Modern networks have more than the physical and the data link layers. The network layer is a set of mechanisms that can be used to send packets from one computer to another in the world. There are two types of networks: With packet switching, data packets can be carried together on the same link. They are differentiated by addressing information. Packet switching is the basis for all data networks today, including the Internet, public data networks such as Frame Relay or X.25, and even ATM. Packet switches have queues. Circuit switching is the way telephone networks operate. A circuit emulates the physical signals of a direct end-to-end cable. When computers are connected by a circuit switched network, they establish a direct data link over the circuit. This is used today for modem access to a data network. Modern circuit switches are based on byte multiplexing and are thus similar to packet switches, with the main difference that they perform non-statistical multiplexing.
A network has intermediate systems (ISs): those are systems that send data to next ISs or to the destination. Using interconnected ISs saves cable and bandwidth. Intermediate systems are known under various terms depending on the context: routers (TCP/IP, AppleTalk,…), switches (X.25, Frame Relay, ATM, telephone), communication controllers (SNA), network nodes (APPN)
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