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Node (telecommunications)
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The term node as used in the field of telecommunications refers to an active electronic device that is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding information over a communications channel.
In Network topology the term may refer to an active equipment situated in a point of branching of physical connections, or terminating a physical connection.
In computer networks, a 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.
In the fixed telephone network, a node may be a public or private telephone exchange, a remote concentrator or a computer providing some intelligent network service. In cellular data communication, the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) and Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) are examples of nodes.
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