Network Layer

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Handles routing packets across different networks from source to destination. IP (Internet Protocol) is the core protocol — IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, IPv6 uses 128-bit. Routers operate at this layer, making forwarding decisions based on destination IP and routing tables.

Key Properties

• IP Addressing
• Routing
• ICMP
• Subnetting and CIDR

Related

• Data Link Layer (local delivery within a network)
• Transport Layer (adds reliability on top of IP)

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networking network-layer