CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

What is the primary function of the Physical layer in the OSI model?

1. Signaling, cabling, connections

2. Data management and control

3. Routing and addressing

4. Application interaction and presentation

The correct answer is: Signaling, cabling, connections

The primary function of the Physical layer in the OSI model involves the transmission of raw bitstreams over a physical medium. This includes managing the signaling and cabling infrastructure, which allows devices to connect and communicate in a network. The Physical layer specifies the characteristics of the network hardware, such as electrical signaling, pin layouts, and connector specifications. It plays a crucial role in determining how the data is physically transmitted, including aspects like voltages, timing of voltage changes, and the physical form of the cables used. This is integral because it ensures that data can be reliably communicated between devices on the same local network connection. The other options describe functions that are associated with higher layers of the OSI model. Data management and control pertain more to the Data Link layer, while routing and addressing are primarily functions of the Network layer. Application interaction and presentation are related to the top layers, specifically the Application and Presentation layers, which handle data formatting, encryption, and interaction with software applications.