Datenlink

Datenlink is a German term that can refer to two related concepts in information technology. In networking it is commonly used as shorthand for the data link layer of the OSI model, known in German as die Datenlink-Schicht.

The data link layer provides node-to-node data transfer across a physical link. It defines how data is packaged into frames, how devices on the same network segment are addressed (MAC addresses), and how errors are detected, typically through checksums such as CRCs. It also handles access control to the shared medium and, in many architectures, basic flow control. The layer is often described as consisting of two sublayers: a Logical Link Control (LLC) sublayer and a Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer. Ethernet and Wi‑Fi are common examples of data link protocols.

In German technical literature the term may also be used as a synonym for the data link layer, sometimes rendered as Datenverbindungsschicht, to distinguish it from the network layer and the physical layer.

In another sense, Datenlink is occasionally used to refer to a hyperlink—a link in a document or web page that points to data resources. In this context the standard terms are usually Hyperlink or Link, with Datenlink appearing primarily in technical or historical texts.

Overall, the meaning of Datenlink depends on context; it most often denotes the data link layer in networking or, less commonly, a hyperlink to data.