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Network Layer

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20 views2 pages

Network Layer

Uploaded by

drnandikollasupriya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Network Layer

The network layer is concerned with getting packets from the source all the way to the
destination. Getting to the destination may require making many hops at intermediate
routers along the way. This function clearly contrasts with that of the data link layer,
which has the more modest goal of just moving frames from one end of a wire to the
other. Thus,the network layer is the lowest layer that deals with end-to-end
transmission.

Network Layer Design Issues


1. Store-and-forward packet switching
2. Services provided to transport layer
3. Implementation of connectionless service
4. Implementation of connection-oriented service
5. Comparison of virtual-circuit and datagram networks

1. Store-and-forward packet switching


The network layer operates in an environment that uses store and forward packet
switching. The node which has a packet to send, delivers it to the nearest router. The
packet is stored in the router until it has fully arrived and its checksum is verified for
error detection. Once, this is done, the packet is forwarded to the next router. Since,
each router needs to store the entire packet before it can forward it to the next hop, the
mechanism is called store − and − forward switching.

2. Services provided to transport layer


• The network layer provides service its immediate upper layer, namely transport
layer, through the network − transport layer interface. The two types of services
provided are
Connection − Oriented Service − In this service, a path is setup between the source
and the destination, and all the data packets belonging to a message are routed along
this path.
Connectionless Service − In this service, each packet of the message is considered
as an independent entity and is individually routed from the source to the destination.
The objectives of the network layer while providing these services are −
• The services should not be dependent upon the router technology.
• The router configuration details should not be of a concern to the transport layer.
• A uniform addressing plan should be made available to the transport layer, whether
the network is a LAN, MAN or WAN.
3. Implementation of connectionless service
Packet are termed as “datagrams” and corresponding subnet as “datagram subnets”.
When the message size that has to be transmitted is 4 times the size of the packet, then
the network layer divides into 4 packets and transmits each packet to router via. a few
protocol. Each data packet has destination address and is routed independently
irrespective of the packets.
4. Implementation of connection-oriented service
To use a connection-oriented service, first we establishes a connection, use it and then
release it. In connection-oriented services, the data packets are delivered to the
receiver in the same order in which they have been sent by the sender.
It can be done in either two ways :
– Circuit Switched Connection – A dedicated physical path or a circuit is
established between the communicating nodes and then data stream is transferred.
– Virtual Circuit Switched Connection – The data stream is transferred over a
packet switched network, in such a way that it seems to the user that there is a
dedicated path from the sender to the receiver.A virtual path is established here.
While, other connections may also be using the same path.
5. Comparison of virtual-circuit and datagram networks

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