Organization of the Network layer
Explore the organization of the network layer by understanding datagram and virtual circuit models. Learn how routers use forwarding tables in datagram networks and how virtual circuits establish connections. Understand the benefits and limitations of each approach to improve your grasp of network routing and packet forwarding.
There are two possible internal organizations of the network layer: datagram and virtual circuits.
Datagram Organization
The datagram organization has been very popular in computer networks. Datagram-based network layers include IPv4 and IPv6 in the global Internet, CLNP defined by the ISO, IPX defined by Novell or XNS defined by Xerox.
This organization is connectionless and hence each packet contains:
- The network layer address of the destination host.
- The network layer address of the sender.
- The information to be sent.
To understand the datagram organization, let’s ...