Data Communication &

Computer Networks (DCCN)

IT-360
Data Link Layer

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Data Link Layer

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Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE)
• Standardization of the IEEE 802.X-Standards for Local Area Networks
(www.ieee802.org) – many historical!

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Data Link Layer

• Data-link Layer provides the functional and

procedural means to transfer data between network
entities and might provide the means to detect and
possibly correct errors that may occur in
the Physical Layer.

• Data-link Layer is concerned with local delivery

of frames between devices on the same LAN.

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Data Link Layer

• Inter-network routing and global addressing are

higher-layer functions, allowing data-
link protocols to focus on local delivery, addressing,
and media arbitration.
• When devices attempt to use a medium
simultaneously, frame collisions occur. Data-
link protocols specify how devices detect and
recover from such collisions, and may provide
mechanisms to reduce or prevent them.

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Data Link Layer

• The Data Link Layer is responsible for transmission

of data frames between two nodes. Its sub-layers
are:
1. Logical link control (LLC) Layer
2. Media Access Control (MAC) Layer
Functions of the Data Link Layer

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Logical link control (LLC)
• IEEE 802 splits the OSI-Model Data-link Layer into
two sub-layers named Logical Link Control (LLC)
and Media Access Control (MAC)
• LLC is defined within the IEEE 802.2 specification.
• LLC sublayer provides multiplexing mechanisms.
• LLC can also provide flow control and error
management mechanisms.

• LLC sublayer acts as an interface between the Media

Access Control (MAC) sublayer and the Network
Layer.
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Media Access Control (MAC)

• Media Access Control (MAC) is a sub-layer defined

by IEEE 802 within the OSI-Model Data-link Layer
Media Access Control sublayer that determines who
is allowed to access the media at any one time
(e.g. CSMA/CD).
• Media Access Control sublayer also determines
where one frame of data ends and the next one starts
– frame synchronization.

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 Four means of frame synchronization
1. Time based - simply puts a specified amount of time
between frames.
2. Character counting - simply notes the count of
remaining characters in the frame's header.
3. Byte stuffing - precedes the frame with a special byte
sequence such as DLE STX and succeeds it with DLE
ETX. Appearances of DLE (byte value 0x10) have to be
escaped with another DLE. The start and stop marks are
detected at the receiver and removed as well as the
inserted DLE characters.
4. Bit stuffing - replaces these start and end marks with flag
consisting of a special bit pattern (e.g. a 0, six 1 bits and a
0).
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 Framing (Character Count)

A character stream. (a) Without errors. (b) With one error.

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 Framing (Byte stuffing)

(a) A frame delimited by flag bytes.

(b) Four examples of byte sequences before and after stuffing
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Framing (Bit stuffing)

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 Framing (Bit stuffing)

Examples –
1. If Data –> 011100011110 and ED –> 01111 then,
find data after bit stuffing ?–> 01110000111010

2. If Data –> 110001001 and ED –> 1000 then, find

data after bit stuffing ?–> 11001010011

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