Computer Networks
Link Layer - Services and
Addressing
[Link] Rani
Associate Professor / CSE
1
Agenda
Introduction to Link Layer
Link, nodes, services , point ot point and
broadcast links
Link Layer Addressing
Three types of addressing, ARP protocol
2/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
3/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
INTRODUCTION
The Internet is a combination of networks glued
together by connecting devices (routers or
switches). If a packet is to travel from a host to
another host, it needs to pass through these
networks.
4/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.4
Communication at the data-link layer
5/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.5
Nodes and Links
- Node-to-node
- Data unit from one point in the Internet needs to
pass through many networks (LANs and WANs) to
reach another point.
- LANs and WANs are connected by routers.
- It is customary to refer to the two end hosts and the
routers as nodes and the networks in between as links.
6/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.6
Nodes and Links
7/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.7
Services
• The data-link layer is located between the physical
and the network layers
• Encapsulate datagram/packet in a frame and
decapsulate the datagram /packet from the frame -
Analogy
• Framing
• Flow Control - Producer -Consumer
• Error Control
• Congestion Control - sometimes in WAN
8/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.8
A communication with only three nodes
9/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.9
Two Categories of Links
Data-link layer controls how the medium is used
Point-to-point link or a broadcast link
10/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.10
Two Sublayers
Data Link Control (DLC) and media access control
(MAC)
Media access control (MAC) -specific to broadcast
link
11/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.11
Dividing the data-link layer into two sublayers
12/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.12
LINK-LAYER ADDRESSING
• The source and destination IP addresses define the
two ends but cannot define which links the packet
should pass through.
• Link Layer address / MAC Address/ Hardware
Address /Physical Address
• Encapsulated in a frame and two data-link addresses
are added to the frame header
• These two addresses are changed every time the
frame moves from one link to another.
13/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.13
Ld,Ls,Ns,Nd
14/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
IP addresses and link-layer addresses in a small internet
15/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.15
More....?
• If the IP address of a router does not appear in any
datagram sent from a source to a destination, why do we
need to assign IP addresses to routers?
• Why do we need more than one IP address in a router, one
for each interface?
• How are the source and destination IP addresses in a
packet determined?
• How are the source and destination link-layer addresses
determined for each link?
16/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
Three Types of addresses
Some link-layer protocols define three types of
addresses:
Unicast
Multicast
Broadcast
17/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.17
Example
Unicast link-layer addresses in the most common LAN,
Ethernet, are 48 bits (six bytes) that are presented as 12
hexadecimal digits separated by colons; for example, the
following is a link-layer address of a computer.
LSB of first byte should be 0.
[Link]
18/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.18
Example
Multicast link-layer addresses in the most common LAN,
Ethernet, are 48 bits (six bytes) that are presented as 12
hexadecimal digits separated by colons. LSB of first byte
should be 1.
[Link]
19/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.19
Example
Broadcast link-layer addresses in the most common LAN,
Ethernet, are 48 bits, all 1s, that are presented as 12
hexadecimal digits separated by colons. The following
shows a broadcast address:
20/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.20
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
Anytime a node has an IP datagram to send to another
node in a link, it has the IP address of the receiving
node. However, the IP address of the next node is not
helpful in moving a frame through a link; we need the
link-layer address of the next node. This is the time
when the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
becomes helpful.
21/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.21
Position of ARP in TCP/IP protocol suite
22/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.22
ARP operation
23/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.23
• Instead of sending one broadcast frame (ARP request), one
unicast frame (ARP response), and another unicast frame
(for sending the datagram), system A can encapsulate the
datagram and send it to the network. System B receives it
and keep it; other systems discard it.
• Eg: 20 systems. A to B. 180 frames , 18 frames
24/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
ARP packet
25/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.25
Example
A host with IP address N1 and MAC address L1 has a
packet to send to another host with IP address N2 and
physical address L2 (which is unknown to the first host).
The two hosts are on the same network.
26/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.26
Example 9.4
27/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.27
The internet for our example
28/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.28
Flow of packets at Alice site
29/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.29
Flow of activities at router R1
30/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.30
31/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
9.31
32/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
Outcome
Student should be able to
• Understand about link, nodes, point to point and broadcast
links
• Services of Data Link Layer
• Demonstrate the different addressing of link layer
• Explalin how ARP works
33/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
Test Your Understanding
• A message transfers from A to B via, R1,R2,R3. During
intial configuration when R2 sends ARP request, what is link
layer address of R3? ______________
• List out the functions of link layer __________,
_____,_________
34/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
THANK YOU
35/35
[Link] RANI/Assoc Prof /CSE/SSNCE
