The next issue we need to discuss about the data-link layer is the link-layer addresses.
In Chapter 18, we will discuss IP addresses as the identifiers at the network layer that
define the exact points in the Internet where the source and destination hosts are connected. However, in a connectionless internetwork such as the Internet we cannot make
a datagram reach its destination using only IP addresses. The reason is that each datagram in the Internet, from the same source host to the same destination host, may take a different path. The source and destination IP addresses define the two ends but cannot define which links the datagram should pass through.
We need to remember that the IP addresses in a datagram should not be changed. If
the destination IP address in a datagram changes, the packet never reaches its
destination; if the source IP address in a datagram changes, the destination host or a
router can never communicate with the source if a response needs to be sent back or an
error needs to be reported back to the source (see ICMP in Chapter 19).