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1-12
Chapter 1
Planning a Network Topology
Lesson 2: Selecting Data-Link Layer Protocols
Connecting a group of computers to the same physical network gives them a
medium
for communication, but unless the computers can speak the same language, no
mean-
ingful exchanges are possible. The languages the computers speak are called
proto-
cols; if the computers on a network are to interact, every computer must be
configured
to use the same protocols. Selecting the appropriate protocols for the
network is an
important part of the network infrastructure planning process.
After this lesson, you will be able to
■ List the seven layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference
model and
their functions
■ List the types of media typically used to construct data networks
■ Understand the differences between the various data-link layer protocols
and their variants
■ Select the appropriate data-link layer protocol for a given environment
Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes
Understanding the OSI Reference Model
In 1984, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and what
is now the
Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International
Telecommunications
Union (ITU-T) published a document that divides the functions of a data
network into
seven layers, as shown in Figure 1-1. “The Basic Reference Model for Open
Systems
Interconnection,” now commonly known as the OSI reference model (ISO/IEC
7498-
1:1994 and ITU-T Recommendation X.200), has become an industry standard for
teach-
ing and referring to networking functions.
F01pm01
Figure 1-1 The OSI reference model
Application |
Presentation |
Session |
Transport |
Network |
Data-link |
Physical |
|