The IPX/SPX protocol suite was very popular through the late 1980s and mid-1990s because it was used by Novell NetWare, a network operating system.
Due to Novell NetWare's popularity, IPX became a prominent protocol for internetworking.
A client computer uses the MAC address of its network card as the node address and learns what it needs to know about the network topology from the servers or routers – routes are propagated by Routing Information Protocol, services by Service Advertising Protocol.
The cabling system is a network in which a data link layer protocol can be used for communication.
Client stations use its network interface card MAC address as the node number.
The socket number serves to select a process or application in the destination node.
The difference is that the boundary between network and node part of address in IP is variable, while in IPX it is fixed.