network appliance

The appliance concept relies on inexpensive network components that support one or only a few functions. The pre-installed devices are easy to connect and can then be used directly.

A network appliance is a simple personal computer ( PC), sometimes called a thin client, that can be used to access the Internet and perform a few business activities. It has far fewer functions than a full-featured personal computer. The applications that are run by a network appliance typically reside on a web server that the network appliance can access.