What services are provided by the Transport Layer?

The Transport Layer is responsible for managing the delivery of data between devices in a network. It ensures that data packets are transmitted reliably and in the correct order, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of data communication. Flow control and error correction are key functions of the Transport Layer.

Flow control mechanisms prevent data overload by managing the rate of data transmission between sender and receiver, allowing devices with different processing speeds to communicate effectively. Error correction mechanisms help to ensure that any errors occurring during data transmission are identified and corrected, strengthening the reliability of communication.

While other layers of the OSI model handle different aspects of networking—such as encryption and compression occurring at the Presentation Layer, address resolution and routing managed by the Network Layer, and session management at the Session Layer—these functions do not fall under the purview of the Transport Layer. Thus, the identification of flow control and error correction as the primary services of the Transport Layer encapsulates its essential role in the networking model.