What is the role of the transport layer in the OSI model?

The role of the transport layer in the OSI model is to segment and reassemble data. This layer is critical in facilitating communication between devices by ensuring that data is divided into manageable pieces, called segments, before being sent across the network. This segmentation process involves breaking large amounts of data into smaller units to optimize the transmission process, particularly over networks with varying capacities.

Once the data reaches its destination, the transport layer is also responsible for reassembling these segments back into their original form. This ensures that the receiving application can process the data correctly and seamlessly. Additionally, the transport layer provides essential services like flow control and error correction, which help maintain the integrity and reliability of the communication.

In contrast, the other options relate to functions that fall under different layers of the OSI model. For instance, handling the physical connection pertains to the physical layer, while routing data packets involves the network layer. Managing network access is a characteristic of the data link layer, which is responsible for how data is framed and transmitted over the physical network. Understanding the specific functions of each layer helps in grasping how data is managed and transmitted across networks.