End Node

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What Does End Node Mean?

An end node is a peripheral unit in a network, or a primary designated unit within that network. IT professionals and others use the term "end node" to specify a certain hardware component of a network that has its own role and properties within that network system.

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Techopedia Explains End Node

One general way to talk about an end node relates to comprehensive network security and the kinds of hardware interfaces that are used. IT pros may refer to certain computers that are provided for end users as end nodes, especially when they are seen as the end display point for a complicated network.

Experts might also discuss an "end node problem," which involves individual end nodes that may not be up to network security standards, and may make a network vulnerable.

The end node problem is particularly relevant in cloud computing, where end nodes may be part of the cloud network, but not actively managed by the cloud’s host. These network nodes may have problems related to improper software configuration, weak security and vulnerability to malware or viruses, or other security issues. In a very simple sense, the end node is often the weakest link that security and tech experts look at within the network.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.