Which Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer(s) BEST corresponds to the network access layer in the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) model?
Correct Answer: B
The OSI layer(s) that best corresponds to the network access layer in the TCP/IP model is the Data Link and Physical Layers. The network access layer in the TCP/IP model is the lowest layer that provides the functions and the mechanisms for accessing and transmitting the data or the information over the physical network or the medium, such as the cable, the wireless, or the optical fiber. The network access layer in the TCP/IP model corresponds to the Data Link and Physical Layers in the OSI model, because they provide similar functions and mechanisms for accessing and transmitting the data or the information over the physical network or the medium, such as:
* The Physical Layer in the OSI model defines and describes the physical characteristics and the specifications of the network or the medium, such as the voltage, the frequency, the modulation, or the connector, and it converts and transmits the data or the information into the electrical, optical, or radio signals, and vice versa.
* The Data Link Layer in the OSI model defines and describes the logical characteristics and the specifications of the network or the medium, such as the addressing, the framing, the error detection, or the flow control, and it establishes and maintains the link or the connection between the systems or the devices, and it transfers and receives the data or the information in the form of the frames or the packets.
The other options are not the OSI layer(s) that best corresponds to the network access layer in the TCP/IP model. The Transport Layer in the OSI model defines and describes the functions and the mechanisms for ensuring the reliable and the efficient delivery and the transmission of the data or the information between the systems or the devices, such as the segmentation, the reassembly, the acknowledgment, or the retransmission, and it corresponds to the Transport Layer in the TCP/IP model. The Application, Presentation, and Session Layers in the OSI model define and describe the functions and the mechanisms for providing the services and the interfaces for the applications or the programs that use the network or the medium, such as the encryption, the compression, the translation, or the synchronization, and they correspond to the Application Layer in the TCP/IP model. The Session and Network Layers in the OSI model define and describe the functions and the mechanisms for establishing and managing the communication and the connection between the systems or the devices, such as the session, the dialogue, the routing, or the addressing, and they correspond to the Internet Layer in the TCP/IP model. References: CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Eighth Edition, Chapter 5:
Communication and Network Security, page 535. Official (ISC)2 CISSP CBK Reference, Fifth Edition, Chapter 5: Communication and Network Security, page 536.