Data Link Layer and Ethernet

What the resources cover

The page sits in the Physical Layer and Data Communications strand of Networks and telecommunications. It centres on how frames move across a local network. The mind map on CSMA/CD lists the steps a sender follows: listen until the Ethernet is not busy, send the frame, then keep listening while sending. IEEE Ethernet Standards sets out 802.3i, 802.3u, 802.3z, 802.3ab, 802.3ae and more, matched to speeds from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps.

Where to start

If the topic is new, begin with the mind maps named Ethernet Basics and Modern Ethernet, then open Ethernet Frames and IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Header and Trailer Fields. The flashcard deck Channel Access asks what CSMA stands for and how its persistence methods differ. The deck ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) / Layer 2 covers MAC addresses and the fields in the Ethernet header, including the preamble.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a map, such as Building Ethernet LANs with Switches, and note what you can explain without looking.
2. Take a quiz. DIKTA ICND1 Ch 2 asks about wired and wireless devices in a small office LAN.
3. Try CISCO Chapter 10 & 11, where you read a switch MAC address table and decide what the switch does with a frame.
4. Return to the map for any question you missed, then drill the point with flashcards.

For certification candidates

Several quizzes follow the MEF CECP modules, and others follow CCNA chapters, so candidates can match practice to the course they are taking. Teachers can pick a single map or quiz to set as ready-made material.

Next step

Choose one map that matches your course, work through a quiz on the same topic, and see which points need another look.