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A Layer 3 protocol operates at the network layer of the OSI model, where logical addressing and packet forwarding let data travel between separate networks. Internet Protocol (IP)—including IPv4 and IPv6—is the best-known example.
What a Layer 3 protocol does
Layer 3 is the OSI model’s Network Layer. In the Internet protocol suite, the corresponding layer is called the Internet Layer; IP is commonly mapped to OSI Layer 3. The models correspond approximately, and their boundaries are not identical in every description. The IETF’s RFC 4949 explains this mapping.
At this layer, IP datagrams carry logical source and destination addresses. Routers use network-layer information and routing information to move datagrams across an internetwork, selecting a next hop toward the destination. A datagram is the self-contained unit of data that IP carries; its header includes addressing and control fields.
How routers use Layer 3
A router connects networks and forwards arriving datagrams toward their destinations. Two related tasks are involved: routing determines or maintains path and next-hop information, while forwarding applies that information to send a particular datagram through an outgoing interface. The router architecture described in RFC 1716 covers route information and next-hop selection.
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By contrast, a bridge or a switch operating only at Layer 2 forwards traffic within a link-layer network. Multiple physical segments joined by bridges can still form one logical IP network; crossing a physical segment boundary does not by itself mean Layer 3 routing has occurred.
How Layer 3 differs from Layers 2 and 4
| Layer | Scope and role | Examples | Reliability and ordering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer 2: Data Link | Delivery over a directly connected link or network segment | Ethernet or Wi-Fi link framing | Depends on the specific link protocol; this layer is not the general end-to-end service between applications. |
| Layer 3: Network | Logical addressing and forwarding between networks | IPv4, IPv6; routers forward packets | IP does not guarantee arrival, delivery only once, or in-order delivery. |
| Layer 4: Transport | End-to-end communication services between applications | TCP; UDP | TCP provides reliable, ordered communication; UDP does not provide those guarantees. |
This is a conceptual comparison, not a claim that every protocol suite draws boundaries in exactly the same way. For Internet terminology, IP belongs to the Internet Layer, which is commonly mapped to OSI Layer 3.
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Does IP guarantee delivery?
No. IP is connectionless: it sends datagrams without establishing a connection that promises end-to-end delivery. A datagram may fail to arrive, may arrive more than once, or may arrive out of order. The receiving application or a higher-layer protocol must handle any reliability it requires. TCP, for example, supplies reliable and ordered communication; IP itself does not. This distinction is described in RFC 4949 and the historical router reference RFC 1716.
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IPv4 and IPv6 are versions of Internet Protocol, not different OSI layers. Both serve the network-layer role of addressing datagrams and supporting their movement across networks. IPv4 is specified in RFC 791; IPv6 is specified in RFC 8200.
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In short
A Layer 3 protocol provides logical addressing and supports packet forwarding between networks. IP is the central example, and routers use routing information to choose where to forward its datagrams. Layer 3 forwarding does not, by itself, make delivery reliable or ordered.
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