Layer 2 Device Overview (2024)

FAQs

What are the layer 2 devices? ›

A layer 2 device is a device that makes a forwarding decision on a physical address. Most commonly, you'll find a bridge or a switch and the address they use is a MAC address. When a frame arrives at the device, it first takes the source address and places it in the MAC address table for 300 seconds (or five minutes).

Layer 2 of The OSI Model: Data Link Layer provides the functional and procedural means to transfer data between network entities and to detect and possibly correct errors that may occur in the physical layer.

Explanation: The devices that operate at the OSI model layer 2, also known as the Data Link Layer, are the Network Interface Card (NIC) and the Switch.

Layer2 is the network layer used to transfer data between adjacent network nodes in a wide area network or between nodes on the same local area network. A frame is a protocol data unit, the smallest unit of bits on a Layer 2 network.

Two major examples of layer 2 solutions are the Bitcoin Lightning Network and the Ethereum Plasma. Despite having their own working mechanisms and particularities, both solutions are striving to provide increased throughput to blockchain systems.

On a pure L2 unmanaged switch, there's no IP addresses. On a pure L2 managed switch, the switch operates as most other IP hosts, i.e. it has an IP for management purposes, which often also allows for monitoring its via SNMP (or other).

Layer 2 is used to transfer data between adjacent network nodes on the same local area network. Layer 2 provides the procedural and functional means for data transfer between network nodes and provides the means to detect and correct errors that may occur at the physical layer (Layer 1).

Layer 2 protocols or network L2 protocols are a list of communication protocols used by Layer 2 devices (such as network interface cards (NIC), switches, multiport bridges, etc.) to transfer data in a wide area network, or between one node to another in a local area network.

Layer 2 - The Physical Layer Diagram

Simply done these diagrams should show the specific hardware being drawn and the cabling for the ports being used for important network purposes. The uplinks, the cross-connects, and WAN circuits. Different colors can be used to denote the different purpose of a cable.

A transparent firewall operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model, the data link layer. It is deployed between a router and a switch, or between a router and the internet.

Is a modem a layer 2 device? ›

A modem is part of the data link layer (layer 2) and connects an internal network to the external Internet.

As mentioned above, layer 2 is split into two parts: The media access control (MAC) sub layer and the data link sub layer. These sub layers each do their part to make up the computer's physical address.

Devices used on a Layer 2 Ethernet network include network interface cards, hubs, bridges and switches.

Layer 2 - A Scalability Solution

These are networks (or technologies) built on top of the Ethereum blockchain, designed to increase its capacity without compromising security. Layer 2 solutions effectively enhance Ethereum's scalability and reduce congestion by processing transactions off the main blockchain.

A layer 2 refers to any off-chain network, system, or technology built on top of a blockchain (commonly known as a layer-1 network) that helps extend the capabilities of the underlying base layer network.

LAYER 1 - The physical layer in the wired world consist of connectors, cables, fiber, and gbics. This is also the layer where data gets transmitted / received into bits, 0's and 1's using complex coding and modulations. LAYER 2 - The data layer is where upper layer information (Layers 3-7) is encapsulated into a frame.

Ethernet switches are a common layer 2 example. Layer 3, known as the Network Layer routes data packets to specific nodes identified by IP addresses. Visibility amongst nodes is point-to-point. As its function suggests, routers are a common layer 3 example.

As a rule of thumb, WiFi (802.11) operates at the first two layers of the OSI model, in other words, the physical layer and the data link layer.