Explain the role of MAC addresses in the Data Link layer of the OSI Model.

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Explain the role of MAC addresses in the Data Link layer of the OSI Model.

The MAC addresses, also known as Media Access Control addresses, play a crucial role in the Data Link layer of the OSI Model. They are unique identifiers assigned to network interface cards (NICs) by the manufacturer.

In the Data Link layer, MAC addresses are used to identify and address devices within a local area network (LAN). They provide a way for devices to communicate with each other on the same network segment.

When a device wants to send data to another device on the network, it uses the MAC address of the destination device to create a data frame. The source MAC address is also included in the frame to identify the sender.

The Data Link layer uses MAC addresses to control access to the physical network medium, ensuring that only one device transmits at a time to avoid collisions. This is achieved through protocols like Ethernet, which use Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) to manage the transmission of data.

Overall, MAC addresses in the Data Link layer provide a means of uniquely identifying devices on a network and facilitate the efficient and reliable transmission of data within a LAN.