The Link Layer - Services
Explore the link layer's role in networking within distributed systems. Understand services like framing, medium access control protocols, reliable delivery, and error detection techniques that ensure data moves correctly between nodes.
While the physical layer is responsible for the transmission of good signal through a physical medium, the link layer is responsible for the movement of a packet of information from one node to a neighboring node. In this context, we will consider a node to be a neighbouring node if it is connected through a single communication link, regardless of whether it’s wired or wireless.
Services provided by the link layer
The link layer can provide the following services:
Framing
This process involves the encapsulation of payloads from the higher layers of the stack into the link layer packet, commonly referred to as a frame.
Link access
A physical link may be shared between multiple nodes, which means that there must be a way to mediate access to this link, so that ...