Govt. Exams
Entrance Exams
VLANs operate at Layer 2 (Data Link) to segment ports logically, but inter-VLAN communication requires Layer 3 (Network Layer) routing. A router or Layer 3 switch must have routes configured between different VLANs with appropriate subnet masks and routing table entries. This tests the understanding that Layer 2 segmentation requires Layer 3 routing for cross-segment communication, a critical concept in modern network design.
Authentication and encryption are Presentation Layer (6) functions, while session management is a Session Layer (5) function. Application Layer (7) coordinates these.
Packet drops can occur due to congestion (Layer 4), routing issues (Layer 3), or hardware problems (Layer 2). Investigation should span these layers.
MAC address resolution (ARP) is a Data Link Layer function. The Network Layer handles IP addressing, routing, and logical addressing.
Priority queuing at the Transport Layer can prioritize VoIP packets, reducing latency. This is a QoS mechanism at Layer 4.
DPI analyzes application-level data, which requires inspection at the Application Layer (Layer 7) to identify specific applications.
Encapsulation is the fundamental concept where each OSI layer wraps data from the layer above it with its own headers/footers. This creates nested structures: Data → Segments → Packets → Frames → Bits.
QoS is implemented across both Layer 3 (IP precedence, DSCP) and Layer 4 (TCP/UDP port-based prioritization). This multi-layer approach ensures effective traffic prioritization for video streaming.
VPN encryption operates across multiple layers. IPSec-based VPNs work at Layer 3, SSL/TLS-based VPNs at Layer 6-7. The encryption and tunneling create a secure overlay across network and higher layers.
Session hijacking targets the Session Layer (Layer 5) by intercepting and taking control of established sessions between applications.