscribe topic or a group in group communication systems....
 (some terminal
Terminal (telecommunication)

In the context of telecommunications, a terminal is a device which is capable of communicating over a line. Examples of terminals are telephones, fax machines, and network devices - printers, work stations, routers in a Voice over IP network....
 equipment).

In network theory
Network theory

Network theory is an area of applied mathematics and part of graph theory. It has application in many disciplines including particle physics, computer science, biology, economics, operations research, and sociology....
, the term node may refer a point in a network topology
Network topology

Network topology is the study of the arrangement or mapping of the elements of a Computer networking, especially the physical and logical interconnections between nodes....
 at which lines intersect
Intersection (set theory)

In mathematics, the intersection of two Set A and B is the set that contains all elements of A that also belong to B , but no other elements....
 or branch
Branch (graph theory)

In mathematics, especially mathematical logic and set theory, a branch of a tree T is a map f such that ?n : f ? T.By a tree on a product set ?1 ???? ?p we mean here a subset of the union of ?1i?????pi for all i < cardinal number,...
.

Computer network nodes

In data communication, a node may either be a data circuit-terminating equipment
Data circuit-terminating equipment

A Data circuit-terminating equipment is a device that sits between the data terminal equipment and a data transmission circuit. It is also called data communications equipment and data carrier equipment....
 (DCE) such as a modem
Modem

Modem is a peripheral device that modulation an analog carrier wave Signal to encode digital information, and also demodulation such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information....
, hub
Hub

Hub generally means 'center' or 'location ', and may refer to: ...
, bridge
Network bridge

A network bridge connects multiple network segments at the data link layer of the OSI model, and the term layer 2 switch is very often used interchangeably with bridge....
 or switch
Network switch

A network switch is a computer networking device that connects computer network Network segment.The term commonly refers to a Network bridge that processes and routes data at the Data link layer of the OSI model....
; or a data terminal equipment
Data terminal equipment

Data terminal equipment is an end instrument that converts user information into signals or reconverts received signals. A DTE device communicates with the data circuit-terminating 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
Lan

Lan , in Polish language means "field," and is a unit of land measurement used in Poland. Since the 13th century, its value has varied from one location to another....
 or WAN
Wide area network

Wide Area Network is a computer network that covers a broad area . Contrast with personal area networks , local area networks , campus area networks , or metropolitan area networks which are usually limited to a room, building, campus or specific metropolitan area respectively....
, every node must have a MAC address
MAC address

In computer networking, a Media Access Control address , Ethernet Hardware Address , hardware address, adapter address or physical address is a quasi-unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards by the manufacturer for identification....
 if it is at least a data link layer
Data link layer

The Data Link Layer is layer 2 of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking.The Data Link Layer is the protocol layer which transfers data between adjacent network nodes in a wide area network or between nodes on the same local area network network segment....
 device, as defined in the OSI model
OSI model

The Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model is an abstract description for layered communications and computer network protocol design. It was developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection initiative....
.

If the network in question is the Internet, many network nodes are host computers
Host (network)

In computer networking, a network host, Internet host or host is a computer connected to the Internet. A network host can host information as well as client and/or server software....
, identified by an IP address, and all hosts are nodes. However, datalink layer devices such as switches, bridges and WLAN
Wireless LAN

A wireless LAN is a wireless local area network that links two or more computers or devices using Spread spectrum or OFDM modulation technology based to enable communication between devices in a limited area....
 access point
Access Point

Access Point can refer to:*Access Point , a location on Anvers Island, Antarctica*Wireless access point, a wireless networking device...
s do often have an IP host address (except sometimes for administrative purposes), but are considered as network nodes.

If the network in question is a peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer

A peer-to-peer computer network uses diverse connectivity between participants in a network and the cumulative bandwidth of network participants rather than conventional centralized resources where a relatively low number of Server s provide the core value to a service or application....
 or overlay network
Overlay network

An overlay network is a computer network which is built on top of another network. Node s in the overlay can be thought of as being connected by virtual or logical links, each of which corresponds to a path, perhaps through many physical links, in the underlying network....
, nodes that actively route data for the other networked devices as well as themselves are called supernodes. Nodes that route between supernodes are commonly referred to as "super-duper" nodes.

Telecommunication network nodes

In the fixed telephone network, a node may be a public or private telephone exchange
Telephone exchange

In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls....
, a remote concentrator
Remote concentrator

In modern telephony a remote concentrator or Remote Line Concentrator is the lowest level in the telephone switch hierarchy. Only a few hundred telephone lines attach to each remote concentrator....
 or a computer providing some intelligent network service. In cellular data communication, the Home Location Register, Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) and Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) are examples of nodes.

In cable television
Cable television

Cable television is a system of providing television to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through fixed optical fibers or coaxial cables as opposed to the over-the-air method used in traditional television broadcasting in which a television antenna is required....
 systems (CATV), this term has assumed a broader context and is generally associated with a fiber optic
Fiber-optic communication

File:Laser in fibre.jpgFiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber....
 node. This can be defined as those homes or businesses within a specific geographic area that are served from a common fiber optic receiver
Receiver

Receiver may mean:* The listening device part of a telephone* The handset containing that device* Receiver , an electronic device that converts a radio signal from a transmitter into useful information...
. A fiber optic node is generally described in terms of the number of "homes passed" that are served by that specific fiber node.

See also

  • Host (network)
    Host (network)

    In computer networking, a network host, Internet host or host is a computer connected to the Internet. A network host can host information as well as client and/or server software....