Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for routing packets?

The Network Layer, which is Layer 3 of the OSI model, is responsible for routing packets between devices across different networks. This layer determines the best physical path for data transfer based on network conditions, the destination address, and various routing protocols. It encapsulates data into packets and provides logical addressing, enabling devices on separate networks to communicate. This functionality is essential for making decisions about how data should traverse multiple hops or routers on the way to its destination.

The Physical Layer handles the transmission of raw bitstreams over a physical medium, while the Data Link Layer focuses on node-to-node data transfer and error detection. The Transport Layer is responsible for end-to-end communication, ensuring complete data transfer and managing error recovery and flow control, but it does not deal with the routing of packets. Thus, the Network Layer plays a critical role in facilitating the efficient movement of data packets through interconnected networks.