DATA LINK LAYER

Network Fundamentals Chapter 7

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1. Accessing The Media

Supporting & Connecting to Upper Layer Services

The Data Link layer performs two basic services:

Allows the upper layers to access the media using techniques

such as framing

Controls how data is placed onto the media and is received

from the media using techniques such as media access control
and error detection

responsible for the exchange of frames between nodes over the

media of a physical network.

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1. Accessing The Media

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1. Accessing The Media

Supporting & Connecting to Upper Layer Services

Upper Layer Access to Media

he Data Link layer relieves the upper layers from the

responsibility of putting data on the network and receiving data
from the network

This layer provides services to support the communication

processes for each medium over which data is to be
transmitted.

At each hop along the path, an intermediary device accepts

frames from a medium, decapsulates the frame, and then
forwards the packet in a new frame appropriate to the medium
of that segment of the physical network

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1. Accessing The Media

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1. Accessing The Media

Controlling Transfer Across Local Media

Layer 2 protocols specify the encapsulation of a packet into a
frame and the techniques for getting the encapsulated packet on
and off each medium.
The technique used for getting the frame on and off media is
called the media access control method.
For the data to be transferred across a number of different media,
different media access control methods may be required during
the course of a single communication
The media access control methods described by the Data Link
layer protocols define the processes by which network devices can
access the network media and transmit frames in diverse network
environments.
A node that is an end device uses an adapter to make the
connection to the network

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1. Accessing The Media

Creating A Frame
Data Link layer protocols require control information to enable the
protocols to function.
Control information may tell:

Which nodes are in communication with each other

When communication between individual nodes begins and

when it ends

Which errors occurred while the nodes communicated

Which nodes will communicate next

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1. Accessing The Media

Creating A Frame
Data Link layer frame includes:

Data - The packet from the Network layer

Header - Contains control information, such addressing, and is

located at the beginning of the PDU

Trailer - Contains control information added to the end of the

PDU

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1. Accessing The Media

Creating A Frame
Formatting Data for Transmission

When data travels on the media, it is converted into a stream of

bits, or 1s and 0s

Framing breaks the stream into decipherable groupings, with

control information inserted in the header and trailer as values
in different fields.

Typical field types include:

Start and stop indicator fields - The beginning and end limits
of the frame
Naming or addressing fields
Type field - The type of PDU contained in the frame
Quality - control fields
A data field -The frame payload (Network layer packet)
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1. Accessing The Media

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1. Accessing The Media

Connecting Upper Layer Services to the Media

The Data Link layer exists as a connecting layer between the
software processes of the layers above it and the Physical layer
below it
It prepares the Network layer packets for transmission across
some form of media

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1. Accessing The Media

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1. Accessing The Media

Data Link Sublayers

Divided into two sublayer to support a wide variety of network
functions

The upper sublayer defines the software processes that provide

services to the Network layer protocols.

The lower sublayer defines the media access processes

performed by the hardware.

Separating the Data Link layer into sublayers allows for one type
of frame defined by the upper layer to access different types of
media defined by the lower layer.

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1. Accessing The Media

The two common LAN sublayers

Logical Link Control

Logical Link Control (LLC) places information in the frame that

identifies which Network layer protocol is being used for the
frame. This information allows multiple Layer 3 protocols, such
as IP and IPX, to utilize the same network interface and media.

Media Access Control

Media Access Control (MAC) provides Data Link layer

addressing and delimiting of data according to the physical
signaling requirements of the medium and the type of Data Link
layer protocol in use.

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1. Accessing The Media

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1. Accessing The Media

Standard

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Placing Data on The Media

Regulating the placement of data frames onto the media is known
as media access control
Among the different implementations of the Data Link layer
protocols, there are different methods of controlling access to the
media.
There are different ways to regulate the placing of frames onto the
media.
The protocols at the Data Link layer define the rules for access to
different media
The method of media access control used depends on:

Media sharing - If and how the nodes share the media

Topology - How the connection between the nodes appears to

the Data Link layer

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Media Access Control on Shared Media

Some network topologies share a common medium with multiple
nodes.
At any one time, there may be a number of devices attempting to
send and receive data using the network media.
There are rules that govern how these devices share the media.
There are two basic media access control methods for shared
media:

Controlled - Each node has its own time to use the medium

Contention-based - All nodes compete for the use of the

medium

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Media Access Control on Shared Media

Controlled Access for Shared Media

Network devices take turns, in sequence, to access the

medium

If a device does not need to access the medium, the

opportunity to use the medium passes to the next device in line.

When one device places a frame on the media, no other

device can do so until the frame has arrived at the destination
and has been processed by the destination.

Inefficient because a device has to wait for its turn before it can
use the medium

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Media Access Control on Shared Media

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Media Access Control on Shared Media

Contention-based Access for Shared Media
allow any device to try to access the medium whenever it has
data to send
o prevent complete chaos on the media, these methods use a
Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) process to first detect if
the media is carrying a signal
If a carrier signal on the media from another node is detected, it
means that another device is transmitting.
When the device attempting to transmit sees that the media is
busy, it will wait and try again after a short time period. If no
carrier signal is detected, the device transmits its data.
CSMA is usually implemented in conjunction with a method for
resolving the media contention.
CSMA/CD
CSMA/CA
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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Media Access Control on Shared Media

CSMA/Collision Detection

the device monitors the media for the presence of a data signal.

If a data signal is absent, indicating that the media is free, the

device transmits the data.

If signals are then detected that show another device was

transmitting at the same time, all devices stop sending and try
again later.

CSMA/Collision Avoidance

the device examines the media for the presence of a data

signal.

If the media is free, the device sends a notification across the

media of its intent to use it.

The device then sends the data.

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Placing Data on The Media

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Media Access Control on Non-Shared Media

Full Duplex and Half Duplex

In point-to-point connections, the Data Link layer has to

consider whether the communication is half-duplex or fullduplex

Half-duplex communication means that the devices can both

transmit and receive on the media but cannot do so
simultaneously

In full-duplex communication, both devices can transmit and

receive on the media at the same time.

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Full Duplex

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Half Duplex

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Logical Topology vs Physical Topology

The topology of a network is the arrangement or relationship of the
network devices and the interconnections between them.
Network topologies can be viewed at the physical level and the
logical level.

The physical topology is an arrangement of the nodes and the

physical connections between them

A logical topology is the way a network transfers frames from

one node to the next. This arrangement consists of virtual
connections between the nodes of a network independent of
their physical layout.

Logical and physical topologies typically used in networks are:

Point-to-Point

Multi-Access

Ring
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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Point-to-Point
A point-to-point topology connects two nodes directly together.
In data networks with point-to-point topologies, the media access
control protocol can be very simple.

Logical Point-to-Point Networks

The end nodes communicating in a point-to-point network can be
physically connected via a number of intermediate devices.

However the use of physical devices in the network does not

affect the logical topology.

The media access method used by the Data Link protocol is

determined by the logical point-to-point topology, not the physical
topology.

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Multi-Access Topology
A logical multi-access topology enables a number of nodes to
communicate by using the same shared media.
Data from only one node can be placed on the medium at any one
time.
Every node sees all the frames that are on the medium, but only
the node to which the frame is addressed processes the contents
of the frame.
The media access control methods used by logical multi-access
topologies are typically CSMA/CD or CSMA/CA.
However, token passing methods can also be used.

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Multi-Access Topology

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2. Media Access Control Techniques

Ring Topology
In a logical ring topology, each node in turn receives a frame.
If the frame is not addressed to the node, the node passes the
frame to the next node.
This allows a ring to use a controlled media access control
technique called token passing.

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Framing Role of Header

Frame header contains the control information specified by the Data Link
layer protocol for the specific logical topology and media used.
Frame control information is unique to each type of protocol.
It is used by the Layer 2 protocol to provide features demanded by the
communication environment.
Typical frame header fields include:
Start Frame field - Indicates the beginning of the frame
Source and Destination address fields - Indicates the source and
destination nodes on the media
Priority/Quality of Service field - Indicates a particular type of
communication service for processing
Type field - Indicates the upper layer service contained in the frame
Logical connection control field - Used to establish a logical connection
between nodes
Physical link control field - Used to establish the media link
Flow control field - Used to start and stop traffic over the media
Congestion control field - Indicates congestion in the media
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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Framing Role of Header

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Addressing Where the Frame Goes

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Framing Role of Trailer

The trailer is used to determine if the frame arrived without error.
This process is called error detection.
Error detection is accomplished by placing a logical or
mathematical summary of the bits that comprise the frame in the
trailer.
Frame Check Sequence (FCS)

Used to determine if errors occurred in the transmission and

reception of the frame.

The signals on the media could be subject to interference,

distortion, or loss that would substantially change the bit values
that those signals represent.

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Framing Role of Trailer

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Cyclic Redundancy Check

Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is commonly used.
Sending node includes a logical summary of the bits in the frame.
Receiving node calculates its own logical summary, or CRC.
Compares the two CRC values.

Equal Accepts the frame

Different Discards the frame

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

The Frame

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

The Frame
Ethernet Protocol for LANs

Ethernet is a family of networking technologies that are defined

in the IEEE 802.2 and 802.3 standards.

Ethernet standards define both the Layer 2 protocols and the

Layer 1 technologies.

Ethernet is the most widely used LAN technology and supports

data bandwidths of 10, 100, 1000, or 10,000 Mbps.

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Ethernet Protocol for LANs

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

The Frame
Point-to-Point Protocol for WANs

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) is a protocol used to deliver

frames between two nodes.

PPP can be used on various physical media, including twisted

pair, fiber optic lines, and satellite transmission, as well as for
virtual connections.

To accommodate the different types of media, PPP establishes

logical connections, called sessions, between two nodes

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

Point-to-Point Protocol

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

The Frame
Wireless Protocol for LANs

802.11 is an extension of the IEEE 802 standards.

It uses the same 48-bit addressing scheme as other 802 LANs.

Contention-based system using a Carrier Sense Multiple

Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA)

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3. Media Access Control Addressing and Framing Data

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