Understanding the network interface layer

- The final layer of the TCP/IP model is…the network interface layer.…The network interface layer is also sometimes called…the network access layer, and occasionally…you may even hear it referred to as the link layer.…The network interface layer specifies…how data is physically sent through a network.…But one of the ways it does this is by…specifying how bits are electronically signaled…by hardware in the case of copper media…or in the case of fiber optic media…that specifies how bits are photonically…signaled by the hardware.…

The network interface layer also defines how…hardware devices interface with network mediums.…Some of the network mediums you may run across…are coaxial cable, optical cables,…and twisted pair cables.…In a LAN environment, the twisted pair cable…is definitely the most common one you will see.…There are a number of standards…that are defined by the network interface layer.…One such standard is the Ethernet layer,…which is the primary standard that is used…to send data across a LAN environment.…