Computing and communication devices need to exchange information.
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Transmission system utilization | To make efficient use of transmission facilities |
| Interfacing | Compatible physical and electrical characteristics. |
| Signal generation | Generate signals capable of propagating through the transmission medium. |
| Synchronization | Receiver should be able to determine when a signal begins to arrive and when it ends. |
| Exchange management | |
| Error detection and correction | |
| Flow control | |
| Addressing | |
| Routing | |
| Recovery | |
| Message formatting | |
| Security | |
| Network management |