host
(n) (1) A computer system that is accessed by a user working at a remote location. Typically, the term is used when there are two computer systems connected by modems and telephone lines. The system that contains the data is called the host, while the computer at which the user sits is called the remote terminal.
(2) A computer that is connected to a TCP/IP network, including the Internet. Each host has a unique IP address.
(3) To provide the infrastructure for a computer service. For example, there are many companies that host files, programs, applications or even a Web server for companies and individuals. In the case of a Web server, it means that they provide the hardware, software, and communications lines required by the server, but the content on the server may be controlled by someone else.
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- host-based
Refers to any device that relies on the host computer (that is, the computer the device is attached to) to handle some operations. Two common examples are host-based printers and host-based modems.
- host-based modem
A modem that uses the computer’s processor to handle some operations. Because host-based modems require less processing power of their own, they should be less expensive than conventional modems. There are also software modems, in which there’s no modem device at all. Instead, all of the modem’s functions are handled by the computer’s processor. In […]
- host-based printer
A printer that relies on the host computer’s processor to generate printable pages. Most host-based printers on the market today use the GDI interface built into Windows. Because they don’t need a powerful processor of their own, host-based printers tend to be less expensive than conventional printers. But because they share your computer’s processor, they […]
- host bus
Another name for the system bus.
- hosted
A computer, usually a server, containing data, files, or programs that another computer can access by means of a network or modem.