End system

In networking jargon, the computers that are connected to a computer network are sometimes referred to as end systems. They are labeled end systems because they sit at the edge of the network. The end user always interacts with the end systems. End systems are the devices that provide information or services.

The Internet’s end systems include some computers with which the end user does not interact. These include e-mail servers and web servers.

With the accelerating rate at which technology is advancing today, household items (such as toasters and refrigerators) as well as portable, handheld computers and digital cameras are all being connected to the Internet as end systems.

End systems that are connected to the Internet are also referred to as hosts; this is because they host (run) Internet applications such as a web browser or an email retrieval program.

End systems are usually connected to each other using switching devices known as routers rather than using single communication link. The path that transmitted information takes from the sending end system, through a series of communications links and routers, to the receiving end system is known as a route or path through the network.