- Internet Layer
- The Internet Layer is above the network the layer and below the Transport Layer and is the layer at which logical addressing, packetization of data and routing are handled.
The Internet Layer provides a global logical addressing scheme, a process for packetization of data, another process for routing packets to their destination and for providing connectivity between networks.
Global Addressing
Devices attached to a network need some way to be uniquely identifiable. Just like your house has a unique address so mail can get to it, a computer must have a unique address. The Internet layer specifies how that address is formatted and which addresses are available for use.
Packetization of Data
The Internet layer takes data from the Transport layer and encapsulates it into a packet before sending the data to the Network Access Layer to be transmitted to other devices on a local network.
Routing
The Internet layer also handles routing, that is, the transfer of packets from one local network, to an adjacent local network, based on a list of destinations and network interfaces contained in the memory of a device configured to perform Internet layer routing. These devices are called routers, or gateways.