Networking layer
Explore the Ethereum networking layer to understand how nodes communicate over peer-to-peer networks. Learn about discovery stacks, DevP2P protocols, and how execution and consensus clients collaborate in proof-of-stake Ethereum. This lesson helps you grasp the mechanisms behind node interaction, block propagation, and intra-node communication necessary for blockchain functionality.
Ethereum nodes are organized in a P2P network and need to communicate with one another. The networking layer is the set of rules and standard protocols that allows nodes to discover peers, and exchange data.
Nodes require two types of communication, one-to-many (known as gossiping) and one-to-one. The network layer allows both types.
Communication networks
In PoW or PoA Ethereum networks, only one P2P network was used to both discover peers and exchange data. But, in a PoS network, a node has two clients (execution and consensus) and each client has a distinct and separate P2P network. So, execution clients exchange messages over their execution network and consensus clients do the same over their consensus network.
The last communication channel needed by a PoS Ethereum node is between its execution and consensus clients (intra-node connection).
Different connection networks are used for different purposes:
Execution clients use their network to gossip transactions and populate the local mempool.
Consensus clients use their network to receive or broadcast blocks.
Intra-node connections are used to enable interaction between execution and consensus clients.
Execution network layer
The network protocols managed by the execution client are divided according to their purposes: ...