Node

A node is any physical device within a network of other devices that’s able to send, receive, and/or forward information. The computer is the most common node and is often called the computer node or internet node.

Modems, switches, hubs, bridges, servers, and printers are also nodes, as are other devices that connect over WiFi or Ethernet. For example, a network connecting three computers and one printer, along with two other wireless devices, has six total nodes.

Nodes within a computer network must have some form of identification, like an IP address or MAC address, for it to be recognized by other network devices. A node without this information, or one that has been taken offline, no longer functions as a node.

how its work:

A network node is usually any device that both receives and then communicates something through the network but might instead just receive and store the data, relay the information elsewhere, or create and send data.

For example, a computer node might back up files online or send an email, but it can also stream videos and download other files. A network printer can receive print requests from other devices on the network while a scanner can send images back to the computer. A router determines what data is given to which devices that request file downloads within a network but is also used to send requests out to the public internet.

Types of nodes:

In a fiber-based cable TV network, nodes are the homes and/or businesses that are connected to the same fiber optic receiver.

Another example of a node is a device that provides intelligent network service within a cellular network, like a base station controller (BSC) or Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN). In other words, the cellular node is what provides the software controls behind the cellular equipment, like the structure with antennas that are used to transmit signals to all the devices within the cellular network.

A supernode is a node within a peer-to-peer network that functions not only as a regular node but also as a proxy server and the device that relays information to other users within the P2P network. Because of this, supernodes require more CPU and bandwidth than regular nodes.