CST 311 - Week 7

Now that we are at the final steps of the course, I am fully satisfied with my performance in the course and how much I have learned. 

This week we learned about the Link Layer. Its role is to serve as a communication channel that directly connects physically adjacent nodes: links. It has a layer-2 packet: frame, that encapsulates the datagram. The Link layer has the responsibility of transferring datagram from one node to physically adjacent node over a link. 

Overall, the link layer facilitates the communication between the devices on the same local network. Its primary responsibilities include framing data into packets, addressing, and error detection. This layer is also responsible for defining how data is transmitted over the physical medium, such as Ethernet cables or wireless connections. It ensures that information is reliably and efficiently transferred between devices within the same network segment, typically using MAC(Media Access Control) addresses to identify hardware on the network. 

The link layer plays the vital role of bridging the gap between the physical layer and the higher-level network layers. 

I also very much enjoyed the lab working with multiple hosts and the POX controller. At last, one half week left of the course, it shall be missed. On to the next one!