100-150 Question 13
Single answerA network technician is troubleshooting a connectivity issue between two devices on a local network. The technician captures packets using a network analyzer and observes that the source and destination IP addresses are correct, but the destination MAC address does not match the intended device. At which layer of the OSI model is this issue likely occurring?
- A
Layer 2 (Data Link Layer)
- B
Layer 3 (Network Layer)
- C
Layer 4 (Transport Layer)
- D
Layer 7 (Application Layer)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The issue involves the mismatch of a MAC address, which is associated with the Data Link Layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. This layer is responsible for managing the delivery of frames within a local network, including the use of MAC addresses for delivery. Since the IP addresses are correct, the issue is not at Layer 3 or above.
- A. Correct.
Issues with MAC addresses are handled at Layer 2 (Data Link Layer), which is responsible for physical addressing (e.g., MAC addresses) and ensuring proper delivery of frames on the local network.
- B. Incorrect.
Layer 3 (Network Layer) is responsible for logical addressing (e.g., IP addresses) and routing, but it does not handle MAC addresses directly.
- C. Incorrect.
Layer 4 (Transport Layer) is responsible for managing end-to-end communication between devices (e.g., TCP/UDP), not physical or logical addressing.
- D. Incorrect.
Layer 7 (Application Layer) handles the interaction between applications and the network but does not involve addressing or packet/frame delivery.