Which sublayer of the IEEE 802 Data Link Layer manages access to the shared physical transmission medium?
Which sublayer of the IEEE 802 Data Link Layer manages access to the shared physical transmission medium?
Multiple Choice Options
- A
Logical Link Control (LLC)
- B✓ Correct Option
Medium Access Control (MAC)
- C
Network Interface Layer (NIC)
- D
Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP)
Detailed Technical Solution & Explanation
In the IEEE 802 LAN architecture, the Data Link Layer (OSI Layer 2) is partitioned into two distinct sublayers:
1. Logical Link Control (LLC - IEEE 802.2): Provides a uniform interface to the network layer, managing link-level multiplexing, flow control, and error notifications across diverse physical networks.
2. Medium Access Control (MAC): Interfaces directly with the physical transmission medium. It encapsulates frames with physical hardware (MAC) addresses and arbitrates channel access among multiple contending stations (e.g., CSMA/CD in Ethernet, CSMA/CA in Wi-Fi, token passing in Token Ring).