Does the dust boot connection require an end piece to connect a 2.5" hose to it or does the hose itself connect right to the boot?
You need some sort of connector - it will not accept the hose straight away. I got a hose kit from HD based on Alex’s recommendation (I think) - currently on sale too. It works well - needed a little tape to fit snuggly. Amazon seems to have something similar, and what appears to be the exact same thing for 3x the the price. YMMV 
Thank you. The links you added are for 1 7/8” hose but I thought it needed 2 1/2”?
The hose is flared out on the ends - the kit comes with adapters to turn the 1 7/8" hose into 2 1/4 ‘plugs’.
-Tom