Layers in the Internet Protocol Stack
- Application
- Transport
- Network
- Data Link
- Physical
Types of Stacks
- Register Stack
- Memory Stack
How a Stack Works
A stack is a linear data structure, elements are stacked on top of each other. Only the last element added can be accessed, i.e the element at the top of the stack.
Protocol Stack Layers
| Protocol Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| TCP | Transport |
| IP | Internet or network |
| Ethernet | Link or Data Link |
| IEEE 802.3ab | Physical |
Internet Protocol (IP) Layer
The Internet Protocol layer handles communication from one machine to another. It corresponds to the network layer in the OSI reference model.
Layer 3: Internet Protocol (IP)
The most significant protocol at layer 3 is the Internet Protocol, which is the standard for routing packets across interconnected networks.
Difference Between Layer 2 and Layer 3
Layer 2 is a broadcast MAC level network, while Layer 3 is segmented routing over IP network.
Router Functionality
A router can forward traffic based on layer 3 information using IP addresses and serves as the first line of security in a network.