About this interactive
The two lessons split network nodes into two kinds:
- **End device:** the source or destination of the communication. A laptop asking for a web page is the source; the server sending it is the destination. Both are end devices, and so are printers, tablets, phones, voice over IP phones and video units.
- **Intermediary device:** interconnects the end devices and passes their traffic along. Switches and routers are the lesson's examples.
Ask of each node: does the traffic start or end here, or does it only pass through?
What you'll learn
- Sort network nodes into end devices, the source or destination of traffic, and intermediary devices, which interconnect them and pass traffic along
- Recognise that a server and a printer are end devices, and a switch or router is an intermediary device, whichever end of a conversation they sit at
Aligned to
CompTIA Network+
1.2
Compare and contrast networking appliances, applications, and functions.
Cisco CCST Networking
3.3
Describe endpoint devices
Cisco CCNA
1.1
Explain the role and function of network components
Key terms
- Network Node
- Any device connected to a network via network media, including both end devices and intermediary devices.
- End Device
- A device at the edge of a network that acts as the source or destination of network communication, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet, printer, or IP phone.
- Intermediary Device
- A network node, such as a switch or router, that interconnects end devices and facilitates communication between them rather than serving as a source or destination of traffic.
- Switch
- A network device that connects devices within a LAN and forwards traffic based on MAC addresses.
- Router
- A network device that forwards data packets between networks based on IP addresses.
- Server
- A computer or program that provides services or resources to other devices, known as clients, over a network.
Topics
Network Nodes
End Devices
Intermediary Devices
Interactive
Streak Sort
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