📘 CCNA 200-301 — 1.1.f Endpoints

🔹 1. What are Endpoints?

Endpoints = end devices that connect to the network.
They are the source or destination of network communication.
Without endpoints, the network has nothing to carry — switches, routers, APs only move data between endpoints.

🔹 2. Examples of Endpoints (know these for exam)

User devices
- Desktop PC
- Laptop
- Tablet
- Smartphone
IoT devices
- Smart camera (CCTV IP cam)
- Smart speaker (Alexa/Google Home)
- Door sensor / thermostat
Servers
- Windows/Linux server in a data center
- Virtual server (VMware, Hyper-V, Azure, AWS)
Other peripherals
- Network printer
- IP phone (VoIP)

📘 What are IoT Devices?

IoT devices = “smart devices” that can connect to a network (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or 4G/5G).
They have sensors (to collect data) or actuators (to perform actions) and communicate with other devices, apps, or cloud services.
Unlike normal PCs or laptops, IoT devices are often small, automatic, and task-specific — they run in the background without a user sitting in front of them.

🔹 Simple Examples

A smart camera → captures video → sends it to storage/cloud.
A smart thermostat → senses temperature → sends data → allows you to change heating from your phone.
A smart speaker → receives your voice command → sends it to cloud → responds with music or answers.

🔹 3. How Endpoints Connect to Network

Wired → Ethernet cable to a switch port
Wireless → Wi-Fi → Access Point → Switch

💡 Endpoints always connect first to access layer devices (switches/APs).

🔹 4. How Endpoints Are Identified

Every endpoint has:

MAC Address → hardware ID (Layer 2)
IP Address → logical address (Layer 3)

Switches use the MAC address to forward frames.
Routers use the IP address to forward packets.

🔹 Where to Find a MAC Address?

A MAC address is the hardware address burned into the network interface card (NIC) of a device.
It’s always tied to the network card, not the whole device itself.

🔹 Key CCNA Point

MAC address = on the NIC (network card).
It can appear on the device label for easy identification.
The operating system can display it in network settings.

🔹 5. Endpoint Roles

Source of traffic (e.g., a laptop sending an email).
Destination of traffic (e.g., a web server hosting a website).
Some devices act as both (e.g., a smartphone downloads data and also shares hotspot).

🔹 6. Endpoint Security (important for exam awareness)

Endpoints are the weakest link in a network.
Common protections:
- Antivirus / EDR (endpoint detection & response)
- Strong authentication (passwords, certificates, 802.1X)
- Regular patching and updates

🔹 7. Why Cisco Puts This in Exam

All networking exists to connect endpoints together.
Exam will ask things like:
- “Which is an endpoint?”
- Answer: Laptop, smartphone, printer, IP phone, server
- Not: Switch, router, firewall, AP (those are network infrastructure devices).

✅ CCNA Exam Takeaway

Endpoints = end devices on the network.
Examples: PCs, laptops, servers, printers, IP phones, IoT devices.
Connect via wired (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi) through access layer.
Identified by MAC (L2) + IP (L3).
Need security because they’re the main target for attacks.