thinQmaster Virtual testing partner Adaptive practice exams that find your weak spots and drill them. Every answer explained. From $69
Enroll

thinQmaster

Find your exam

Five questions free, before you decide.

Step 1 · choose a vendor

In one of our camps? Your practice exams come with the tuition — they are on your study page already.

Networking Fundamentals · Foundational

Internet Layer

The TCP/IP model layer that handles logical addressing and routing, equivalent to OSI Layer 3.

Definition

The Internet layer moves packets from source to destination across interconnected networks. Its core protocol is IP (IPv4 and IPv6), supported by ICMP, ICMPv6 and IGMP. It provides best-effort, connectionless delivery and leaves reliability to upper layers.

Example

IPv6 routing between two sites happens at the Internet layer.

Exam tip

Internet layer = OSI Network layer; do not confuse it with "the Internet" as a network.

Related terms