ITPEC FE Morning April 2018 Question 32
In a TCP/IP network hierarchical model, what is the name for Equipment A that connects two LAN segments at the Internet Layer?
Explanation
Router — equipment that relays data up to the Internet layer and connects different networks.
In the figure the data climbs Equipment A's stack as far as the Internet layer before going back down to LAN segment 2. The Internet layer is where IP addresses are read and packets are forwarded between networks, which is what a router does.
- •Link layer, by MAC address: bridge, switching hub (layer 2 switch)
- •Physical signals only, the bottom of the Link layer: repeater hub
- •Internet layer, by IP address: router
Answer (c)
Why not others:
- •(a) Bridge — forwards frames by MAC address, so the data would turn round at the Link layer
- •(b) Repeater hub — only regenerates the electrical signal and reads no addresses at all
- •(d) Switching hub — a multi-port bridge, also working at the Link layer
Key rule: Name a relay device by the highest layer it processes: physical signal is a repeater, MAC address is a bridge or switch, IP address is a router.
Networks · AI-written, may contain errors
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