2.1.6. Endpoints

Endpoints are why networks exist—they're the devices that actually do work. PCs, laptops, phones, printers, security cameras, badge readers, IoT sensors... anything that generates or consumes data.

From a network engineer's perspective, endpoints are identified by MAC addresses (Layer 2) and IP addresses (Layer 3)—usually leased dynamically from DHCP, because endpoints far outnumber infrastructure devices and constantly join, leave, and move. They're also your biggest security risk: endpoints get phished, infected, and stolen. That's why network security increasingly focuses on what endpoints are allowed to do, not just where they can connect.