Media Access Control (MAC)
In networking, Media Access Control (MAC) refers to a sublayer of the Data Link Layer (DLL) in the OSI model. The MAC layer is responsible for managing protocol access to the physical network medium. This layer determines how devices on a network uniquely identify themselves and how they are able to communicate with each other over the shared data channels. The main functions of the MAC layer include:
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Addressing: Each device on a network has a unique identifier known as a MAC address, which is used to ensure that data packets are delivered to the correct destination. The MAC address is a hardware address, which means it is physically embedded in the network interface card (NIC) of the device.
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Frame Delimiting and Recognition: The MAC layer defines the structure of frames and how they are recognized by devices. A frame is a packet of data that includes not only the actual data being transmitted but also the destination and source MAC addresses, error checking, and other necessary information.
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Access Control: Since multiple devices might try to send data over the network at the same time, the MAC layer implements protocols to control the access to the network medium. This helps to avoid collisions (when two devices transmit at the same time) and ensures efficient use of the network. Examples of access control methods include Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) used in traditional Ethernet networks and Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) used in Wi-Fi networks.
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Error Checking: The MAC layer often includes some form of error checking to ensure that the data received is the same as the data sent. This is typically done through the use of checksums or similar methods.
Although it is a crucial component of Ethernet networks, the MAC sublayer is a fundamental concept in networking that applies to various types of network technologies beyond Ethernet. The primary purpose of the MAC sublayer is to control how devices on a network uniquely identify themselves and manage their access to the data communication medium, whether that's a wired or wireless network.
The MAC layer plays a crucial role in enabling communication between devices on a network by providing a way to identify devices uniquely, structuring data transmission, controlling access to the network medium, and ensuring data integrity.
Links:
https://networklessons.com/cisco/ccna-routing-switching-icnd1-100-105/introduction-to-the-osi-model