Functions and Design Issues of

Network Layer
Functions of Network Layer
• It translates logical network
address into physical address.
Concerned with circuit,
message or packet switching.
• Routers and gateways
operate in the network layer.
Mechanism is provided by
Network Layer for routing the
packets to final destination.
• Breaks larger packets into
small packets.
Design Issues with Network Layer

• Determining how packets are routed from source to destination.

• Control of congestion due to too many packets.

• Quality of service provided(delay, transmit time, jitter, etc).

• Travel from one network to another to get to its destination

Router
• Router is a three-layer (physical, data-link, and network) device.

A router can support single or multiple Network-layer protocols.

Dedicated routers from Proteon, Cisco, Welfleet, and others can route a number of different protocols.

picture of practical cisco router 2811

There are two major groups of router interfaces:

LAN Interfaces
WAN Interfaces
 Analysis of Router
Processing: Access, core and
distribution
Access layer
Access layer includes access switches which are connected to the
• end devices (Computers, Printers, Servers etc).
Access layer switches ensures that packets are delivered to the end
devices.
Distribution layer
The Distribution Layer is located between the access and core
• layers.
The purpose of this layer is to provide boundary definition by
implementing access lists and other filters.
Therefore the Distribution Layer defines policy for the network.
Distribution Layer include high-end layer 3 switches.
Distribution Layer ensures that packets areproperly rou
between subnets and VLANs in your enterprise.
Core Layer
 Core Layer consists of biggest, fastest, and most expensive
routers with the highest model numbers and Core Layer is
considered as the back bone of networks.
 Core Layer routers are used to merge geographically separated
networks.
 The Core Layer routers move information on the network as fast
as possible.
 The switches operating at core layer switches packets as fast as
possible.
 Benefits of Cisco Three-Layer
hierarchical model
The main benefits of Cisco Three-Layer hierarchical model is
that it helps to design, deploy and maintain a scalable,
trustworthy, cost effective hierarchical internetwork.

 Better Performance:
Cisco Three Layer Network Model in creating
allows performance networks high
 Better management & troubleshooting:
Cisco Three Layer Network Model better network
allows
management and isolate causes of network trouble.
 Better Filter/Policy creation and application:
Cisco Three Layer Network Model allows better filter/policy
creation application.

 Better Scalability:
Cisco Three Layer Network Model allows us to efficiently
accommodate future growth.
 Better Redundancy:
Cisco Three Layer Network Model provides better redundancy.
Multiple links across multiple devices provides better
redundancy. If one switch is down, we have another alternate
path to reach the destination.
IP Addressing
• Win+R
• ipconfig
IPv4 Datagram Header
IPv6 Datagram Header
Classfull addressing and Classless Addressing
 Classful
Addressing