Local and remote nodes

A physical network is used by the hosts that reside on that network. Each host is a node on the network. A node is an addressable location in a communications network that provides host-processing services. The intercommunication of these various nodes are defined as local or remote.

Local pertains to a device, file, or system accessed directly from your system, without the use of a communications line. Remote pertains to a device, file, or system accessed by your system over a communications line. Local files reside on your system, while remote files reside on a file server or at another node with which you communicate using a physical network, for example, Ethernet, token-ring, or phone lines.