Category talk:Physical layer protocols

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I have reverted one of your additions (in ISDN) of the Physical layer protocol category tag, before I noticed that you have made this change in a number of other articles. Instead of reverting those as well I thought I'd come and talk to you first. I explained my ISDN revert in the comments. You have also tagged Modem as a physical layer protocol. I'm perhaps a nitpicker, but modems aren't protocols, but rather they implement protocols. Secondly, whereas their primary function is to modulate and demodulate (which are indeed layer-1 functions), the vast majority of modems implement higher-layer protocols as well (e.g. layer-2 functions such as framing, flow control, error detection and error correction). I'd be interested in your thoughts. JanCeuleers 13:54, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

I created the "physical layer protocols" and "network layer protocols" category, because there are categories for all other OSI layers, and because i think that it should be possible to navigate to most (all?) networking categories and articles starting out from the protocol layers. The five layer TCP/IP model, or the seven layer OSI model, should be a main map for the networking articles - a root of the navigation tree. The most important articles and categories, for example about modem protocols, should be found near the top of this navigation tree.

You have a point. But I think some protocols must belong to several categories. Most protocols that we mainly consider as physical, for example IRDA, USB, Firewiere, ISDN, modems, etc, also include higher layer protocols, for example LLC.

I have now also added the "modems" article and category to category:Logical Link Control.

Perhaps "Physical layer issues" or "Physical layer" would have been a better name. Then it would have been more natural to include important articles and subcategories such as "modulation methods" and "multiplex methods". But in that case all 7 OSI-layer categories should be renamed in a similar fashion.

The physical layer deals with circuit switching, while the data link layer dels with packet oriented communication. So the ISDN B channel is a physical layer protocol, right? Should some of the ISDN articles, for example the one about the B channel be added to the physical layer category do you think?

Mange01 20:41, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

I agree that referring to layers rather than protocols addresses most of my nitpicky issues. Some topics span multiple network layers and the corresponding articles would therefore need to be included in multiple layer categories. JanCeuleers 19:41, 15 November 2006 (UTC)