---
title: "What Are The Layers Of The OSI Reference Model?"  
description: "What Are The Layers Of The OSI Reference Model?"  
author: "Rahul Roi"  
published: 2021-01-29  
updated: 2021-01-29  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/156404/what-are-the-layers-of-the-osi-reference-model  
category: "network"  
tags: ["networking", "networking for lawyers", "hardware & networking"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What Are The Layers Of The OSI Reference Model?

What Are The Layers Of The **OSI [Reference Model](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/30563/what-are-the-layers-of-the-osi-reference-model)**?

## Replies

### Reply by Krishnapriya Rajeev

OSI stands for *Open Systems Interconnection*. It is a conceptual [model](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81334/america-is-reopening-after-corona-lockdown-but-on-swedish-model) that illustrates the design of a network that is used for communication between various computer systems. It has *seven* separate but related layers with specific functions.

1. **Physical layer**: It is the lowermost layer of the OSI framework. The actual transmission of bits over a communication channel occurs at this layer. Its responsibilities include the physical representation of interfaces and medium, line configuration, data rate, synchronization of bits, physical topology, and transmission mode.
2. **Datalink layer**: This layer provides the means to transfer data between neighboring network nodes. Its responsibilities include framing, physical addressing, flow control, error control, and access control.
3. **Network layer**: This layer transfers packets from source to destination. The source and destination can be in different networks. Its responsibilities include logical addressing and routing.
4. **Transportation layer**: This layer sends messages from one process to another process. A process is an application program that is running on the host. Its responsibilities include service-point addressing, segmentation and reassembly, connection control, flow control, and error control.
5. **Session layer**: This layer is responsible for dialog control and synchronization.
6. **Presentation layer**: This layer is concerned with the syntax and semantics of the information exchanged between the systems. Its responsibilities include translation, encryption, and compression.
7. **Application layer**: This is the topmost layer of the OSI framework. It provides users with services. The services include user interfaces, electronic mail, remote file access and transfer, shared database, etc. Its responsibilities also include directory services.


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