A data link layer-based communication method, wherein the communication method is applied to an autonomic network, and the method comprises: • generating, by a first network device, a data link layer-based autonomic control plane, L2 ACP, packet, wherein the first network device is an autonomic device in the autonomic network (S 310); • encapsulating, by the first network device, based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the frame at the data link layer comprises a source data link layer address and a destination data link layer address, and the source data link layer address is a data link layer address of the first network device (S 320); and • sending, by the first network device, according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device, wherein the second network device is also an autonomic device in the autonomic network, and the second network device is a neighboring device of the first network device (S 330), • characterized in that the generating, by the first network device, the data link layer-based autonomic control plane L2 ACP packet comprises: generating, by the first network device, the L2 ACP packet when the first network device needs to communicate with a target device in the autonomic network and determines that a neighbor list of the first network device comprises a match item for a device identifier of the target device, wherein a packet header of the L2 ACP packet comprises a flag bit field, a value of the flag bit field is used to indicate that the L2 ACP packet is a neighbor unicast packet, and the neighbor list of the first network device comprises a device identifier and a data link layer address of a neighboring device of the first network device; the encapsulating, by the first network device, based on the frame at the data link layer the L2 ACP packet comprises: encapsulating, by the first network device, based on the frame at the data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the destination data link layer address of the frame at the data link layer is a data link layer address of the target device; and the sending, by the first network device, according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the second network device comprises: sending, by the first network device, according to the data link layer address of the target device, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the target device. • generating, by a first network device, a data link layer-based autonomic control plane, L2 ACP, packet, wherein the first network device is an autonomic device in the autonomic network (S 310); • encapsulating, by the first network device, based on a frame at a data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the frame at the data link layer comprises a source data link layer address and a destination data link layer address, and the source data link layer address is a data link layer address of the first network device (S 320); and • sending, by the first network device, according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to a second network device, wherein the second network device is also an autonomic device in the autonomic network, and the second network device is a neighboring device of the first network device (S 330), • characterized in that the generating, by the first network device, the data link layer-based autonomic control plane L2 ACP packet comprises: generating, by the first network device, the L2 ACP packet when the first network device needs to communicate with a target device in the autonomic network and determines that a neighbor list of the first network device comprises a match item for a device identifier of the target device, wherein a packet header of the L2 ACP packet comprises a flag bit field, a value of the flag bit field is used to indicate that the L2 ACP packet is a neighbor unicast packet, and the neighbor list of the first network device comprises a device identifier and a data link layer address of a neighboring device of the first network device; the encapsulating, by the first network device, based on the frame at the data link layer the L2 ACP packet comprises: encapsulating, by the first network device, based on the frame at the data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the destination data link layer address of the frame at the data link layer is a data link layer address of the target device; and the sending, by the first network device, according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the second network device comprises: sending, by the first network device, according to the data link layer address of the target device, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the target device. encapsulating, by the first network device, based on the frame at the data link layer, the L2 ACP packet, wherein the destination data link layer address of the frame at the data link layer is a data link layer address of the target device; and the sending, by the first network device, according to the destination data link layer address, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the second network device comprises: sending, by the first network device, according to the data link layer address of the target device, the L2 ACP packet encapsulated based on the frame at the data link layer to the target device.