The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers.
Functions of the network layer include: The TCP/IP model describes the protocols used by the Internet.
However, this comparison is misleading, as the allowed characteristics of protocols (e.g., whether they are connection-oriented or connection-less) placed into these layers are different in the two models.
[citation needed] The network layer is responsible for fragmentation and reassembly for IPv4 packets that are larger than the smallest MTU of all the intermediate links on the packet's path to its destination.
It is the function of routers to fragment packets if needed, and of hosts to reassemble them if received.