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A host is a computer connected to a [[computer network]], such as to the [[Internet]].

The word original referred to "terminal hosts," which were mainframe computers (or their software) providing services to computer terminals, or to other smaller or less capable devices. A network host in this sense generally acts as a [[web server]], running application software to provide network services, such as serving [[web page]]s.

However, any computer connected to the Internet may be considered a host. 

Every Internet host has one or more [[IP addresse]]s uniquely assigned to it, either manually by the computer system administrator, or automatically at start-up by means of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

Every host is a physical network node, but some physical network devices such as modems and network switches that are not assigned host addresses are not considered hosts. Devices such as network printers and hardware routers that ''are'' assigned IP addresses are likewise sometimes not considered as hosts.

==External Links==
*Wikipedia article about network hosts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_%28network%29

[[Category:Webuser tools]]
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