Data link protocols provide control over data exchange at the data link layer through mechanisms like frame synchronization, flow control using stop-and-wait or sliding windows, and error control using automatic repeat request (ARQ) protocols like stop-and-wait, go-back-N, and selective-reject to handle lost or damaged frames. HDLC is a commonly used data link protocol that uses synchronous transmission of frames with flag fields, address fields, control fields, information fields, and frame check sequences along with three phases of operation and different frame types.