Meaning – The term network layer, refers to the layer that is responsible for routing, switching, and link-layer access across the OSI environment.
The network layer is the third level (Layer 3) of the Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI Model) and the layer that provides data routing paths for network communication. Data is transferred to the receiving device in the form of packets via logical network paths in an ordered format controlled by the network layer.
Logical connection setup, data forwarding, routing, and delivery error reporting are the network layer’s primary responsibilities.
Example of usage – “In the OSI model, the network layer responds to requests from the layer above it (transport layer) and issues requests to the layer below it (data link layer). Information about the source and destination hosts is already contained in the data link layer (Layer 2), but it’s the network layer that interconnects different networks allowing data to move between them.”
