Internetworking layer - Revision history

Jnc: /* See also */ Chaos confusion fix

2023-12-12T16:10:55Z

‎See also: Chaos confusion fix

Jnc: /* See also */ Add some others

2019-02-17T17:06:53Z

‎See also: Add some others

Jnc: better cat

2018-12-22T13:33:17Z

better cat

Jnc: Missed a few...

2018-06-14T01:28:52Z

Missed a few...

Jnc: A decent start

2018-06-13T20:40:58Z

A decent start

New page

An '''internetworking layer''' (or '''internetwork layer''', for short) is the key [[protocol]] used in the [[protocol suite]] used on an [[internetwork]] ('internet', for short - note the lack of the capital letter used for ''the'' [[Internet]]); it offers direct [[datagram]] carriage across the entire internet.

This layer/protocol usually provides an unreliable service, one which makes no guarantees that [[packet]]s carried by it will not be damaged, delayed, duplicated or re-ordered.

This lack of any delivery guarantees makes the job, and implementation, of [[router]]s, the [[packet switch]]es that form the lowest layer of the internet's infrastructure (along with the [[physical network]]s that connect them), '''''much''''' simpler.

It does mean that it is the job of the protocol(s) above the internetworking layer/protocol to ensure reliable data carriage on an [[end to end]] basis (if the application using that protocol needs such); they do so using [[sequence number]]s, [[timeout]]s, and [[retransmission]].

Each individual physical network has a protocol which specifies how packets are carried from one interface to that network to another; these protocols will vary from network type to network type. The internetworking layer serves to insulate everything connected to the internet from these variations; it is the same for all hosts and routers throughout the internet.

Since usually there are also a number of different protocols, providing different services, running on top of the internetwork layer, the internetwork layer is thus spoken of as being the 'waist' in the 'hour-glass' of that protocol suite. It is the one indispensable protocol that every node in the internet must understand and use.

==See also==

* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetwork layer in [[TCP/IP]]

[[Category: Networking]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 * [[PARC Universal Packet]]
 * [[Internetwork Datagram Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[Xerox Network Services]]
-* [[CHAOSnet]]
+* [[Chaosnet|Chaos protocol]]
 [[Category: Networking Basics]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:06, 17 February 2019
Line 14:		Line 14:

	* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[TCP/IP]]		* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[TCP/IP]]
		+	* [[PARC Universal Packet]]
		+	* [[Internetwork Datagram Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[Xerox Network Services]]
		+	* [[CHAOSnet]]

	[[Category: Networking Basics]]		[[Category: Networking Basics]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:33, 22 December 2018
Line 15:		Line 15:
	* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[TCP/IP]]		* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[TCP/IP]]

−	[[Category: Networking]]	+	[[Category: Networking Basics]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 An '''internetworking layer''' (or '''internetwork layer''', for short) is the key [[protocol]] used in the [[protocol suite]] used on an [[internetwork]] ('internet', for short - note the lack of the capital letter used for ''the'' [[Internet]]); it offers direct [[datagram]] carriage across the entire internet.
-This layer/protocol usually provides an unreliable service, one which makes no guarantees that [[packet]]s carried by it will not be damaged, delayed, duplicated or re-ordered.
+This layer/protocol usually provides an unreliable service, one which makes no guarantees that [[packet]]s carried by it will not be delayed, damaged, duplicated, re-ordered, or lost completely.
 This lack of any delivery guarantees makes the job, and implementation, of [[router]]s, the [[packet switch]]es that form the lowest layer of the internet's infrastructure (along with the [[physical network]]s that connect them), '''''much''''' simpler.
-It does mean that it is the job of the protocol(s) above the internetworking layer/protocol to ensure reliable data carriage on an [[end to end]] basis (if the application using that protocol needs such); they do so using [[sequence number]]s, [[timeout]]s, and [[retransmission]].
+It does mean that it is the job of the protocol(s) above the internetworking layer/protocol to ensure reliable data carriage on an [[end to end]] basis (if the application using that protocol needs such); they do so using [[checksum]]s, [[sequence number]]s, [[acknowledgement]]s, [[timeout]]s, and [[re-transmission]].
 Each individual physical network has a protocol which specifies how packets are carried from one interface to that network to another; these protocols will vary from network type to network type. The internetworking layer serves to insulate everything connected to the internet from these variations; it is the same for all hosts and routers throughout the internet.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==See also==
-* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetwork layer in [[TCP/IP]]
+* [[Internet Protocol]] - the internetworking layer in [[TCP/IP]]
 [[Category: Networking]]