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A layer 2 network device is a multiport device that uses hardware addresses (MAC addresses) to process and forward data at the data link layer (layer 2). A switch operating as a network bridge may interconnect otherwise separate layer 2 networks. The bridge learns the MAC address of each connected device, storing this data in a table that maps ...
A physical network node is an electronic device that is attached to a network, and is capable of creating, receiving, or transmitting information over a communication channel. [1] In data communication, a physical network node may either be data communication equipment (such as a modem , hub , bridge or switch ) or data terminal equipment (such ...
TAP, namely network TAP, simulates a link layer device and operates in layer 2 carrying Ethernet frames. TUN is used with routing. TAP can be used to create a user space network bridge. [2] Packets sent by an operating system via a TUN/TAP device are delivered to a user space program which attaches itself to the device. A user space program may ...
A layer 1 network device such as a hub transfers data but does not manage any of the traffic coming through it. Any packet entering a port is repeated to the output of every other port except for the port of entry. Specifically, each bit or symbol is repeated as it flows in. A repeater hub can therefore only receive and forward at a single speed.
Service definitions, like the OSI model, abstractly describe the functionality provided to a layer N by a layer N−1, where N is one of the seven layers of protocols operating in the local host. At each level N, two entities at the communicating devices (layer N peers) exchange protocol data units (PDUs) by means of a layer N protocol.
The main purpose of a router is to connect multiple networks and forward packets destined either for directly attached networks or more remote networks. A router is considered a layer-3 device because its primary forwarding decision is based on the information in the layer-3 IP packet, specifically the destination IP address. When a router ...
In the OSI model, bridging is performed in the data link layer (layer 2). [3] If one or more segments of the bridged network are wireless , the device is known as a wireless bridge . The main types of network bridging technologies are simple bridging, multiport bridging, and learning or transparent bridging.
The difference between a layer-3 switch and a router is the way the device is making the routing decision. Conventionally, routers use microprocessors to make forwarding decisions in software, while the switch performs only hardware-based packet switching (by specialized ASICs with the help of content-addressable memory).