Networks·41,454 discussions

Question on OSI model

Tags: Networking

as far as i know, two computer connect to each other like this:
Computer A<----->Switch<---->Router<---->Router<---->Router<---->Switch<----> Computer B

But based on OSI model, the sending side passes data from Layer 7 down to Layer 1, so isn’t the layer 1 device should tranfer the data, and not the router ( which is in layer 3 )
Or am i misunderstanding something ? Can someone give me a basic explanation

Topic

In short.

In reply to Question on OSI model

There’s always a layer 1 since the data has to move across hardware.

Can’t make it much simpler. A router has layer 1 duties as well as the hosts/clients.

question

In reply to In short.

So router not only in layer 3 but also in layer 1 ? you can give answer in a more advanced way if you want

Re: layer

In reply to question

If A logs in into B to, say, transfer a file, the login process is in layer 5 and goes via the router also.

Luckily, nobody nowadays uses the OSI model, so why care about it?

I apologize.

In reply to question

My background is in hardware design and then later software.

My short answer is that a router must move data around at a hardware level to get the packet in one port and out another. Even in WiFi this happens all the way from the packet down to an electrical signal on a trace inside the router so layer 1 exists and is used even in router or rather “especially in a router.”

[Author]

Replies