Chapter 2:

Network Access
2.3 Describe how media access control in the
data link layer supports communication
across networks.
 2.3.1 Describe the purpose of Data Link
layer.
2.3.2 Identify physical and logical topologies.
2.3.3 Identify LAN and WAN topologies.
Chapter 2.3.4 Describe half duplex and full duplex
Outline communication.
 2.3.1 Describe the purpose of Data Link layer

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 The Data
Link Layer

• The Data Link layer is responsible for communications between

end-device network interface cards.
• It allows upper layer protocols to access the physical layer media
and encapsulates Layer 3 packets (IPv4 and IPv6) into Layer 2
Frames.
• It also performs error detection and rejects corrupts frames.
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IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Data Link Sublayers
IEEE 802 LAN/MAN standards are specific to the type of
network (Ethernet, WLAN, WPAN, etc).

The Data Link Layer consists of two sublayers. Logical Link

Control (LLC) and Media Access Control (MAC).
• The LLC sublayer communicates between the
networking software at the upper layers and the device
hardware at the lower layers.
• The MAC sublayer is responsible for data encapsulation
and media access control.

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Data Link Sublayers

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Providing Access to Media

➢ Packets exchanged between nodes may experience

numerous data link layers and media transitions.

➢ At each hop along the path, a router performs four basic

Layer 2 functions:
• Accepts a frame from the network medium.
• De-encapsulates the frame to expose the encapsulated
packet.
• Re-encapsulates the packet into a new frame.
• Forwards the new frame on the medium of the next
network segment.

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Data Link Frame
The Frame
Data is encapsulated by the data link layer with a header and a
trailer to form a frame.
A data link frame has three parts:
• Header
• Data
• Trailer
The fields of the header and trailer vary according to data link layer
protocol.

The amount of control information carried with in the frame varies

according to access control information and logical topology.

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Data Link Frame
Frame Fields

Field Description
Frame Start and Stop Identifies beginning and end of frame
Addressing Indicates source and destination nodes
Type Identifies encapsulated Layer 3 protocol
Control Identifies flow control services
Data Contains the frame payload
Error Detection Used for determine transmission errors
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Data Link Frame
Layer 2 Addresses
• Also referred to as a physical address.
• Contained in the frame header.
• Used only for local delivery of a frame on the link.
• Updated by each device that forwards the frame.

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Data Link Frame
LAN and WAN Frames

➢ The logical topology and physical media determine

the data link protocol used:
• Ethernet
• 802.11 Wireless
• Point-to-Point (PPP)
• High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC)
• Frame-Relay

➢ Each protocol performs media access control for

specified logical topologies.

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Purpose of the Data Link Layer
Data Link Layer Standards

Data link layer protocols are defined by engineering

organizations:
• Institute for Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE).
• International Telecommunications
Union (ITU).
• International Organizations for
Standardization (ISO).
• American National Standards
Institute (ANSI).

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 2.3.2 Identify physical and logical topologies.

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Topologies
Physical and Logical Topologies

➢ The topology of a network is the arrangement and

relationship of the network devices and the
interconnections between them.

➢ There are two types of topologies used when describing

networks:
• Physical topology – shows physical connections
and how devices are interconnected.
• Logical topology – identifies the virtual connections
between devices using device interfaces and IP
addressing schemes.

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Topologies
Physical Topologies
Physical topology diagrams illustrate the physical location of
intermediary devices and cable installation.

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Topologies
Logical Topologies
Logical topology diagrams illustrate devices, ports, and the addressing
scheme of the network.

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 2.3.3 Identify LAN and WAN topologies

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Topologies
WAN Topologies

➢ There are three common physical WAN topologies:

• Point-to-point – the simplest and most common
WAN topology. Consists of a permanent link
between two endpoints.
• Hub and spoke – similar to a star topology where
a central site interconnects branch sites through
point-to-point links.
• Mesh – provides high availability but requires every
end system to be connected to every other end
system.

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Topologies
Point-to-Point WAN Topology

• Physical point-to-point topologies directly connect

two nodes.
• The nodes may not share the media with other
hosts.
• Because all frames on the media can only travel to
or from the two nodes, Point-to-Point WAN
protocols can be very simple.

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Topologies
LAN Topologies
➢ End devices on LANs are typically interconnected using a star or
extended star topology. Star and extended star topologies are
easy to install, very scalable and easy to troubleshoot.

➢ Early Ethernet and Legacy Token Ring technologies provide two

additional topologies:
• Bus – All end systems chained together and terminated on
each end.
• Ring – Each end system is connected to its respective
neighbors to form a ring.

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Topologies
LAN Topologies

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 2.3.4 Describe half duplex and full duplex
communication

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Half and Full Duplex Communication

Half-duplex communication
• Only allows one device to send or receive at a time on a shared
medium.
• Used on WLANs and legacy bus topologies with Ethernet hubs.

Full-duplex communication
• Allows both devices to simultaneously transmit and receive on a
shared medium.
• Ethernet switches operate in full-duplex mode.

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Access Control Methods

Contention-based access
All nodes operating in half-duplex, competing for use of the medium.
Examples are:
• Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection
(CSMA/CD) as used on legacy bus-topology Ethernet.
• Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance
(CSMA/CA) as used on Wireless LANs.

Controlled access
• Deterministic access where each node has its own time on the
medium.
• Used on legacy networks such as Token Ring and ARCNET.

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Contention-Based Access – CSMA/CD

CSMA/CD
• Used by legacy Ethernet LANs.
• Operates in half-duplex mode where only one device sends or
receives at a time.
• Uses a collision detection process to govern when a device can
send and what happens if multiple devices send at the same time.

CSMA/CD collision detection process:

• Devices transmitting simultaneously will result in a signal collision
on the shared media.
• Devices detect the collision.
• Devices wait a random period of time and retransmit data.
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Contention-Based Access – CSMA/CA
CSMA/CA
• Used by IEEE 802.11 WLANs.
• Operates in half-duplex mode where only one device
sends or receives at a time.
• Uses a collision avoidance process to govern when a
device can send and what happens if multiple devices
send at the same time.

CSMA/CA collision avoidance process:

• When transmitting, devices also include the time duration
needed for the transmission.
• Other devices on the shared medium receive the time
duration information and know how long the medium will
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 End of Topic 2.3

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