OSI model, Network Layer
The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers and it also manages quality of service (QoS), and recognizes and forwards local host domain messages to the Transport layer (layer 4).
The data link layer (layer 2) is responsible for media access control, flow control and error checking.
The network layer provides the functional and procedural means of transferring variable-length data sequences from a source to a destination host via one or more networks, while maintaining the quality of service functions.
Functions
- Connection model
- Host addressing
- Message forwarding
Protocols
- DDP Datagram Delivery Protocol
- DVMRP Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol
- ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol
- IGMP Internet Group Management Protocol
- IPsec Internet Protocol Security
- IPv4/IPv6 Internet Protocol
- IPX Internetwork Packet Exchange
- PIM-DM Protocol Independent Multicast Dense Mode
- PIM-SM Protocol Independent Multicast Sparse Mode
- RSMLT Routing Information Protocol
- Shortest Path Bridging